Sarah Roeloffse (1626 - 1693)

Born 3 Dec 1626 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Nederland

Ancestors

Wife of Hans Kierstede — married 29 Jun 1642 in New Amsterdam, New Netherland

Wife of Cornelis Van Borsum — married 1 Sep 1669 in New York, Province of New York

Wife of Elbert Elbertse Stoothoff — married 21 Jul 1683 in New York, Province of New York

Descendants

Died 21 Oct 1693 at age 66 in New York

Problems/Questions Profile managers: New Netherland Settlers WikiTree [send private message] and Christine Roane [send private message]

Sarah Roeloffse was a New Netherland settler. Join: New Netherland Settlers Project Discuss: new_netherland

Biography

Wife of Dr. Hans Kierstede Sarah was styled on of the “good women” of New Amsterdam, at least in 1662, as seen from the following:

On September 19, 1662, a Jan Gelder sued Grietje Pieters for three guilders, sixteen stivers, wages she owed him. Grietje admitted the debt, but said that she had given to Gelder's wife some linen to make caps, and she spoiled the caps. The Court referred “the matter in question to Sara Roeloftzen, wife of Mr. Hans Kierstede, and to Metje Greveraats to take up the matter in question, to inspect the linen caps, to settle parties' case, and if possible to reconcile them; if not to report their decision to the Court. On October 8, the case was again before the court. The defendant was in default. “Plft, says that the deft. is not willing to appear before the “good women” (female arbitrators), and that Sara Roelofs, appointed by the W. Court will not have anything to do with the matter, as she will not be opposed to either one party or the other.” The Court insisted that Janneke Van Gelder must either appear before the “good women” or make good the damages estimated by them.

Sara, who had been baptized 5 April 1627 at Amsterdam, had come over to the new world with her parents in 1630. She spoke both English and Dutch and became greatly proficient in the Indian languages. Her capabilities did not go unnoticed and were often used by the leaders of the Dutch colony. In 1664 she acted as an interpreter in negotiating a treaty made by Peter Stuyvesant with the Hudson River Indian tribes. Sara's talent did not go unappreciated and on account of her excellant services over a number of years she was rewarded a patent of land that was granted to her second husband, Cornelius Van Borsum, on October 14, 1673, ". . of a lot on Manhattan Island, north of the windmill on the west side of the road that runs to Klatchhook."

Sara was more than the ordinary arbitrating “good women”. She was well acquainted with the Indian language, and acted on divers occasions as interpreter for Peter Stuyvesant and the Indians. In return for her service, Oratany, sachem of Hackingkesacky, made her a present of a large neck or tract of land on the west side of the Hudson. Her second husband, to whom she married September 1, 1669, was Cornelius of Borsum, owner of the Long Island ferry. Her third husband was Elbert Elbersen stouthoff. She was married to him in 1683. (the above is from The Records of New Ansterdam 1658-1674, IC., pp 136,143)

Sara, the daughter of Anneke Jans and Roelof Jansen, was married three times at the Dutch Reformed Church at New Amsterdam :

1. Her first marriage on 29 June 1642 to Dr. Hans Kierstede gave ten children to the world of which seven survived to reach adulthood. Dr. Hans Kierstede was son of Jacobus von Schierstedte and Elizabeth von Dorstaedt NY.16,17,4,1,12 The Kierstede Brothers of Magdenburg.
2. After the death of her first husband about 1667, she married for the second time on September 1, 1669 to Cornelius Van Borsum, the son of Egbert Van Borsum and his wife Annetje Hendricks. They came from Embden, Holland. From this marriage one child was born, a daughter, Anna. Cornelius died in September of 1682.
3. In her third marriage she exchanged vows with Elbert Elbertzen Stoothoff on 21 July 1683. Sara was now 56 years old. Elbert was a widower whose first wife's name was Altje Cornelius Cool.

Sarah had several slaves as appears from her will which reads as follows:

"In the name of God, Amen. Be it known to all whom it may concern that I, Sara Roeloffse, late widow of Elbert Elbertse Stouthoff, considering the frailty and shortness of Human life, Do make my last will in manner following. 1st. I commit my immortal Soul into the merciful hands of God Almighty, and my body to a decent burial. 2Nd, I revoke all other wills. Now I will before anything else to my daughter Blandina, of this city, a negro boy, Hans. To my son Luycas Kierstede, my Indian boy named Aide. To my daughter Catharine Kierstede, a negress, named Susannah To my son-in-law, Johannes Kip, husband of my said daughter Catherine, my negro, Sarah, in consideration of great trouble in settling the accounts of my later husband, Cornelius Van Brosum, in Esopus and Elsewhere. To my son Jochem Kierstede, a little negro, called Maria, during his life, and then to Sarah, the eldest daughter of my son Roeloff Kierstede by Ytie Kierstede To my son Johannes Kiersted, a negro boy Peter I leave to my daughter Anna Van Borsum, by my former husband Cornelius Van Borsum, on a account of her simplicity, my small house and kitchen, and lot situate in this city between the land of Jacob Mauritz and my back house, with this express condition, that she shall not be permitted to dispose of the same by will or otherwise, but to be hers for life and then to the heirs mentioned in this will. It is my will that my son Luycase Kierstede shall have the privilege of buying the house where he now lives and the bake house and lot belonging to the same and to pay the money for the same to the other heirs, he to retain his share. I have fully satisfied my sons Hans Kierstede and Roeloff Kierstede for their share in their father's estate, being 40 Beavers, as by account for the same, the rest of my estate I leave 3 to the seven children of my deceased husband, Hans Kierstede, viz, Roeloff, Blandina, Jochem, Luycas, Catrine, Jacobus, Rachel, and the children of my deceased son Hans Kiersted by his wife Jannike equally. Only Hans Kierstede the eldest son of my deceased son Hans Kierstede shall have L1 for his birthright. I appoint as guardians of my daughter Anna Van Borsum, and managers of her house and lot my son-in-law Johannes Kip, and my son Luycas Kierstede, and my son-in-law Wm Teller, giving them full power as executors." NY Wills, Vol 0005-0006, 1693-1707 ^[1]

Sara died before the 21st of October 1693, as on that date both a will and a codicil were proved in her name. The codicil to her will was dated August 7, 1693, thus, we know she died between those two dates, in her 67th year. There is no question that she lived a long, hard, and fruitful life. She was a true pioneer woman and obviously an intelligent person. She had just turned 15 at her first marriage and in the years that followed she would bring ten children into the world. She is an ancestor surely worthy of our memory.

Birth

Born June 29, 1621 in Magdebourg, Prussia

Born December 3, 1626 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Baptism

Sarah was baptized April 5, 1627 at Amsterdam, Netherlands

Marriages & Church Records

1. 1642 29 Jun; Hans Kierstede, jm van Maegdenburg; Sara Roelofs, jd van Amsterdam, beyde wonende tot N. Amsterdam ^[2]
2. 1669 01 Sep; Cornelis van Borsum, jm van't Veer op Breuckelen; Sara Roelofs, wid Hans Kierstede^[3]
3. 1683 21 Jul; Elbert Elbertszen, wid Aeltje Cornelis; Sara Roelofs, laest wid Cornelis van Bossum, d' Eerste woonende op N. Amersfort, en tweede alhier. Getrouwt op N. Amersfort^[4]

Death

Died 21 Oct 1693 in New York, NY

Notes

Photograph of artwork depicting Sara working as liaison with the Native Population, uploaded to Ancestry.com by KarenTlumach, October 2011.

Sources

1. ↑ NY Wills, Vol 0005-0006, 1693-1707, Accessed at Ancestry.com. URL: https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8800/005518045_00036?pid=2943514
2. ↑ http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rbillard/na_marriages_1639-1801.htm
3. ↑ http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rbillard/na_marriages_1639-1801.htm
4. ↑ http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rbillard/na_marriages_1639-1801.htm

• Concerning the Van Bunschoten or Van Benschoten Family in America: A Genealogy and Brief History, Second Edition, by William Henry Van Benschoten (West Park on Hudson, New York, 1907) p. 46.

• Ancestry Family Trees. Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. URL: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/50792133/family

• Source: Geheugen van nederland Book

• Michiel van Groesen. Roelofs, Sara (1627-1693). Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland. 13 January 2014.

Acknowledgments

• This person was created through the import of 124-DeCoursey.ged on 13 September 2010.
• Christine Roane, Entered by Christine Roane, Oct 14, 2011. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Christine and others.
• Roelofs-99 was created by Niesha Johnson through the import of Family Tree.ged on Oct 12, 2014.
• First-hand information as remembered by Greg Rose, Monday, March 17, 2014.
• Roeloffse-15 was created by Jim Crouch through the import of Crouch_2015_2015-08-29.ged on Aug 29, 2015.