All of the quoted material below was excerpted from William J. Hoffman, M.S. (Delft), F.G.B.S, An Armory of American Families of Dutch Descent: Van Ness--Van Den Burchgraeff, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (April 1941: 148-154). A lot of time has elapsed since 1941 so, as indicated below by Hoffman, additional research in the available records *MIGHT* yield a specific line of descent for Cornelis-1 Hendrickse van Ness from Gerrit van Nes who resided at Gorichem in the mid 1500s. I don't have the expertise to conduct such research but I am posting this message with the selfish hope that some of our listers with greater expertise and access to sources in the Netherlands may be inspired to take a fresh look at the ancestry of Cornelis-1 Hendrickse van Nes [VAN NESS]. ***** QUOTED MATERIAL FROM HOFFMAN ***** Cornelis Hendrickse van Ness, came probably with Andries de Vos to Rensselaerswyck in 1641. >From the records published in ERA III:278 we learn that on July 31, 1625, Cornelis Hendricksz van Nes and Marijgen Hendricks (van den Burchgraeff) made on that date a post-nuptial agreement, probably shortly after their marriage. They were then living at Vianen, on the Havendijk. Vianen is a small city on the river Lek. Hendricks wife was from the neighboring town of Leksmond. Acting on the suggestion made in the statement by Hoppin in Vol. III, p. 184, of The Washington Ancestry of McClain, Johnson, etc, relative to Cornelis Hendricksz van Ness, namely: The emigrant presents an inviting prospect for an inquiry in Holland, I herewith present the data which I have collected as a result of such an inquiry. Americana on p. 372 of 1933 volume shows a van Ness coat [of arms], namely: Argent two bars Gules and Charles D. Allen lists an armorial van Ness bookplate in his American Bookplates. The authority for these arms is not given in these publications, but it seems worth while [sic, worthwhile] to investigate by which family this coat [of arms] was borne in the Netherlands. Acting on the suggestion made in the statement by Hoppin in Vol. III, p. 184, of The Washington Ancestry of McClain, Johnson, etc, relative to Cornelis Hendricksz van Ness, namely: The emigrant presents an inviting prospect for an inquiry in Holland, I herewith present the data which I have collected as a result of such an inquiry. "A seal with these arms was used by Joris van Nes on a record dated Jan. 9, 1546, when he was rentmeester, steward of the lord of the manor of Goudriaan. The same arms appear on the seal of Adriaen van Nes on Sept. 12, 1593, when he was stadhouder der leenen, or steward-supervisor of the property held in tenure from the seignory of Noordeloos. The towns of Goudriaan, Noordeloos, Gorinchem and Vianen are all situated in the same small district in the eastern part of the province of South Holland and are only a few miles apart. "Among the Schepen Records of Gorinchem there are two, dated respectively Jan. 20, 1550, and Mar. 23, 1552 (F xiv, Vol. 13), from which the following genealogical fragment can be assembled, together with data from other records as indicated below. I. Gerrit van Nes had the following 4 sons: i. Joris van Nes, schout, or sheriff of Noordeloos (see his seal mentioned above) mentioned in 1550 ii. Hendrick van Nes, died between Jan., 1550 and March, 1552, the dates of the records mentioned above. His brother Frans van Nes was the guardian over his (unnamed) children. One of his sons was possibly Cornelis Hendricsz van Nes from Noordeloos mentioned Dec. 1, 1559 iii. Frans van Nes was living at Noordeloos in 1552 iv. Cornelis van Nes had died prior to Jan. 20, 1550. He married 4 times He had the following children It is my conviction that the American settler belonged to the same van Nes family of which I have given a genealogical fragment. They and the ancestor of the American family lived in and were identified with towns situated within a five mile radius. The similarity of Christian names is striking and in the family at Noordeloos there is even mentioned the same combination of given name and patronymic as borne by the American founder. A further search in the judicial archives of Vianen might bring documentary proof of the connection. But on the strength of these considerations it seems reasonably certain that the American family is entitled to bear the arms as shown in the illustration herewith. ***** END QUOTED MATERIAL FROM HOFFMAN ***** ***** PERRY'S COMMENTS ***** Please note that the Cornelis Hendricsz van Nes, mentioned in 1559, could *not* possibly be identical with the father-in-law of Pieter Claesen van Norden. However... *IF* this family followed traditional naming patterns, Cornelis Hendricsz van Nes of 1559 would likely have named his eldest son Hendric Cornelisz van Nes and... *IF* such a man existed, he would likely have named his eldest son Cornelis Hendricsz van Nes and... *IF* such a man existed, he would be a *potential* match for the father-in-law of Pieter Claesen van Norden [WYCKOFF]. That is a lot of ifs! Also, Cornelis and Hendric are both very common given names so the name of "Cornelis Hendricsz" could have easily been introduced into the van Nes family documented above, or a different van Nes family, whenever any Hendric van Nes named a son Cornelis in honor of any paternal or maternal predecessor. Perry Streeter (perry@streeter.com) www.perry.streeter.com