Our thanks to Marilyn Aten who provided and transcribed this letter written by Henry J. Aten.

      Henry J. Aten,

Farm Mortgage Loans,

   Hiawatha, Kansas.

April 6th, 1898

Rev. William S. Cranmer

            Somerville, New Jersey

Dear Sir: -

The Rev. W. H. DeHart Pastor of the Third Dutch Reformed Church of Raritan, to whom I wrote for the information which I now request of you, advised me to write you, thinking that the records of the Raritan Church, dating back to 1700, would be found in your Church.

I am a descendant of Adrian Aten, who died at Readington, in January 1758.  His wife was Jacobje Middagh, and she died in Northampton County, Pa. about 1783.  Both he and she made wills, and a brother of hers, Pieter Middagh was one of the executors in both wills.  Adrian’s son Derich, married first Judith Van Fleet, and second Arianche Longstreet. Now each of these families were first found on Long Island, and the Aten’s – Middagh’s – Van Fleet’s and the Longstreet’s moved from Long Island to the Raritan Valley, probably between 1680 and 1690.  One Jan or Yan Aten, settled on Three Mile Run, and some of his descendants are said to have served in the War of the Revolution from Somerset County.  The family tradition was that Adrian Aten crossed over from Holland, and married here probably about 1700.  But as Hendrickson Adrian Aten was one of those who settled on Long Island, and as Hendrickson was a common name in the family, and as Adrian was also a common name we have thought that Adrian of Readington would have been a descendant of Hendrickson Adrian, or of Jan or of Yan of Somerset Co.

May I ask you to kindly see if the records of your church would serve to make the connection between the Aten’s from Long Island, and Adrian of Readington. If you think the record may

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throw light on this question I am willing to pay for a search, and an abstract of marriages, births, baptisms, deaths and admissions.

The Middagh record I have says that Derich Middagh married Katalyn Van Nest, and left Brooklyn and settled in the Raritan Valley, in 1687.  His children are given as Cornelius,

Pieter  baptized September 26^th, 1700

Derich               March 23^rd,        1703

Joris                  April 26^th,          1709

Garrett,              April 30^th,          1712

Now could this Joris be the Jacobje who married Adrian Aten?  Both Adrian and his wife spelled her name Jacobje, which I am told is Dutch for Jemima.

Thanking you for any information you may be able to give that may assist in making this connection, or suggestions that lead to securing the information desired, I remain

Very respectfully yours,

Henry J. Aten

Oct. 14, 1719                                                                  Witnesses

Adrain Aten                     Pieter Middagh &

Antie

Vrow Aten                        Katalyna Middagh

Sep 17, 1721

Adrian Aerten                   Thomas Aerten

Dirck

Julye                                  & vrouw

Aug. 29, 1723

Adrian Aerten

         Hendrick

Jacobje

March 26, 1724                 Adraen Aerten

     Catholynte                    Julye