Liz, Thank you so much for that information! Sickels! I never even thought of that. My mind just drew a total blank on it. Now Lambert has an identity, thanks to you. On 12/27/2012 9:08 PM, E Johnson wrote: > Jan Jacobs aka van Rheenen had married Geertje Gysberts, and after his > death, Geertje married Auke Jans van Nuys, the father of Jan Aukes van > Nuys, Eva (van Rheenen) Jans' husband. They were in Brooklyn as early as > 1662, when Jan Jacobs van Rheenen and Geertje Gysberts baptized a son Jacob > in October 1662. See New Netherland Connections Vol. 2 (1997), p. 35. > > Now I wonder if Maria Jans, wife of Lambert Sickels, had been another > daughter of Jan Jacobs aka van Rheenen, who had died before 1712. Perhaps a > dispute had arisen concerning the distribution of Jan Jacobs van Rheenen's > and Geertje Gysberts' mutual estate. No marriage record Auke and Geertje has yet been found. Neither does there seem to have been a prenuptial agreement. That omission may be the reason why Auke included Geertje and her daughters, Lisbet Jans and Eva Jans, all mentioned by name, in his will which was written in 1694. The will makes no mention of a Maria. From the baptismal records for grandchildren for both Auke and Geertje, it would appear that Geertje and Auke probably married as early as 1682 and definitely by 1684. In 1682 both witness a baptism: Flatbush DRC 1682 May 21; Jan Stevensz, Femmetie Aukes; Auke; Auke Jansz, Gerritje Gysbrechts. The mother in this baptism is Auke's youngest daughter. Geertje has no relationship that I am aware of to Jan Stevenszen van Vorhees, the father. So I am assuming that she is present at this baptism because she is now the wife of Auke Janszen. An earlier baptism in 1681 which they both attended is inconclusive because it was for a child of Jan Aukes (Van Nuys) and Evertje (Eva) Jans. Thus it would be excepted that both parents, whether or not they were by then married to one another, would be present. Flatbush DRC "1681 Jul 17; Jan Aukesz, Evertje Jans; Jan; Auke Jansz, Geertie Gysbrechts." By 1684 we can rather safely estimate that they were married because at yet another baptism we find Geertje using her husband's first name as if it were her patronymic: Brooklyn DRC: Brooklyn Church records, p. 123: "1684, January 20 Jakop; parents: Dirck Zutvin, Elisabet Jans; witnesses Auke Jans, Geertje Aukes" Since this is the Lisbet Jans who was Geertje's daughter and the subject of this little study, there is no reason for Auke to be present except that he is now married to Geertje. {Source: A.P.G. Jos van der Linde, translator and editor, under the direction of the Scholarship Committee of The Holland Society, "Old First Dutch Reformed Church of Brooklyn, New York. First Book of Records, 1660-1752", New York Historical Manuscripts:Dutch (The Genealogical Publishing Company , Baltimore, MD, 1983), p. 123]. As stated above, Auke wrote his will in 1694. It wasn't probated until 1698. Since Auke had left his estate to Geertje for the remainder of her life and requested that she not have to give an accounting of the estate, the evidence seems to be that his request was honored and Geertje died in 1698. All of which is a long, round about way of saying that it would appear that Jan Jacobszen van Rheenen probably died about 1680-1681. Geertje then married Auke sometime between 1682 and 1684. Joan Sholl Francis, on the webpage link that you gave, gives a marriage date for Maria Jans and Lambert Sickels as 1690, which is probably an estimate from the baptism of their first known child. If that date is correct, then she too would have been a step-daughter to Auke Janszen for at least 6, possibly 8 years prior to her marriage. Unless Maria and her new husband, Lambert, had managed to become completely estranged from the rest of the family, she should have been named in Auke's will also. Furthermore, there is no evidence of her in the baptismal records for the children of either of the two women who would have been her sisters. So at this point, circumstantial evidence suggests that Maria was not a child of Jan Jacobsen and Geertje Gysbrechts. Another possible scenario is that since Maria and Lambert are said by Francis to have settled in Bedford, perhaps they purchased the farm of Jan Jacobszen, "late of Bedford", from Auke and Geertje. The lawsuit may have an attempt by Lisbet and Eva to try to collect money still owed on that purchase. This is just speculation, of course, but it does give an alternative interpretation that has a small measure of possibility to it. > Maybe other records will turn up in the various records of Flatbush > concerning Lambert Sickels, that would give some indication of who his wife > had been. Or more about what the lawsuit concerned. This record says that Jan Jacobsen was "late" of Bedford. I intend to see if Bedford retained town records and if they are available as a part of this series of microfilm. Renee L. Dauven

Hi Renee, Glad I could ID that strange name. I "heard" it right away as 'Syckles' because in Dutch, the 'ch' sounds as a 'k', like in our word 'school'. Thanks. Your hypothesis makes more sense. > > All of which is a long, round about way of saying that it would > appear > that Jan Jacobszen van Rheenen probably died about 1680-1681. Geertje > then married Auke sometime between 1682 and 1684. Joan Sholl Francis, > on the webpage link that you gave, gives a marriage date for Maria Jans > and Lambert Sickels as 1690, which is probably an estimate from the > baptism of their first known child. If that date is correct, then she > too would have been a step-daughter to Auke Janszen for at least 6, > possibly 8 years prior to her marriage. > Unless Maria and her new husband, Lambert, had managed to become > completely estranged from the rest of the family, she should have been > named in Auke's will also. Furthermore, there is no evidence of her in > the baptismal records for the children of either of the two women who > would have been her sisters. > So at this point, circumstantial evidence suggests that Maria was > not a > child of Jan Jacobsen and Geertje Gysbrechts. Another possible scenario > is that since Maria and Lambert are said by Francis to have settled in > Bedford, perhaps they purchased the farm of Jan Jacobszen, "late of > Bedford", from Auke and Geertje. The lawsuit may have an attempt by > Lisbet and Eva to try to collect money still owed on that purchase. > This is just speculation, of course, but it does give an alternative > interpretation that has a small measure of possibility to it. > Yes, that nails it. I had forgotten that part of Auke Jans' will, where he mentions the two daughters of Geertje. I'll re-do my notes so I don't wonder about this again ten years from now. > > > Maybe other records will turn up in the various records of Flatbush > > concerning Lambert Sickels, that would give some indication of who his > wife > > had been. Or more about what the lawsuit concerned. > > This record says that Jan Jacobsen was "late" of Bedford. I > intend to > see if Bedford retained town records and if they are available as a part > of this series of microfilm. Of course would be interested to know if these records exist, and more about Lambert Sickels and his wife. Five children in the 1698 census, but only two baptisms known. And Mary Jans, another parent-less wife. Thanks again, Liz J