Micajah Covenhoven (1728 - 1797)

Born 1728 in Egg Harbor, Gloucester County, New Jersey, British Colonial America

Ancestors

Husband of Deborah (Stanton) Covenhoven — married 29 Jan 1750 in Egg Harbor City, Atlantic, New Jersey

Descendants

Died 31 Jan 1797 at about age 69 in Egg Harbor City, Gloucester County (Atlantic County in 1837), New Jersey, United States

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Biography

Private Micajah Covenhoven served with 3rd Battalion, Gloucester County Militia, New Jersey during the American Revolution.

Micajah Covenhoven is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A025118.

"Micajah Covenhoven" is named as a child of Peter Covenhoven, Sr of Great Egg Harbour, who wrote his will 26 Jun 1730, proved 21 Aug 1730.^[1]

COVENHOVEN, MICAJAH DAR Ancestor #: A025118 Service: NEW JERSEY Rank(s): PRIVATE Birth: CIRCA 1730 GLOUCESTER CO NEW JERSEY Death: 2-3-1797 GLOUCESTER CO NEW JERSEY Service Source: STRYKER, REG OF OFFICERS AND MEN OF NJ IN THE REV, P 550. Service Description: 1) COL SOMERS, 3RD BATT RESIDENCE: City: GREAT EGG HARBOR TWP - County: GLOUCESTER CO - State: NEW JERSEY SPOUSE: DEBORAH STANTON ^[2]

Ever wonder about the origin of term "knickerbocker"? A knickerbocker is a descendant of the original Dutch settlers in New York.^[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfert_Gerritse_van_Couwenhoven

Note: Family surname also: "Couwenhoven" and "van Kouwenhoven", Covenhoven, Cownover, Conover they are all descendants from the original pioneer settler of New Amsterdam, Wolfert Gerritse van Couwenhoven (1 May 1579 – 1662), also known as Wolphert Gerretse van Kouwenhoven and Wolphert Gerretse, was an original patentee, director of bouweries (farms), and a founder of the New Netherland colony.

He also founded the first European settlement on Long Island, called New Amersfoort, and was a Schepen of New Amsterdam in 1654. He is noted as playing an "active role in laying the foundations of the communities of Manhattan, Albany, Rensselaer, and Brooklyn."

The progenitor of the Vanderbilt family, 'Jan Aertszoon (1620–1705), also known as Jan Aertson, a Dutch farmer from the village of De Bilt in Utrecht, Netherlands, emigrated to the Dutch colony of New Netherland as an indentured servant to the van Kouwenhoven family in 1650.

New Jersey Early History^[4]

Old Gloucester County was formed on May 26, 1686 from the third and fourth tenths of the province of West Jersey. Greenwich Township became the first township. Incorporated on March 1, 1694. The original townships formed at that time were Gloucester, Deptford, Greenwich, Waterford, Newton and Egg Harbor. It included present-day Atlantic County and Camden County. Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County. Atlantic County set off in 1837. Camden County set off in 1844.

The Origin of Gloucester County

It was during this period of relatively independent existence from about 1680 to about 1702 that the local units of government in Gloucester County were created. The County is the only one of the State, and is among few in the entire United States, which originated directly in action of its own freeholders and inhabitants -- it was not created by the provisional government of West Jersey.

Gloucester County began its existence on May 28, 1686 with a meeting of its proprietors, freeholders and inhabitants who formally decided to organize a government and to establish a "Constitution of Gloucester County." The colonial legislature which had been meeting at Burlington was not in session at the time and did nothing whatever either to authorize the creation of the County or to interfere with its existence after it was organized. In 1692 the legislature recognized formally the existence of Gloucester County as a separate entity.

The County seat was at the City of Gloucester until moved to Woodbury during or about the time of the Revolutionary War. The first court was held in Hugg's Tavern in Gloucester. Betsy Ross was later married in that Tavern. The building stood in Gloucester County until about 1933. [The fireplace of that tavern, can be found at the Gloucester County Historical Society].

Gloucester County for many years extended entirely across the State and included all of Atlantic County and all of Camden County. The territory now in Atlantic County was not separated from Gloucester County until 1837 which was 151 years after the founding of Gloucester County. Camden County was not created until 1844.

Sources

1. ↑ Calendar of Wills, Administrations, Etc. 1730-1750. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. (Trenton, NJ: Archives of the State of New Jersey), volume 30, page 116
2. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 7 Dec 2021), "Record of Micajah Covenhoven", Ancestor # A025118.
3. ↑ https://www.pastremains.com/2020/11/52-ancestors-2020-46-when-new-york.html
4. ↑ http://www.nj.searchroots.com/Gloucesterco/gchistory.htm

• Source: S-600267367 Repository: #R-1094658385 Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=83496183&pid=92 Repository: R-1094658385

• Research: https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~berryhilltree/genealogy/kouwenhoven.htm