Philip, I went to Google books (see link below) and read the story beginning on page 73. It made me think of the stories from the same area, "The Headless Horseman" being one such story. "Rip Van Winkle" being another. The book has several stories from the Dutch in America and I think that this Yerks tale is just another tall tale. http://books.google.com/books?id=IrwEAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22The+Book+Of+Saint+Nicholas%22+Oudenarde&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cyf2TtvMKYnL0QH87pyjAg&sqi=2&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22The%20Book%20Of%20Saint%20Nicholas%22%20Oudenarde&f=false ----- Original Message ----- From: "Philip L Hayes" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, December 24, 2011 11:56 AM Subject: [NYWESTCH] "The Book Of Saint Nicholas" and Corbus (Jacob) Yerks >I recently found a PDF copy of "The Book Of Saint Nicholas" written by >Domine Nicholas Aegidius Oudenarde and published in 1836 by Harpers & >Brothers of New York. I was wondering if anybody is familiar with this >book. > > On page 73, the author dedicates a complete chapter to the story of > "Corbus Yerks". Translated into english, his name is Jacob Yerks. > Because of the manor of which the story is told, it is hard to determine > the purpose of this book. It is like a diary or simply a story that has > been made up. > > It is fascinating, because the story of Corbus Yerks puts you into the > setting of old Westchester ( the Saw Mill River and Tappan). I do know > there was a Jacob Yerks from the Philipsburg Manor area of Tarrytown, so I > am wondering if the story is based on some measure of fact. > > If you have any insight, I'd love to hear from you. > > Thanks. > > Phil Hayes > > > Philip L. Hayes > http://www.hayesfamily.us > Monroe, CT USA > > "Genealogy is where you confuse the dead and irritate the living." > > Researching: > CT: Yerks, Condos, Smith > NY: Tierney, Lewis, Beattie, Yerks, Hone and Hanley > NH: Sheehan, Hayes, Kelty > IA: Smith > Wales: Lewis > Scotland: Beattie > Ireland: Hayes. Roach (Roche), Sheehan, Tierney, Kelty and Hanley > > *************************************** > Have you checked out the Westchester County GenWeb site yet? > http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nywestch/ > *************************************** > Browse or Search the Mailing List Archives of postings sent to this list > over the years. Visit > http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/NY/westchester.html#NYWESTCH > *************************************** > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Hi Cathy- I sort of agree... but then again.... I can't help but think that they are based on some amount of truth. For Instance... The Yerks family was very much from Tarrytown during that period. And there was at least one Jacob Yerks from that period in that area. Supposedly the book tells several stories of the early Dutch settlers to the area (which the Yerks' family certainly were.). So are these stories tongue in cheek or are they stories passed down like Folk Stories. Its hard to tell. At least in the Headless Horseman or Rip Van Winkle, the fiction is easy to detect. Either way... it sure is interesting. Phil On Dec 24, 2011, at 2:43 PM, Cathy-0 wrote: > Philip, > > I went to Google books (see link below) and read the story beginning on page > 73. It made me think of the stories from the same area, "The Headless > Horseman" being one such story. "Rip Van Winkle" being another. > > The book has several stories from the Dutch in America and I think that this > Yerks tale is just another tall tale. > > http://books.google.com/books?id=IrwEAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22The+Book+Of+Saint+Nicholas%22+Oudenarde&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cyf2TtvMKYnL0QH87pyjAg&sqi=2&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22The%20Book%20Of%20Saint%20Nicholas%22%20Oudenarde&f=false > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Philip L Hayes" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, December 24, 2011 11:56 AM > Subject: [NYWESTCH] "The Book Of Saint Nicholas" and Corbus (Jacob) Yerks > > >> I recently found a PDF copy of "The Book Of Saint Nicholas" written by >> Domine Nicholas Aegidius Oudenarde and published in 1836 by Harpers & >> Brothers of New York. I was wondering if anybody is familiar with this >> book. >> >> On page 73, the author dedicates a complete chapter to the story of >> "Corbus Yerks". Translated into english, his name is Jacob Yerks. >> Because of the manor of which the story is told, it is hard to determine >> the purpose of this book. It is like a diary or simply a story that has >> been made up. >> >> It is fascinating, because the story of Corbus Yerks puts you into the >> setting of old Westchester ( the Saw Mill River and Tappan). I do know >> there was a Jacob Yerks from the Philipsburg Manor area of Tarrytown, so I >> am wondering if the story is based on some measure of fact. >> >> If you have any insight, I'd love to hear from you. >> >> Thanks. >> >> Phil Hayes >> >> >> Philip L. Hayes >> http://www.hayesfamily.us >> Monroe, CT USA >> >> "Genealogy is where you confuse the dead and irritate the living." >> >> Researching: >> CT: Yerks, Condos, Smith >> NY: Tierney, Lewis, Beattie, Yerks, Hone and Hanley >> NH: Sheehan, Hayes, Kelty >> IA: Smith >> Wales: Lewis >> Scotland: Beattie >> Ireland: Hayes. Roach (Roche), Sheehan, Tierney, Kelty and Hanley >> >> *************************************** >> Have you checked out the Westchester County GenWeb site yet? >> http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nywestch/ >> *************************************** >> Browse or Search the Mailing List Archives of postings sent to this list >> over the years. Visit >> http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/NY/westchester.html#NYWESTCH >> *************************************** >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > > *************************************** > Have you checked out the Westchester County GenWeb site yet? > http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nywestch/ > *************************************** > Browse or Search the Mailing List Archives of postings sent to this list over the years. Visit > http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/NY/westchester.html#NYWESTCH > *************************************** > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message Philip L. Hayes http://www.hayesfamily.us Monroe, CT USA "Genealogy is where you confuse the dead and irritate the living." Researching: CT: Yerks, Condos, Smith NY: Tierney, Lewis, Beattie, Yerks, Hone and Hanley NH: Sheehan, Hayes, Kelty IA: Smith Wales: Lewis Scotland: Beattie Ireland: Hayes. Roach (Roche), Sheehan, Tierney, Kelty and Hanley