Tracking Migration in New Netherland

Tracking the migrations of our ancestors from either patria to colony or within the colonies can be difficult, but there are records that contain such information.

While researchers are unlikely to find a list of a ship’s passengers as they might while researching more recent generations, there are a few examples that come close. One exceptional example is found in the following list, sent in 1655 by the directors of the West India Company in which the company’s directors:

“Resolved to send over some boys and girls, specified in the enclosed memorandum, in the Company’s ships, thereby taking a burden from the Almshouse of this city and helping to increase the population of New Netherland.”
(Correspondence, 1654–1658, [12:24] p. 64)

Almshouse Children Bound for New Netherland (27 May 1655)

• Trijntge Pieters, 23 years old
• Trijntge Jans, 22 years
• Lysbet Jans, 18 years
• Dieuwer Volcharts, 16 years
• Annitge Pieters, 17 years
• Lysbet Gerrits, 16 years
• Debora Jans, 15 years
• Marritge Hendrix, 16 years
• Catalijntge Jans, 13 years
• Guillaume Roelants, 17 years
• Jan, 17 years
• Mathijs Coenraetsz, 16 years
• Hendrick Thomasz, 14 years
• Pieter Stoffelsz, 13 years?
• Otto Jansz, 13 years
• Jan Hendricksz, 12 years

(Correspondence, 1654–1658, [12:25] pp. 65–66)

Migration Found in Other Documents

Discovering the details of migration within other kinds of documents is far more likely. For example:

Machteltjen Martens, wife of Andries Barentsz who departed last year for New Netherland as a soldier, having received a communication from him to convey herself also over there, petitions, because of lack of funds to be able to complete her voyage over there at her own expense, that she may receive four months salary from the accompanying wage ticket (of which two months are already due) …
Tuesday, the 9th of April 1652 (Correspondence, 1647–1653, [11:67b] p. 176)

The record tells us several useful things:

• Machteltjen Martens was the wife of Andries Barentsz.
• Andries Barentsz left Amsterdam in 1651 for New Netherland as a soldier.
• Machteltjen planned to travel to New Netherland in 1652.

Establishing a Presence by Legal Record

A record may also indicate the geographic origin of an individual but not give the specific date of his or her migration. In this case, the date of the record can approximate a time frame. The following record establishes that “Davit Pietersen from Hoorn” was in New Netherland by 1642.

On the 26th of June 1642, Davit Pietersen from Hoorn, plaintiff, vs. Hendrick Jansen, tailor, defendant, for payment of a certain account outstanding between the parties …
(Council Minutes 1638–1649, [128] p. 149)

Clarifying Origins Through Notarized Statements

In the example below, the footnote not only adds to our understanding of the record but also corrects a previous error.

Before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary of New Netherland, appeared Jacob Stoffelsen from Ziericksee,* who appoints and empowers, as he does hereby, Symon Dircksen Pos to ask, demand and receive in his name from the honorable directors of the Chartered West India Company the sum of two hundred and ninety-one guilders, which sum is due to him…
8th of August, 1647

*Zierikzee, a city on the island of Schouwen, province of Zeeland, Netherlands; not “Lake of Zurich,” as given by B. Fernow in Doc. Rel. Col. Hist. N.Y., 14:18.
(Register of the Provincial Secretary, 1642–1647, [162m])