Pieter Claesen Wyckoff

Pieter Claesen Wyckoff (January 25, 1625 – June 30, 1694) was a farmer and landowner in Kings County, New York. All references to the name Wyckoff, including many variations in spelling, can be traced to his family.

Meaning of the Surname

When the British took over the Dutch colony in 1664, Pieter Claesen adopted the fixed surname of Wyckoff. Although many still believe that this choice was based on two Dutch words ("Wyk" means parish or magistrate and "hof" means court), a more plausible explanation may be attributed to Hans Schrader, President of the German Genealogy Group:

The word "Hof" can mean "court", but in the sense of a ROYAL court. The word for a legal court is ENTIRELY different (Gericht). A second and more common meaning for "Hof" is "a farm, country house or Manor(house).."(Cassell's Erman-English/English-German Dictionary). This is, in my opinion, the applicable meaning... There are also several derivatives of the meaning of "Wyk". None that I am aware of is "parish". The closest is one you will not find in any current dictionary, but means an area around a church which was dedicated to regular markets. Again the more common meaning (as per the above and other sources) is "creek, cove, bay".

Peter Claessen is clearly documented as being "Pieter Claessen van (from) Norden". Although now landlocked due to Dutch-like land reclamation efforts, Norden was a major North Sea trading port until the 19th century. A few miles from Norden, across from and on the then existing bay was a large building which was used as a storage and trans-shipment point by North Sea seafarers. This was an ancient building, with a colorful history going back well before PC's time. I have an aerial photo, and floor plan, of this building, which unfortunately burned down in the 1950s. It has been replaced by a modern residence, which is still called the WYCKHOF.

Birth and emigration

Pieter Claesen was born in the village of Norden in the Holy Roman Empire (present day East Friesland, Germany). Pieter emigrated to America in 1637, as an indentured servant to Kiliaen van Rensselaer, in Rensselearwyck (now Albany, New York). After Claesen worked off his indenture, he labored as a tenant farmer, leasing land from the Rensselaer patroonship.

Marriage and Children

He married Grietje Van Ness (c. 1625-c. 1701) around 1645. Their first two children were born in Rensselearwyck but he moved to New Amersfoort (present day Flatlands, Brooklyn). His children included:

# Nicholas Pieterse Wyckoff (1646-1714) m. Sara Monfoort (1656-1704)
# Margrietje Pieterse Wyckoff (c. 1648-?) m. Matthys Brouwer
# Annetje Pieterse Wyckoff (1650-1688) m. Roelof Martensen Schenck, Captain (1619-1704)
# Mayken Pieterse Wyckoff (1653-1721) m. Willem Willemsen (c. 1637- c. 1722), son of Willem Gerritsen and Mary -----
# Willemptje Pieterse Wyckoff (c. 1654- c. 1693) m. Adrian Pieterse Kenne
# Cornelius Pieterse Wyckoff (c. 1656-1746) m. Gertje Charity Van Arsedalen
# Hendrick Pieterse Wyckoff (c. 1658-?)
# Geertje Pieterse Wyckoff (c. 1660-c. 1711) m. Christoffel Janse Romeyn (c. 1641- c. 1748)
# Garret Pieterse Wyckoff (1662-1701) m. Catherine Johanna Nevius
# Marten Pieterse Wyckoff (c. 1663- c. 1699) m. Hanna Willemse (c. 1660- c.1724), dau. of Willem Gerritsen and Mary -----
# Jan Pieterse Wyckoff (1665- c. 1730) m. Neeltje Williamse Couwenhoven

Brooklyn

There are references indicating that Pieter Claesen signed a contract "to superintend the Bowery and cattle of Peter Stuyvesant in New Amersfoort" in 1655.

Death

He died in 1694 and his body may be buried under the Flatlands Dutch Reformed Church at the juncture of Flatbush Avenue and Kings Highway in Brooklyn.

Notable Descendants

Pieter was the common ancestor to a number of notable people, including: Lou Henry (wife of Herbert Clark Hoover), Margaret Hoover, John Ellis Wool, Schuyler Colfax, Walter Percy Chrysler, William Cornelius Van Horne, Owen Young, the Wright Brothers, Earl Van Dorn, Marvin John Nance, Virginia Apgar, Willis Van Devanter, Benjamin Strong, Willard Frank Libby, Dixie Carter (wife of Hal Holbrook), Chuck Jones, Lee Van Cleef, Frank Wykoff, Georgia O'Keeffe (wife of Alfred Stieglitz), Garry Trudeau (husband of Jane Pauley), and Horatio Seymour. Other notables who married Wyckoff descendants are: Pearl Buck, Robert Ralph Young, Isaac Ferris, Charles S. Fairchild, Roscoe Conkling, Philip Freneau, and Baron Klemens August Freiherr von Ketteler, Diane Prete.

Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum

The Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum is the oldest structure in New York City, with rooms dating back to 1652 (New Amsterdam). Originally a Bouwery (farm) for the Dutch West India Company, we interpret the agricultural history and diverse people of Brooklyn and as part of Kings County from colonial times through the present. For over 250 years, the house was home to the Wyckoff family; today, the site is a property of the Department of Parks & Recreation, and the house is a museum. The museum features restored period rooms and an herb garden with seasonal plantings. The site offers tours, school programs, free public programs, and has volunteer and internship opportunities. Open November through May, Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm. May through October, Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm. Tours are at 1 pm and 3 pm. Appointments required for groups. Admission: $5/adults, $3/seniors and children.

ee also

*Wyckoff-Garretson House

External links

* [http://www.wyckoffassociation.org/association/history.html Wyckoff Association]
* [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/WYCKOFF/1998-06/0898307802 More on the origins of the surname]