12/25/1696 – 1779
Information gathered by Lynn Beedle on September 8, 1972:
Jacobus (Jacob – James) Van Etten was born on Christmas Day in 1696, in Hurley, Ulster County, New York (just south of Kingston). He married Anna Westbrook (her father was a farmer). Of their eight offspring (and there were fewer Dutch-sounding names, the oldest was Jan (John) Van Etten, from whom we descended.
From “Van Eaton & Allied Families”, by Stephen Earl Coulter, 1974:
Jacob Van Etten, son of Jan Van Etten & Jannetje Roosa; b. in Hurley, Ulster Co.,
N.Y.; bpt Dec 25, 1696; d. 1779 at Namenock, N.J. or in Ulster Co., N.Y.; farmer;
freeholder of the town of Kingston, N.Y. in 1728, and an active member of the
foot company of militia of Kingston under the command of Capt. Tjrck Dewitt in
1738. In the Ulster County census of slaves, on Apr 2, 1755, he was listed as
being the master of a “negro wens Feb is 18 jers old.” In 1775 as an inhabitant
of Kingston, N.Y., he signed the articles of “general Association,” “opposing
the execution of the several arbitrary and oppressive acts of the British Par-
liament.” Jacob Van Etten m. Apr 22, 1719, Antjen “Anna” Westbrook, dau of
Johannes Westbrook & Magdalena Decker (see p. 79); bpt July 28, 1700; d. 1783
in Hurley, N.Y.
Jacob Van Etten had a son Anthony born at Napenock, Ulster Co., N.Y. in
1726, and anobher son, Johannes, b. at Namenock, N.J. in 1730. “Olde Ulster”
vol 3, p. 58, states Jacob Van Etten settled about 1730 in the Delaware valley
in New Jersey, opposite Namenock Island. Eva Alice Scott in her “Jacobus Jan-
sen Van Etten,” claims Jacob Van Etten lived at Namenock, N.J., and purchased
land in Morris Co., New Jersey opposite the Namenock Islands in the Delaware
Valley on the New Jersey side in the Minisink district. If this is true, he
must have later returned to Kingston, N.Y. Or perhaps there were two Jacob Van
Ettens-‘one in New York and one in New Jersey.
Jacob Van Etten & Anna Westbrook had 8 children:
1. Jan “John” Van Etten, bpt Apr 17, 1720; d. 1786 (see below)
2. Helena “Magdalena” Van Etten, bpt Dec 24, 1721; m. Rev. Johannes Casparus
Fryenmuth
3. Cornelius Van Etten, b. 1723; m. Heltje Westbrook
4. Anthony Van Etten, bpt June 12, 1726 in Ulster Co., N.Y.; blacksmith; cap-
tain of Orange Co., N.Y. militia during the Revolutionary War; assassinated
by Tories in his orchard in 1778; m. Hannah Decker
5. Jannetjen “Jane” Van Etten, bpt Apr 1728/9; m. Emanuel Gonsalus
6. Johannes Van Etten, bpt 1731/2 in Namenock, N.J.; captain of Pennsylvania
Militia during the Revolutionary War; fought at the battle on the Brandy-
wine.in 1777 in which nearly’half his company was killed, Johannes m.l)
Marie Gonsalus; m.2) Rachel (Williams) Decker
7. Sarah Van Etten, bpt May 19, 1736 at Mini sink; m. Jacobus Van Sickle
8. Dirk “Richard” Van Etten, bpt May 29, 1739 at Minisink; m. Rusje Westfall