Can You Help Jonas Bronck, the New Netherlands Settlers Project and Collaborative Profile of the Week?

Question

The New Netherland Settlers Project and Collaborative Profile of the Week Present:

Jonas Bronck (c1600-1643)

Jonas Bronck, an immigrant from Scandinavia, was the original settler of land now known as the Bronx (Bronck’s.) He may or may not have left descendants (it's a mystery), but where would New York be without the Bronx? He needs a nice profile.

1. Sources first, as many primary sources as we can find. Find the best most informative secondary sources. Write a sentence to go with the source, or at least identify what will be found in a source (death, immigration, general information for example).
2. There was a recent article in the New York Times about where he came from. You will need to do a little detective work to find, the original form of this information.
3. Where did Jonas come from? When did he come?
4. Look for his marriage date?
5. How do we know he died in 1643?
6. There are questions about whether he had children or not. His profile should address this. Did he? Didn't he? Maybe?
7. What did he find when he got to America? Why did he choose one particular spot?

Anyone can help. Please post an answer here first. This prevents duplication of effort and it keeps the question on the front page of G2G.

The New Netherland Settlers Project

From Henry Hudson's 1609 voyage of exploration and past the end of Dutch rule with the Articles of Capitulation, 27 Aug 1664, to 24 Oct 1674, when the Treaty of Westminster stipulated all Anglo-Dutch hostilities were to end, these families played a prominent role in colonial America and, as described on Wikipedia, "New Netherland culture characterized the region (today's Capital District, Hudson Valley, New York City, western Long Island and northern New Jersey) for two centuries." The mission of the New Netherland Settlers Project is to identify and improve the profiles of the New Netherland Settlers, their ancestors, descendants and the New Netherland community.

Thank You.

Comments

I got a warning when I saved, This should be checked also.

Warning: Check the dates.

1. A child's birth date should not be more than 110 years before their father's death date. This would mean their father lived to be well over 110.
2. A child's death date should not be more than 110 years before their father's death date. This would mean their father lived to be well over 110.

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Carrie corrected that error. The profile for the father had a birth date in 1580 and a death date in 1790; she removed the death date.

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Thanks Carrie, and thanks Ellen for letting me know.

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I added a source for the unsourced profile of the alleged father Morten Brunck, and based on that source I inserted his death date of 1590. As a result, Jonas is now born 10 years after this [alleged] father's death, so the errors may return.

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Jonas Bronck signed his name with the patronym Jonasson. His father could not have been the Danish Lutheran Minister in Torshavn, Faroe Islands, Morten Jespersen Bronck.

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Which may be why they are marked uncertain. I'll refer this to New Netherlands Project.

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This site [https://www.gchistory.org/bronck-houses-barns] about a Bronck museum may have some clues or info.  “ 1663 Stone House  has photos

In January 1662, Pieter Bronck entered into a contract to purchase from the Katskill Indians a tract of land known by the Indian name "Koixhackung". Choosing a site at the base of the Kalkberg Ridge, Pieter built his dwelling, a small single room structure with cellar and storage garret. The original massive beams, wide floor boards, cellar hatchway, and early Dutch door still dominate the interior. This house is the oldest surviving home in Upstate New York.

Thanks to the stewardship of the Bronck family and the Greene County Historical Society, descendents are still able to enter Pieter’s door and walk Pieter‘s floor over 350 years after he built them. 

Answer 1

Marriage in Amsterdam, the Netherlands:

Index record:

registration date: 18-06-1638
name of groom: Bronch, Jonas Jonassen
name of groom: Brunck, Jonas Jonass
name of bride: Joriaens, Teuntje
source reference: DTB 449, p.118
comments: Huwelijksintekeningen van de KERK.

Image of marriage bann:

"Netherlands, Noord-Holland Province, Church Records, 1523-1948," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-31158-15945-60?cc=2037985 : 21 August 2014), Nederlands Hervormde > Amsterdam > Huwelijksaangiften, Trouwen 1637-1638 > image 314 of 553; Nederlands Rijksarchiefdienst, Den Haag (Netherlands National Archives, The Hague).

And image of marriage 6 July 1638:

"Netherlands, Noord-Holland Province, Church Records, 1523-1948," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-31159-21848-31?cc=2037985 : 21 August 2014), Nederlands Hervormde > Amsterdam > Trouwen 1635-1682 > image 43 of 502; Nederlands Rijksarchiefdienst, Den Haag (Netherlands National Archives, The Hague).

Have fun deciphering the bann...

Comments

ooh so right. I'm stumped by the language, even before I try to decipher the handwriting. Thank you for finding it. Somehow I knew those Dutch church records would come through.

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The bann is left-hand page, first entry. The marriage record is right-hand page, first column, 8th entry. (Information we usually record in citations like these.)

The only information I can make out on the bann is the names of the two parties! But it's interesting that the record calls him "Jonas Jonass brunck" and he signed "Jonas Jonasson Bronck" (or possibly "Jonas Jonassen Bronch" -- those letters aren't obvious). The record has a Dutch version of his patronym and the signature is likely to be a Swedish patronym.

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If his patronym was Jonass or Jonasson, his father's first name would be Jonas. That contradicts the notion that his father was Morten Jespersen Brunck of the Faroe Islands.

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@Ellen,

The bann is left-hand page, first entry. The marriage record is right-hand page, first column, 8th entry. (Information we usually record in citations like these.)

I only expect the reader to be able to read, you also expect counting capabilities...

How hard is it to locate the correct entry out of four banns, also the only one with the correct date and where the name jumps right at you?

How hard is it to locate the correct marriage entry date 6 July where it is the second entry?

So I only provide information on locating the correct entry if the pages are hard to read or contain numerous entries.

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Or is it the wrong marriage?

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I wasn't complaining, Jan. I was merely documenting that information for inclusion on the profile. I am frequently reminded that some users of this website have poor vision and other constraints, so I figure it doesn't hurt to give people extra assistance in reading records.

Why do you suggest that this might be the wrong marriage, Anne? We don't have proof that this is the same man, but he is said to have gone to America from the Netherlands, and the names of the bride and groom match the names that have been carried down through tradition, so this is a promising start. And that connection to Morten Jespersen Brunck of the Faroe Islands is based on speculation in an old publication, wherein it is noted that Morten seems to have died several years before Jonas is supposed to have been born.

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Wow, that's pretty indecipherable. Aside from the names the letters almost look like Japanese Katakana.

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The bann of brother(?) Pieter is a tiny tiny bit better...

Origin is usually recorded right after the name, following the word "van" (from). 

So Jonas is from ?oon?ay (???)

Ancestry magazine - juli-aug 1998 - Pagina 41 states his birth place as "Coonstay" in "Smolach"

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I'm impressed by the good quality of the handwriting in Jonas' signature on the marriage bann. That's consistent with the indications that Jonas Bronck of New Netherland was very well educated.

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According to webpages like this one, the Swedes currently think he was from Komstad, near Sävsjö municipality in Småland, Sweden. "Coonstay" is similar to Komstad and "Smolach" is a lot like Småland.

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That's also what the Ancestry magazine (quoted above) says, but more sourced!

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That was an article by me.

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Sorry, I should have referred to you as the author of the article.

Answer 2

Son Pieter "poorter " in Amsterdam?

Index record:

registration date: 07-03-1646 (7 March 1646)
name: Bronck, Pieter Jonazen
occupation:Varensman (sailor)
place name in source: Sweeden
place: Zweden (Sweden)
source reference: Archief 5033, inv.nr.2, p.333
Poorterboeken voor 1655: NL-SAA-30554647

Comments

Nice info! Since Pieter was clearly an adult in 1646, and Jonas married in 1638, Pieter was more likely a brother than a son. The marriage record for Jonas indicates his father's name was Jonas, so Pieter Jonazen easily could be a brother of Jonas Bronck.

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Ellen, 

It certainly looks like Pieter was a brother of Jonas:

Probable marriage of Pieter, Amsterdam 7 October 1645:

Index record:

registration date: 07-10-1645 (7 October 1645)
name of groom: Bronck, Pieter Jonas
name of groom: Jonaszon, Pieter
name of bride: Jans, Hilletje
source reference: DTB 462, p.321
comments: Huwelijksintekeningen van de KERK.

Image of bann (right page, top entry):

"Netherlands, Noord-Holland Province, Church Records, 1523-1948," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-31144-7504-17?cc=2037985 : 21 August 2014), Nederlands Hervormde > Amsterdam > Huwelijksaangiften, Trouwen 1644-1645 > image 388 of 469; Nederlands Rijksarchiefdienst, Den Haag (Netherlands National Archives, The Hague).

Information from bann:

Pieter age 28 years

Hilletje age 20 years

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Maybe a daughter of Pieter, Amsterdam 12 August 1646:

Index record:

child: Marritjen
date of baptism: 12-08-1646
church: Lutherse Kerk
religion: Evangelisch-Luthers
father: Bronck, Pieter
reference: DTB 141, p.362

Image of baptism registration (left page, first entry dated 12):

"Netherlands, Noord-Holland Province, Church Records, 1523-1948," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-31163-10609-15?cc=2037985 : 21 August 2014), Evangelisch Luthers > Amsterdam > Dopen 1641-1656 > image 189 of 650; Nederlands Rijksarchiefdienst, Den Haag (Netherlands National Archives, The Hague).

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Interesting that the marriage bann was recorded in the Reformed church and the baptism the following year was in a Lutheran church.

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He definitely signed his name with the patronymic Joonasson. I had added a note to his profile that he never appeared with a patronymic but apparently that was just in New Amsterdam church records.

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Jan would you add this information directly to Pieter's profile, obviously making sure that it isn't positive.

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Anne, I'm not sure (English not being my native language) how to interpret your question. What exactly do you mean by this information not being positive? Are you asking for my opinion or would you like me to update the profile?

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Please, if you don't mind, update the profile. And I'm referring to your comments "probable marriage" and "maybe a daughter". Although the marriage looks to me like a really good possibility, although Pieter must have returned to the Netherlands to get married, which is certainly possible.

Thank you

Answer 3

One of the sources cited in the profile is a deadlink. An archived version of the page is at https://web.archive.org/web/20160322125201/http://www.jonasbronck.se/e_jonas_bronck.html

Comments

You should probably remove it then.

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When a website that was the basis for a profile's content goes dark, I prefer to cite the archive.org version of the page. Is there a reason you think the source should be deleted?

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That's fine Ellen. When I clicked on the link, the first time, I got nothing but the cute background, no content, but it's there now.

Answer 4

Document transcriptions from Register of the Provincial Secretary, 1638-1642 (published book images) http://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/research/online-publications/register-of-the-provincial-secretary-volume-1/

pg. 193-197

Document 139 - ("Receipt of Andries Hudde...") Andries Hudden acknowledges debt to Mr. Jonas Bronk
Document 140 - "Bond of Gerrit Jansen from Oldenburg to Jonas Bronk"
Document 141 - "Lease from Jonas Bronck to Pieter Andriessen and Lourens Duyts of a plantation opposite the flat land of Manhattan"

pg. 213

Document 153 - ("Marriage contract of Jan Jacobsen from Vreelant and Marritje Pieters from Copenhagen") -  Teuntje Jeuriaens from Amsterdam and Jonas Bronc her husband are named as heirs of Marritje Pieters

In subtext in the page, A.J.F. van Laer discusses that it is suspected that Anthonia Jeuriaens Slachboom or Slaghboom was probably Danish but that she is described as being from Amsterdam, leaving doubt.

pg. 215-216

Document 154 - "Lease of a farm from Jonas Bronck to Cornelis Jacobsen Stille and his brother Jan Jacobsen"

Answer 5

From the New York State Archives:

Actual inventory of the estate of Jonas Bronck http://digitalcollections.archives.nysed.gov/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/11002

The transcription of the inventory is in Register of the Provincial Secretary, 1642-1647 (published book images) page 121-125, document 54. http://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/research/online-publications/register-of-the-provincial-secretary-volume-2/

Actual lease from Arent van Curler to Thomas Spicer of the farm of the late Jonas Bronck http://digitalcollections.archives.nysed.gov/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/11017

The transcription of the lease is in Register of the Provincial Secretary, 1642-1647 (published book images) page 139-141, document 62a. http://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/research/online-publications/register-of-the-provincial-secretary-volume-2/

Answer 6

Document transcriptions from Council Minutes, 1638-1649 (scanned book images) http://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/research/online-publications/council-minutes-1638-1649/

pg. 53

Document 44 - Mr. Jonas Bronck vs. Clara Matthys, Gerrit Jansen from Oldenborch is promised to marry Clara Matthys and therefore condemed to pay what she owes to Jonas Bronck.

Answer 7

Jonas Jonasson Brunck*(Bronck) was born in Jonkoping County, Smaland, Sweden. A surviving list of marriages in Amsterdam, Netherlands indicates that Jonas married Teuntie Joriaens, daughter of Jeuriaen Reyndersz of Korte Boomdwarsstraat, Amsterdam at the New Church in Amsterdam on July 6, 1638. At the time of his marriage Jonas was approaching 40 years old and listed his occupation as “Captain.” The couple sailed from Hoorn, Netherlands aboard the Brandt van Troijen in early May 1639 and arrived at the port of New Amsterdam (New York City) by the 16th of June 1639.

Comments

Jonas and wife in passenger list "Brandt van Troijen"

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The document in question seems rather to indicate a place of birth in "Coonstay" in "Smolach" - possibly Dutch renderings of a Swedish accented Jonas Bronck being from "Komsatd" in "Småland."