Gerrit Jans Decker and Grietje Jans Decker

Gerrit Jans Decker was baptized 14 February 1665 in Kingston, Ulster, New York. He was the son of Jan Gerritsen Decker and Grietjen Hendricks Westercamp. Gerrit married Margriet Jans Decker (called Grietje for short) in 1685 in Kingston, Ulster, New York. Grietje was baptized 31 August 1664 in Kingston, Ulster, New York, the daughter of Jan Broersen Decker and Heyltje Jacobs. In 1689, Gerrit, who was living in Ulster County, was among those who took an oath of allegiance.


Identifying Gerrit and Grietje's Parents

There were two Gerrit Jans Deckers marrying within a year of each other in Kingston, the first marrying Magdalena Willemz Schut and the second Margriet Janz Decker. Both grooms were marked with "j. m.", meaning neither had married before and both couples were having children at the same time. Thus, the two grooms must be two separate people rather than one man who married twice. This leaves us with the question: Who was the father of the Gerrit Jans Decker who married Grietje?

Gerret and Magdalena had no children named Jan, Heyltje, or Willemptje baptized in the Kingston record (only Jacob, Willem, Grietje (believed to have been named after Magdalena's mother), and Neeltje). While the above suggests that this Gerret was Jan Broersen's son, it offers no further clues to prove it. However, a Willemtie was the witness at their son Jacob's baptism.

The names and baptismal witnesses of Gerrit and Grietje's children can offer no clues as they would have named their children after both sides of the family and members of both Decker families would have been witnesses to the baptisms. (Gerret and Grietje did name their first three children Jan, Heyltie, and Grietje.)

In the family of Jan Gerritsen, there is a son named Gerret but no daughter named Margriet (or Grietje). In the family of Jan Broersen, there is a daughter named Grietje, as well as a son named Gaerleff (probably a misspelling or mistranscription of Gerrett). As Grietje would not have married her own brother, it can be safely assumed that her husband, Gerrit, was the son of Jan Gerritsen and she was the daughter of Jan Broersen, while her brother Gerrett/Gaerleff was the one who married Magdalena Schut.

Gerrit and Grietje’s children are:

  1. Heyltie Gerritse Decker, born in Rochester, Ulster, New York, baptized 10 Jan 1686 in Kingston, Ulster, New York, married Henderick Schoonmacker (b. in Kingston, Ulster, New York) in 1704 in Kingston, Ulster, New York. 
  2. Jan Gerritsz Decker, born in the Esopus, baptized 28 Jul 1688 in Kingston, Ulster, New York, married 1) Barbara de Witt and 2) Margriet Kleyn (b. in Esopus, Ulster, New York, m. 1) Benjamin Eekerli) 18 Oct 1747 in Smithfield, Fayette, Pennsylvania. Note on Jan as part of Gerrit and Grietje's family: The Kingston baptismal record records that in 1716, Jan Gerritsz Dekker and Barbara de Wit had their son Gerrit baptized (#2404). The use of the patronym Gerritsz and the naming of the oldest son as Gerrit support the idea this Jan was the same as the Jan, son of Gerrit Jans Decker.
  3. Margrieta Decker, born in Rochester, Ulster, New York, baptized 1 Dec 1695 in Kingston, Ulster,New York, married Thomas Quick 22 Dec 1713 in Kingston, Ulster, New York.
  4. Ariaantje Decker, born in Rochester, Ulster, New York, baptized 15 May 1698 in Kingston, Ulster, New York, married Tjerck de Wit (b. in Rochester, Ulster, New York) 8 Aug 1719 in Kingston, Ulster, New York.

Sources: 

  1. Hoes, Roswell Randall (comp.), Baptismal and Marriage Registers of the Old Dutch Church of Kingston, Ulster County, New York, Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1997 (originally published by DeVinne Press (New York), 1891).
  2. Records of the Reformed Dutch Church at Smithfield, Pennsylvania.
  3. O'Callaghan, E.B., The Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. I, Albany: Weed Parsons, & Co., 1850, p. 174.

Records related to the William and Cornelia (Viervant) Ennis family but not copied below due to copyright considerations:
  1. Saxbe


Church Records

Records of Baptisms of the Reformed Church at Kingston, Ulster, NY.

Page Number Baptism Number Baptism Date Parents Child Witnesses
4 43 1664 Jan Broersen Grietje Willem Jansen Schut.


31 Aug. Heyltjen Jacobs
Grietjen Jans.
4 51 1665 Jan Gerretsen Gerret Hendrick Vosman.


14 Feb. Grietjen Hendricks
Mariken Everingh.





Grietjen Hendricks.
25 443 1686 Gerard Deckers Heyltie Hendric Deckers.


10 Jan. Margriet Deckers
Magdaleen Deckers.
31 581 1688 Gerith Decker Jan Jan Gerithse Decker.


28 July Grithje Decker
Jacob Janse Decker.
46 879 1695 Gerrit Decker Margarit Cornelis Janssen Decker.


1 Dec. Grietje Deckers
Elsje ten Broeck.
53 1036 1698 Gerrit Decker Ariaantje Cornelis Swits.


15 May Margriet Decker
Jan Decker.





Jannetje Swits.


Kingston Marriage Register

Page 508, Marriage Number 75
1685
(Date of marriage not given.)
GERARD JANZ DECKER, j. m., from the Esopus, resid. at Mombachus (Mombaccus), and MARGRIET JANZ DECKER, j. d., from the Esopus, resid. at Marmur (Marbletown). First publication of Banns, 20 Jan.

Page 522, Marriage Number 230
1704
(Date of marriage not given.)
HENDERICK SCHOONMACKER, born in Kingstowne, and HEYLTJE GERRITSE DECKER, born in Rochester, both resid. there. First publication of Banns, 25 Nov.

Page 528, Marriage Number 308
1713
22 Dec.
THOMAS KWIK, j. m., born in Nieuw-Jork (New York), and MARGRIETA DEKKERS, j. d., born in Rosester (Rochester). Banns registered, 6 Dec.

Page 536, Marriage Number 410
1719
8 Aug.
TJERK DE WIT, j. m., and ARIAANTJEN DEKKER, j. d., both born and resid. in Raysester (Rochester). Banns registered, 19 July.


Source: Hoes, Roswell Randall (comp.), Baptismal and Marriage Registers of the Old Dutch Church of Kingston, Ulster County, New York, Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1997 (originally published by DeVinne Press (New York), 1891).



Register of those in this congregation who had the banns proclaimed and were married.

...

Oct. 18, 1747. 10. John Decker, widower of Barbara Dewitt, to Margriet Kleyn, widow of Benjamin Eekerli, both dwelling in Smithfield, and born in Esopus; married the 8th of November.

Source: "Records of the Reformed Dutch Church at Smithfield, PA,"  My RAUB (and more) Ancestry website, http://raub-and-more.com/smithf/smithmar.html, last accessed 23 February 2020.
Note on the Raub website about this record: "Contributed by Amos Canfield, M.D., Member of the Publication Committee of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society from what appears to be a genealogical society publication...most likely New York, Jan. 1926"

O'Callaghan's Documentary History of the State of New York

A rool of the names and surnames of them that haue takin the Oath of Allegiance in the County of Ulstr, by ordr of his Excely: the Gouernor; the ffirst day of Septembr Anno Qe: Domini 1689-
... Gerritt Jansa Decker..."

Source: O'Callaghan, E.B., The Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. I, Albany: Weed Parsons, & Co., 1850, p. 174.


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Author: Michelle A. Boyd

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Last updated 23 February 2020