New Netherland Settler Sketches

Name

Gerbrant Jansz, also spelled as Gerbrant Janss, Jansen and Janssen. Jansz is a patronymic which indicates his father was named Jan. Two records call him “Gerbrant Janss van Kolhorn.”[1] Since the other men in these records also have references to their place of origin, “van Kolhorn” was probably used to indicate his place of origin rather than his surname.

Another sailor named Gerbrant Jansz lived in Amsterdam around the time that Gerbrant Jansz sailed to New Netherland on the Fortuijn.[2] Despite the matching name and occupation, this was a different man. The Amsterdam sailor married in January 1613,[3] while the crew member of the Fortuijn was in New Netherland.[4] The groom was about twelve years younger than the New Netherland sailor and was not from the same place.[5]

Origin

Gerbrant Jansz was from Kolhorn, Holland, the Netherlands.[6]

Migration

Gerbrant was in New Netherland in 1613 and 1614 and stayed for a few months each time, after which he returned to the Netherlands.[7]

Biographical Details

Gerbrant was born about 1575. He was 38 years old when he gave a deposition in 1613.[8] He was 39 years old when he gave a deposition in 1614.[9] He died at an unknown date after 23 July 1614.[10]

Education

His Dutch name and his place of origin suggest Gerbrant Jansz spoke Dutch.

Occupation

Gerbrant Jansz sailed as a crew member on the Fortuijn, the third journey of skipper Adriaen Block.[11] The ship departed from Amsterdam probably in late 1612 and arrived on the Hudson River in early 1613.[12] They traded goods for beavers, and encountered a lot of interference from Thijs Volckertsz Mossel.[13] They left New Netherland in May or June 1613 and were back in Amsterdam by 30 July 1613.[14]

Gerbrant later served as chief boatswain on the same ship.[15] They departed from Amsterdam at the end of September 1613 and arrived on the Hudson River about January 1614.[16] This time Hendrick Christiaensz was the skipper of the Fortuijn. As had happened during their first voyage, they were hampered by their rival skipper, Thijs Volckertsz Mossel.[17] They returned to the Netherlands in June 1614 and were back in Amsterdam on 22 or 23 July 1614.[18]

Associations

Gerbrant Jansz knew skipper Adriaen Block, supercargo Jan Kindt, and fellow crew members Jan Claesz and Hendrick Ribbelinck, who all served on the Fortuijn in 1612–1613.[19] He met skipper Thijs Volckertsz Mossel and supercargo Hans Jorisz Hontom in New Netherland.[20] He served with the crew of the Fortuijn in 1613–1614; skipper Hendrick Christiaensz; supercargo Jacob Jacobsz Eelkens; cook Frans Jansz; constable Esger Annes; boatswains Jochem Jochems, Jacop Floresz, and Dirck Claesz; and cooper Jacob Servaes.[21] He also met Jan Rodrigues in New Netherland. [22]

Literature

Hart, Simon. The Prehistory of the New Netherland Company: Amsterdam Notarial Records of the First Dutch Voyages to the Hudson. City of Amsterdam Press, 1959. Describes the voyages in which Gerbrant Jansz participated (pp. 21, 25, 31 and 50).

Source Editions

Stevens-Acevedo, Anthony, Tom Weterings, and Leonor Alvarez Francés. Juan Rodriguez and the Beginnings of New York City. New York City, New York: CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, 2013. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/dsi_pubs/17. Dutch, English and Spanish translations of the two depositions by Gerbrant Jansz and others (pp. 34–41, 42–65).

Citations

[1] Deposition of Gerbrant Janss and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 20 August 1613, in Jan Franssen Bruijningh, notary (Amsterdam), minutes and copies, 25 February 1611–7 April 1614, fol. 614v–615r; imaged, “Inventarissen,” Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsarchief (https://archief.amsterdam/inventarissen/file/ae4b3228-a53c-af38-d14b-9190146a27d5), image 634 of 798; citing call no. 197, Record Group [RG] 5075: Archief van de Notarissen ter Standplaats Amsterdam [Records of the Notaries Residing in Amsterdam], Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Deposition of Gerbrant Jansen and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 23 July 1614, in Jan Franssen Bruijningh, notary (Amsterdam), minutes and copies, 28 January 1614–13 January 1617, fol. 97r–98r; imaged, “Inventarissen,” Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsarchief (https://archief.amsterdam/inventarissen/file/45be76cb-a609-471a-766f-7cf0edcef38e), images 96–97 of 799; citing call no. 198, RG 5075, Stadsarchief Amsterdam.

[2] Marriage intentions of Garbrand Jansz and Maritjen Dierixdr, 9 January 1613, in Amsterdam, marriage intentions of the church, 1613–1614, folio 3v, p. 6; imaged, “Indexen,” Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsarchief (https://archief.amsterdam/indexen/deeds/1b54b731-6590-45fa-8552-2a5aa436f84f); citing call no. 417, RG 5001: Archief van de Burgerlijke Stand: doop-, trouw- en begraafboeken van Amsterdam (retroacta van de Burgerlijke Stand) [Archives of the Civil Registration: baptismal, marriage, and burial books of Amsterdam (predecessors of the civil registration)], Stadsarchief Amsterdam. Baptism of Hilletge, daughter of Garbrant Jansz and Maritje Dirx, 1 December 1613, in Nieuwe Kerk (Amsterdam), baptisms, 1603–1618, folio 168v, p. 336; imaged, “Indexen,” Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsarchief (https://archief.amsterdam/indexen/deeds/48abf585-7d8a-468e-a7ae-15706e7fad9d); citing call no. 39, RG 5001, Stadsarchief Amsterdam. Baptism of Tietje, daughter of Garbrant Jansz and Maritje Pieters, 30 November 1614, in Nieuwe Kerk (Amsterdam), baptisms, 1603–1618, folio 184v, p. 368; imaged, “Indexen,” Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsarchief (https://archief.amsterdam/indexen/deeds/1e7783c4-25a9-45e6-8a4c-eb208843aab5); citing call no. 39, RG 5001, Stadsarchief Amsterdam. Deposition of Eijpge Heijndricx about the care of Hilletge, daughter of Garbrant Jansz, 17 November 1636, in Laurens Lamberti, notary (Amsterdam), notarial deeds, 27 April 1635–23 January 1638, pp. 36–37; imaged, “Indexen,” Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsarchief (https://archief.amsterdam/indexen/deeds/9d6d21e1-f6ca-666d-e053-b784100a1840), image 19 of 265; citing call no. 598, RG 5075, Stadsarchief Amsterdam.

[3] Marriage intentions of Garbrand Jansz and Maritjen Dierixdr, 9 January 1613.

[4] Deposition of Gerbrant Janss and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 20 August 1613.

[5] The groom was 26 years old in 1613, giving an estimated birth year of 1587. His marriage record did not indicate his place of birth, which implies he was from Amsterdam. Marriage intentions of Garbrand Jansz and Maritjen Dierixdr, 9 January 1613. The New Netherland sailor was 38 years old when he gave a deposition in 1613, and thus born about 1575. He stated he was from Kolhorn. Deposition of Gerbrant Janss and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 20 August 1613.

[6] Deposition of Gerbrant Janss and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 20 August 1613. Deposition of Gerbrant Jansen and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 23 July 1614.

[7] Deposition of Gerbrant Janss and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 20 August 1613. Deposition of Gerbrant Jansen and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 23 July 1614.

[8] Deposition of Gerbrant Janss and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 20 August 1613.

[9] Deposition of Gerbrant Jansen and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 23 July 1614.

[10] Deposition of Gerbrant Jansen and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 23 July 1614.

[11] Deposition of Gerbrant Janss and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 20 August 1613.

[12] Simon Hart, The Prehistory of the New Netherland Company: Amsterdam Notarial Records of the First Dutch Voyages to the Hudson (City of Amsterdam Press, 1959), 21, 50.

[13] Deposition of Gerbrant Janss and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 20 August 1613.

[14] Hart, The Prehistory of the New Netherland Company, 21, 50.

[15] Deposition of Gerbrant Jansen and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 23 July 1614.

[16] Hart, The Prehistory of the New Netherland Company, 25, 31.

[17] Deposition of Gerbrant Jansen and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 23 July 1614.

[18] Hart, The Prehistory of the New Netherland Company, 25, 31.

[19] Deposition of Gerbrant Janss and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 20 August 1613.

[20] Hart, The Prehistory of the New Netherland Company, 22.

[21] Deposition of Gerbrant Jansen and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 23 July 1614.

[22] Deposition of Gerbrant Janss and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 20 August 1613. Deposition of Gerbrant Jansen and others about the actions of Thijs Mossel and Jan Jorissen, 23 July 1614. Hart, The Prehistory of the New Netherland Company, 26.