I found excellent early church records on CD #173 New York - Long Island Genealogies, from Family Tree Maker, now owned by Ancestry.com, for Garret Stoffelse VAN ZANDT/SANDT and his wife, Lysbeth GERRITZ, direct ancestors of Ann, and his descendants. "History of Bucks county Pennsylvania" by William W. H. DAVIS, 1905, volume III, page 24: THE VANSANT FAMILY. The VANSANTS of Bucks county are descendants of a common ancestor, Gerret Stoffelse VAN SANDT or VAN ZANDT,* (otherwise Garret VAN SANDT, son of Stoffel or Christopher), who emigrated from the Netherlands, probably from Zaandam in North Holland, or Zandberg in Drentlie, in or about the year 1651, and settled in New Utrecht, Long Island, on the records of which town he is frequently mentioned as Gerret Stoffellse. He was one of the fourteen patentees mentioned in the patent from Governor Thomas DONGAN, May 13, 1686, for the Commons of New Utrecht, "on behalf of themselves and their associates, the present freeholders and inhabitants of the said towne." His land was located at Yellow Hook, "under the jurisdiction of the town of New Utrecht." He was a magistrate of New Utrecht in 1681. By deed dated July 31, 1695, he conveyed his Yellow Hook plantation to Derick Janse VAN ZUTPHEN, and removed to Bucks county, where Joseph GROWDEN on 12 mo. 10, 1698-9, conveys to him 150 acres in Bensalem township and on the same date conveys a like tract adjoining to his son Cornelius. lt is probable that he was located for a time in New York, as he had two children baptized at the Dutch Reformed church there in 1674 and 1676, respectively. It is generally conceded that he was twice married, as the record of the baptisms above mentioned gives the name of his wife as Lysbeth Gerritz, while the later baptisms at New Utrecht and Flatbush churches give it as Lysbeth Cornelis. It is, however, possible that in one instance her father's surname is used and in the other his first name as was common on the Dutch records. Cornelius Gerrets was a a member of the Dutch church at New Utrecht. Garret VANSANT died intestate in Bensalem township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, prior to June 5, 1706, the date upon which his ten children make a conveyance of his land purchased as before stated in February, 1698-9. The record of baptism of seven of his ten children appears at the Dutch church of New Netherlands, and will be given in connection with a sketch of each child, taken in regular order of birth, later in this article. The names of the ten children were: 1. Stoffell; 2. Cornelius; 3. Josias; 4. Harman; 5. Albert; 6. Johannes; 7. Jacobus; 8. George; 9. Jesina, and l0. Garret. (Harman was really the third child in order of birth, and Josias fourth ). * For much of the information contained in this sketch, more especially that pertaining to the early generations of the family, we are indebted to R. Winder JOHNSON of Philadelphia, who has made extensive researches covering nearly twenty-five years pertaining to the ancestry of the VANSANTS and other Holland families from whom he descended. He is himself a descendant of Garret VAN SANDT through his son, Jacobus (7), and his fourth son, Isaiah VANSANT, who married Charity VAN HORN, and their daughter, Sarah who married Christian VAN HORN, the descent being shown more in detail in the article in this volume on the VAN HORN Family. "Genealogy of the VAN SANT Family", by Grant VAN SANT, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1929: LETTER OF SAMUEL R. VAN SANT The name VAN SANT is variously spelled by different members of the family. Some spell it VAN ZANDT, others VANSANDT, VANSANT and VANZANT. I am quite sure the first settler of that name in this country spelled his name VAN ZANDT, as I understand that is the old Dutch or Holland way. The earliest record of any VAN SANT that I know anything about, was Jacobus VAN ZANDT, who was an early settler in New York, and according to Washington Irving, was one of the purchasers of the Island of Manhattan. He came to this country in 1613, on a vessel called the ""Goede Vrow",", or Good Wife, some three or four years after the return of Hendric HUDSON, the discoverer of the Hudson River. I realize that this may not be absolutely historical, as my authority is a book written by Washington Irving in rather a humorous strain relative to the KNICKERBOCKERS of New York. I am satisfied, however, from research that early in the seventeenth century there were VAN ZANDTSs in New Amsterdam prior to the capture of the city by the British, when the name was changed to New York. I think the name VAN ZANDT was probably changed after said capture, as it was not very popular to have such a Dutch name after their city was ruled by the English; so the name was Anglicized, changing it to VAN SANT or VANSANT. Relative to the spelling of the name, I quote from a book written by my uncle, Nicholas VAN SANT, titled "Sunset Memories". FAMILY NAME "Concerning the family name, VANSANT, there has been no little perplexity. For many years the impression was, that at some time and for some reason to us unknown, the old Holland name, VANZANDT, had been changed by dropping out the D and substituting S for Z; but a careful examination several years ago, satisfied me that this theory was incorrect, and that our long-standing mode of spelling the name agrees more nearly than any other with the original form. Making a search in the county Clerk's office of Richmond county, New York, in 1879, I found a Deed, dated May 2, 1706, the fifth year of the reign of Queen Anne of England, conveying land to Aries JANSEN by Stoffel and Rachel VANSANT, the last name of each of the grantors being spelled as here written, without the Z or the D. The search was made by request of George H. VANZANDT, of Philadelphia, counselor-at-law, who had been giving diligent attention to the subject of his own family pedigree, and incidentally of ours. From him I learned many interesting facts, some of which are given in the following extracts from his correspondence: ''I am engaged in looking up the genealogy of some members of the VANZANDT family---those descended from Stophel VANZANDT, formerly of Port Richmond, Staten Island, who settled there about 1680, and afterward removed to Bucks county, Pa., where for some time he was a Trustee of Bensalem Presbyterian church.......I suppose we have the same common ancestor. We have traced matters back to Staten Island. Rev. Dr. BROWNLEE, of the Reformed Dutch church, of Port Richmond, writes that Stophel VANZANT had his son Stophel baptized October 22, 1701, and his daughter Sophia in 1706; so it appears on the records of the church..' Here we must pause to note this medley of names relating to the same persons__in my correspondent's letter VANZANDT, in the baptismal record VANZANT, but in the Deed of conveyance VANSANT. Do these variations seem strange? Especially, do they invalidate the historical facts related? No one is stupid enough to hold this. These discrepancies in the orthography of proper names, as in hundreds of other things, are constantly occurring. Talk of various readings in the ancient manuscripts of the Bible! Other old writings of renown, reveal even greater variations; but they are not rejected as spurious on this account, nor must the Bible be thrust aside because of its various readings or its apparent discrepancies. was Stophel VANSANT a myth because his name was spelled in several different ways? Not at all, but a veritable man, who lived and moved and had his being at the close of the seventeenth century and beginning of the eighteenth. Doubtless our family name has come to stay; and so we will neither regretfully deplore it nor vainly boast of it, whatever may be its true orthography or its real etymology. I must, however, express a cordial sympathy with my Philadelphia correspondent in his decided preference for the Dutch form of spelling, since our family preference is at least equally decided in favor of the Spanish form. Incidentally, this has sometimes proved an agreeable service, as when, several years since, a son of the writer went to Baltimore, Md., an almost total stranger, to engage in mercantile business. One of the old and honored residents of that city was Joshus VANSANT, who once or oftener had served as mayor, and who for many years had held the office of city comptroller, in which, by his proverbial economy, carefulness, and honesty, he had won the odd but honorable sobriquet, "watchdog of the city treasury'". The young stranger, bearing his exact family name, though not at all related, soon found an answer to the question, "What's in a name?" for his own had become so well and favorably known in business circles through that long-trusted citizen as to become substantially helpful to him in winning an honest success." I know very little about my great grandfather, John VAN SANT, but from all that I can learn, I am satisfied that he was descended from Stophel VANZANDT who left New York and settled in Bucks county, Penn, on the Delaware River above Philadelphia. My reason for this is that I was so informed by my grandfather, Nicholas VAN SANT when I visited him in 1865. I wrote, at the time, a history of the family, getting all the data I could from my grandfather. He said that his father had often spoken about cousins in Bucks county. As the VAN SANTs were shipbuilders, he learned that trade from them on the Delaware and later came to New Jersey, where he entered the shipbuilding business. It was said of him that he could build a ship, rig her, and sail her to any port in the world. He was in this business when the Revolutionary War started. During that war, he built privateers for the Continental Government. One of these he commanded. The prizes captured were brought to a harbor in New Jersey known as Chestnut Neck, and the provisions and army supplies intended for the English were distributed to Washington's Army, The activity of these privateers became so exasperating and so destructive to British commerce, that an expedition was sent against Chestnut Neck, consisting of both land and sea forces A battle was fought and the Americans were defeated, and my ancestor's vessel amongst others, was burned. The town was never rebuilt. I have seen a monument erected at Chestnut Neck to the memory of the heroes who lost their lives defending this point, (The fortifications at Chestnut Neck were erected by Major WESTCOTT, referred to herein). The vessel owned and commanded by my great grandfather with others was burned, and some one hundred and ten years afterwards my father, at low tide, sawed off a piece of timber under water as far as he could, and made a gavel which he presented to my son, Grant, from the wreck, This we prize very highly. For his services he was paid in continental money, which was valueless, so after the war he was poorer by reason of this fact. Extract from a letter from my father, relative to his services in the Continental War: "Grandfather built the vessels in Gloucester county near the head of navigation of Mulcia, at a place known as the forks. After the war was over, he moved to Bass River, now called New Gretna, in Burlington county, about six miles from Tuckerton, where he continued to build vessels until he retired from business' and he and grandmother lived with father who moved from Burlington county to Gloucester county, where a few years later he died at the age of ninety-four. In building those vessels grandfather made (as it turned out) a great sacrifice, as he received pay in continental money, which after the war became worthless. Grandfather was loyal and patriotic, as I remember of hearing grandmother speak of the great abhorrence he had of the Tories of that time, "(Some of that old continental money is in the hands of the family yet, and I think my son Grant has a bill or two of it in his cabinet of relics)." (Note by Grant VAN SANT: "I still have one of these same Bills). It is fortunate that the cause of the Continentals succeeded. Had it failed or had he been captured, he might have been hanged as a pirate, As it is, we are all proud to know that we descended from a patriot, who was such a help in our war for Independence, After all, it does not make so much difference who our ancestors were, The main thing is to see that our own names are worthy of those who are to follow us.

HATCHER website: http://hatcherfamilyassn.com HALL DNA project: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~nhatcher/hall/HDNAtest.htm "If you can't stand the skeletons, stay out of the closet" - Val D Greenwood Wow! You wouldn't believe how some of these names are intersecting over a 100-yr period! Van Sants with Van Horns with Van Zutphens. Pennsy Bob's John H md Ann Van Horn (parents unknown) 1773 in Philly. Wm Coates Hatcher md Beulah Sutvan 1826 in Burlington, NJ. I'm agreeing the Hatchers weren't originally Quakers (perhaps Catholic?) And in reading some early 1700s NJ history, it seems they had a very bigoted anti-Catholic governor pre-1728 who made life most unpleasant. Compelling reason to change one's religion? But because we have these stray Hatchers in NJ and Philly, it seems that Wm must have had a brother (Joseph or someone else?) who was there in PA before heading to NJ. Mary who md Stephen Sands still may be the key. Do we have a Quaker marriage in the Loudoun, VA area for Mary Hatcher to a Gibson (per Wm's will?). If so, was she Mary Hatcher or (Mrs) Mary Sands (a widow)? BIG difference! The Quaker-Dorset online file is now back in good order - pheeewwww! I've just sent Ed his Sherlocking instructions for his trip tomorrow. Ray has sent me 6 pages of info on Samuel Coates. Still working to organize everything he sent the past 2 days. I'm mailing today a request to NJ for copies of court cases, 1791 and 1817, between Sarah Hatcher-John Gibbs and Rachel Hatcher-Wm Stokes. These are unknown names. And I must also run away from home for a while this afternoon :-( Keep those cards and letters coming! One of these days I'll catch up :-) Nel