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Ancestral Photographs of Upstate New York

by Roxy Triebel
treebz65@hotmail.com

Tangled Roots and Twisted Branches

BURHANS

The following information is taken from my grandmother's book, "Tangled Roots and Twisted Branches" (published 1987), with some minor reformatting for the web.  This book is known to contain some errors.  If you have any corrections or additions, please contact me.

Jacob Burhans (wife's name unknown) came to this country from Holland on the Spotted Cow.  First record of him was 26 March 1660, listed as Soldier under Peter Stuyvesant.  On 7 December 1660, he was listed 3rd of Members who organized the Reformed Dutch Church at Wiltwyck (Kingston).  His son, Jan Burhans, also came on the Spotted Cow.  He and Jan Jansen Van Osterhout applied in 1671 for right of way over the great bridge (this would probably be the one at what is now Washington Ave., Kingston).  It was granted, but they had to pay a Schepel of wheat for every Morgen of cleared land.  On 30 March 1680, Jan Burhans and Jan Jansen (Van Osterhout) divided their lands at Brabrant (that would be in the area of the Sawkill Road, etc.).  They had one lot called "DEAD MAN'S BONES".

JAN BURHANS died 1708; was married to HELENA TRAPHAGEN.  They had at least 14 children, but I am only trying to follow the several that are in my line - very confusing:

  1. Janneke Burhans married 12 October 1697 in Kingston Church to Pieter DuBois (son of Jacques and Peryn Bentyn DuBois).  Their descendants married into my LEGG and MYERS family lines.

  2. Hilletje Burhans married 18 June 1700 to Edward Whitaker (son of Edward and Hannah Wakeman Hackleton Whitaker).  [see NY Geneal. & Biogr. Rcd 1939]

  3. BARENT BURHANS, baptized 21 April 1681 at Kingston Church, a shoemaker and miller.  He bought, along with other property, 4 acres of land called HELL (I don't know where that was located).  HE married MARGRIT JANS MATTHYSEN (baptized 14 January 1684, daughter of Jan Matthysen and Magdalena Blanchan).

    (According to my other information, these are some of the other children of Jan Burhans and Helena Traphagen.  All baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church in Kingston, Ulster County, New York -- RT)

  4. Jacob Burhans, baptized 2 March 1678/9

  5. Johannes Burhans, baptized 27 August 1682, married Margrit Legg (baptized 27 January 1684, daughter of William and Susanah M. LEGG).  His widow Margrit married II:  in 1726 to Barent Van Benthuysen, the widower of Jenneke Van Wagenen.

  6. Elizabeth Burhans baptized 7 July 1684, married JAN PLOEG, baptized 5 May 1681 (son of Hendrick PLOEG and Tryntje Pieters).

  7. Willem Burhans, baptized 7 March 1685/6, married 22 June 1731 to Grietjen Ten Eyck

  8. Hendrick Burhans, baptized 6 November 1687

  9. Abraham Burhans, baptized 28 January 1691/2, married 21 June 1729 to Annetjen Oosterhoudt

  10. Isaac Burhans, baptized 28 January 1691/2, married 22 July 1722 to Neeltjen Westvaal

I have two versions of this family - will list both:

This probably from Burhans Genealogy:  JAN MATTHYSEN came to this country with his wife, Magdalena Blanchan in 1660 on the ship GILDED OTTER.  Also on the same ship from Artois, France came Mattys Blanchan and wife Madeline Joris, the parents of Magdalena Blanchan.

OLDE ULSTER Vol. 6 pp 305 - 308; Riker's History:

This in small print under WILL of JAN TYSEN and wife Magdalena Blanchan in Anjou's UL. CO. PROBATES: pg 33 -- MATTYS JANS VAN KEULEN had 18 August 1646 a grand of 40 morgens land at Harlem by Director Kieft.  He became a trader, moved to Fort Orange (Albany), then to Esopus.  He died before 15 February 1663.

MATTYS JANS married Margaret Hendricks (who married II:  Thomas Chambers).  Children of MATTYS JANS and Margaret Hendricks:

  1. Jan Matthysen (TYSEN), born Fort Orange, married after 28 September 1667 to Magdalena Blanchan of England.  They had 10 children.  Some took the name VAN KEUREN / Keulen (Dutch for COLOGNE):  some took the name JANSEN.

  2. MARGARET, baptized 14 January 1684 (their 5th child) married BARENT BURHANS.  Magdalena Blanchan and 2 children were held captive by the Indians for several weeks.

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© 1987 by Dorothy E. Smith and 2004 by Roxy Triebel or the original contributor.
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