Jan (Joosten) Van Meter (bef. 1683 - aft. 1745)

Born before 14 Oct 1683 in Kingston, Ulster, New York

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Bodine) Van Meter — married 1705 in Somerset County, New Jersey

Husband of Margaret (Mollenauer) Van Meter — married 1710 in Somerset County, New Jersey

Descendants

Died after 13 Aug 1745 after age 61 in Opequon, Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia

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John (Joosten) Van Meter was a New Netherland Descendant 1674-1776. Join: New Netherland Settlers Project Discuss: new_netherland

Biography

Jan Joosten van Meter or van Meteren^[1]

Parents: Joost Janz and Sara du Bois^[2]

married New Paltz, Ulster County, New York (by banns 18 Nov 1682)^[3][4][5][6]

Baptized: October 14, 1683^[2][7] at Kingston, Ulster County, New York:^[8][9][10]

Married:

1. Sara by 1706 at Somerset County, New Jersey. Circumstantial evidence suggests she was Sara Bodine born in 1687, the daughter of Jean Bodine and Marie Crocheron of Staten Island.^[11][12] Their daughter Sara was baptized 30 October 1706.^[2]
2. Margaret _____ about 1710 (after Sara's death) probably near Raritan (now Somerville), Somerset County

Numerous sources claim she was born Margaret Mollenauer (or Mulinaur, Miller), but no solid case even from reliable indirect evidence has been made.

Children:

by Sara [Bodine] (all baptized at Raritan)

• Sarah, baptized on 30 October 1706^[2] married James Davis
• Johannes, baptized on 28 April 1708, married Rebecca Poulissen (Pauleson), had two children, and died in Frederick County, Virginia in 1732^[13]
• Maria, baptized on 27 April 1709, married Robert Jones^[14]

by Margaret (all born in Somerset County, with the surname as Van Meter)^[15]

• Rebecca, born in 1711, married Solomon Hedges in 1735 at Fredrick, Maryland, and died in 1770 in Virginia
• Isaac, born on 3 June 1713, married Alice Scholl in 1739 in Somerset County, and died on 3 September 1745 in Frederick County, Virginia
• Elizabeth, born in 1715, married Thomas Shepherd in 1733, had seven children, and died in 1782
• Henry, born in 1717, married (1) Eva Pyle in 1736 in Somerset County, had five children, married (2) Hannah Pyle in 1756, had five children, married (3) Mrs. Elizabeth Pyle (sister-in-law of Eva and Hannah), and died in 1793
• Rachel, born in 1719, married John Lessige in 1736 of Virginia, had one son, and died in 1744
• Abraham, born in 1721, married (1) Ruth Hedges in 1742 in Virginia, married (2) Martha Wheeler (nee Roberts) in 1762 near Martinsburg, Berkeley County, Virginia, and died in 1783 at Martinsburg
• Jacob Jansen, born 16 March 1723, married Letitia Stroud (or Strode) on 30 August 1741 at Frederick County, Virginia, had thirteen children, and died 16 November 1798 at Hardin County, Kentucky
• Magdalena (or Maudlina), born in 1725 and married Robert Pewesy (or Pusey)

"John settled and died in Winchester, Virginia".^[16] He died in 1745, probably in August (will dated "8-13-1745 Winchester Co VA proved 9-3-1745";^[7] see Wills, below).

Indian Trader

John (or Jan Joosten) Van Meter was popularly known as "The Indian Trader."^[17]

'John VanMeter, Indian trader from New York', is said to have visited the valley of South Branch Potomac River (Wappatomaca) on an expedition with a Delaware war party sometime between 1725 and 1739. He was so impressed with the valley above 'the Trough' that he advised his sons to take up land there. This John VanMeter is usually identified as Joost Jansen VanMeteren, who as a boy kidnapped for 3 months by Minnisinks was so attracted to their lifestyle that he spent most of the rest of his life with them. His sons Isaac and Jacob settled in the South Branch Potomac valley. But consider that Joost Jansen was most likely aged only 3 (though possibly older) when kidnapped, and was last recorded at the christening of his first grandchild 30 Oct 1706, aged about 48 (or a little older) at Raritan [now Somerville], Somerset County, New Jersey. Curiously, no record of his death exists, but if he was still alive long after this, he would have been aged 65 (or more) when he participated in the war party. Perhaps a better candidate for 'John VanMeter, Indian trader from New York', is Joost's son John VanMeter, who would have been aged about 42 (or older) when participating in the war party. Though not father, but eldest brother, of the South Branch Potomac valley settlers Isaac and Jacob, he was considerably older than his younger brothers, and would have been a surrogate father to them if Joost had died in the early 1700s. Both John and his father, Joost, could have been described as 'from New York', though both would have been from New Jersey at the time of the war party. John was born in New York and lived there until he was aged about 20. Joost was born in Gelderland, but lived in New York from age 2½ (or more) to age 38 (or more).

VanMeter, Benjamin Franklin, Genealogies and Sketches of Some Old Families Who Have Taken Prominent Part in the Development of Virginia and Kentucky Especially, and Later of Many Other States of this Union J. P. Morton, Louisville, Ky., 1901. (Page: 149-156, Van Meters, as given by Mrs. Anna Louise Thompson, of Clinton, Iowa")^[18][19]

Note: There is no question that the Indian trader was this John Van Meter (bp.1683). One book (Smyth's Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre genealogy) incorrectly said the Indian trader was John's father Joost Jans (b.c.1658), and many have used that as a source. ~KGE

Delaware and Catawbas

First white man to cross the Blue Ridge, while on the war-path with the Delaware Indians against the Catawbas. He wrote an account of this expedition.^[20]

1730 - "Several years prior to the settlement of any portion of the Virginia Shenandoah Valley by the white man, a 'Dutchman' from New York, by the name of John VANMETER, accompanied a war party of the Delaware Indians on one of their excursions southward against their inveterate enemies the Catawbas. Near or upon the present site of Franklin, the county seat of Pendleton Co., West Virginia, a fierce battle was fought, in which the Delawares were worsted and driven back. VANMETER took part in the battle and escaped afterward with the defeated braves; and although he was on the losing side in this venture, he at once set about, with true German instinct, to turn his ill-starred trip to good account. He had seen the fertile bottom lands, all unoccupied, along the Shenandoah and the South Branch of the Potomac; he made application to Governor GOOCH for a grant of land, and obtained 40,000 acres in the lower part of the Valley. It was VANMETER's grant that Joist HITE purchased in 1732, when he and his party settled on the Opequon River."^[21]

Immigration

about 1725, Monocacy valley, Prince George's County, Maryland^[12]

about 1740, Berkeley County, Virginia (now West Virginia)^[22]

Locations

Berkeley County (Virginia until 1863) was created in February 1772 from the northern third of Frederick County, Virginia. At the time of the county's formation, it also consisted of the areas that make up the present-day Jefferson and Morgan counties. Winchester is in Frederick County (Winchester is independent of the county but is the county seat). Opequon is shown in the following map of modern-day Frederick County; Opequon is also a magisterial district of Berkeley County ("Adam Stephen/Opequon").^[23] See the 1770 and 1772 maps at Virginia Formation Maps to see Frederick county before and after Berkeley county's formation.

A charter for the town of Winchester, secured by James Wood and Lord Fairfax in February 1752, described the "parcel of land, at the courthouse in Frederick county" that "James Wood, gentleman, did survey and lay out..., in twenty-six lots of half an acre each, with streets for a town, by the name of Winchester..." (Winchester, Virginia and Its Beginnings, 1743-1814, by Katherine Glass Greene, p 33).

John Van Meter had land along the Opequon, as described in Greene's book: "One [record by James Wood, surveyor for Orange county], dated December 24, 1735, reads:

Surveyed for John VanMetre 50 acres of land in Orange county lying on the north side of Opequon Creek and opposite to another tract of land formerly surveyed for the said John VanMetre, it being within the limits of 100,000 acres granted by order of Council to Alexander Ross and others."

In 1743, Frederick County was formed from Orange County.^[24]

"Opequon Creek is a 64.4-mile-long tributary stream of the Potomac River. It flows into the Potomac northeast of Martinsburg in Berkeley County, West Virginia, and its source lies northwest of the community of Opequon at the foot of Great North Mountain in Frederick County, Virginia. The Opequon forms part of the boundary between Frederick and Clarke counties in Virginia and also partially forms the boundary between Berkeley and Jefferson counties in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle." (from Wikipedia article, accessed August 3, 2014)

see also: Berkeley County, Wikipedia article (accessed August 3, 2014). "The next known explorer to traverse the county [after John Lederer in 1670] was John Van Meter (1683–1745) in the 1730s. He came across the Potomac River, at what is now known as Shepherdstown, then he made his way to the South Branch Potomac River."

Residences

The family settled in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia where Jan became a wealthy land owner and horse breeder. "Kegley's Virginia Frontier in describing the earliest history of Virginia, says: 'The Van Meters cross the Powtomack (Potomac River). John and Isaac Van Meter were traders who knew the country about the Potomac and the Shenandoah as early as 1728. After 1721 Isaac lived in New Jersey, but John had moved westward toward the southwest part of Maryland. Around 1725, John was living in Monocacy valley, Prince George's County, Maryland.^[25]

In 1730 their petitions for 10,000 acres each in the forks of the Sherando River and 20,000 more for other families were granted. This was not to interfere with the surveys of Carter and Page.' ...

John was associated with Prince George's County, Maryland, at least briefly. On 25 March 1730, John Vanmetere of Prince George's County in the Province of Maryland sold to Cornelius Newkirk some 200 acres of land at Salem County, New Jersey. He describes at length how the land was part of a 3000 acre tract conveyed in 1714 to Jacob Dubois, Sarah Dubois, Isaac Vanmetere, and John Vanmetere, and how the land was divided so that John received 400 acres, of which one half part was being conveyed to Cornelius Newkirk in the deed.^[26]

Jost Hite with Robert McKay began acquiring land in the Shenandoah Valley in 1731. They with one hundred families were desirous of seating (settling) themselves on the back of the Great Mountains on land lying between the land of John Van Meter, Jacob Stover, John Fishback and others. ... Hite acquired the Van Meter grants in 1734 and patents began to issue to his settlers, one thousand acres to each family ... joining the land of 'Jost Heyd' and others.

"Mrs. Sims' article (material provided by Mrs. Ruth Bruner Sims of Frankfort, Kentucky) says John Van Meter and his brother Isaac, were granted 110,000 acres of land in the Shenandoah Valley by the Royal Governor, William Gooch, which they later sold to their cousin, Jost Hite, after selecting choice sites for themselves, while it was still a wilderness."

He was in Berkeley County, Virginia (now West Virginia) by about 1740. He died after August 13, 1745 in Frederick County, Virginia.^[27]

John's estate was called 'Opequen' (sometimes 'Opequon' or 'Apequon,' Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia).^[28]

Will

Will of "John Van Metre in Frederick County in the Colony of Virginia" written August 13, 1745

To see the first half of his will, click here.

To see the last half of his will, click here.

Named in will:^[29]

• beloved wife Margaret Van Metre
• son Abraham Van Meter ("a son of my wife aforesaid")
• son Isaac Van Meter
• son Henry Van Meter and his wife Eve
• son Jacob Van Metre^[30]
• daughter Sarah, "wife to James Davis"
• daughter Mary, "wife to Robert Jones"
• daughter Rebecca, "wife to Solomon Hedges"
• daughter Elizabeth, "wife to Thomas Shepherd"
• daughter Magdalena
• son of daughter Rachel "deceased (viz) John Leforge"
• "Johannes Van Meter son of Johanes Van Meter deceased and Joana daughter of the said Johanes deceased &c." ("his [John Leforge] two cousins", later in the will, Johannes Van Meter and Joana Van Meter named as grandchildren and their father as "my Eldest son Johannes Van Meter")

Executors "son-in-law Thomas Shepherd, Abraham Van Meter and Jacob Van Meter my sons"

Witnesses Edward Morgan, Andrew Corn, Joseph Carroll

Probated at Winchester, Virginia on September 3, 1745

His will includes details on bequests of his extensive land holdings. It also mentions a riding horse and two breeding mares.

Research Notes

Circumstantial evidence that Jan's first wife was Sara Bodine, daughter of Jean and Marie Bodine, includes:

• onomastics — their first child Sara was probably named for her mother. Their next two children were baptized Johannes and Maria . The name Johannes is a form of "John", which in French is "Jean." These names could have been chosen in honor of Jean and Maria Bodine, the theorized parents of Sara.
• baptismal sponsors — at Sara's baptism, sponsors were Joost Jansen (Jan's father) and Katelyn Bodyn. At Johannes's baptism, one sponsor was Isack Bodyn. These are presumed to be Sara's brother Isaac and either Isaac's wife Cateline or perhaps a sister of Sara. (While it is not conclusive, there is similar evidence that Cateline who married first Hendrick Mulinaer and second Jan's brother Isaac Vanmeter may have been another daughter of Jean and Marie Bodine.)

Ancestry Links

Ancestry link: The Shenandoah (format: htm)

Ancestry link: Will of John Van Metre (format: htm)

Ancestry link: Life of Jan Jansen Van Meter (format: htm)

Ancestry link: Part II; The Peopling of the Counties of Virginia (format: htm)

Ancestry link: Jan (John) VanMeter (format: htm)

Ancestry link The German element of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (format: htm)

Ancestry link: Jan Jansen "John" Van Meter (format: htm)

Ancestry link: A genealogy of the Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre family : from civil, military, church, and family records and documents (format: htm) - Note: this source is available without a subscription elsewhere: A Genealogy of the Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre Family, from Civil, Military, Church and Family Records and Documents

1794 Pendleton v Vandevier, Virginia Court Reports from District Court of Winshester [sic].

Ancestry link: Virginia Wills

insufficient information to determine with certainty which descendants this information pertains to

JOHN VANMETER, Will 13 August 1745, died prior to September 1745.

• Issue, two children: Abraham Vanmeter, who has issue; Madgalena born 1744, married and has issue a daughter, Prudence, born 1744, died 1769, and a son who died in infancy.
• Jacobus Vandevier had son James Vandevier. Their connection with Vanmeter is not shown.

Correction on Names

The Last Name at Birth was changed from Van Meter to Joosten per the New Netherland Settlers Project, citing the name in the baptism record of his daughter Sara:

• 30 Oct 1706, Sara of Jan Joosten. Record translated and transcribed as "Joosten, Jan and wife — Sara. Witnesses: Joost Jansen and Katleyn Bodyn."^[31][32]

Spelling variations abound, including VanMetre and VanMetren.

Because of confusion in the use of patronyms and about the identity of the "Indian Trader, John Van Meter from New York" (who is this John [Jan Joosten-252, previously Van Meter-2]), his name is sometimes give as Jan Jansen or other variations:

• Jan Jansen VanMeter^[10][33]
• Jan Jansen VanMeteren^[33]
• Jan Jansen Joosten (John AKA The Indian Trader) Van Meteren

in-process edit

working on updating style of following footnotes (WikiTree no longer allows span ids in references).

^{[11] [4] [33]}

^[34]

^{[22] [19]}

Sources

1. ↑ See also Correction on Names, above.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Kingston Baptisms, 1683:
   • Parents: Joost Janz, Sara du Bois
   • Child / Baptism Date: Jan / Oct. 14
   • Witnesses and Sponsors: Jan Joosten, Mayken Hendricz, Jacob du Bois.
3. ↑ Woodworth, John B. (Waynesboro, Virginia). Van Meeteren Manuscript Genealogy. n.d. Repository: Burlington Public Library, Patterson Creek Road, P.O. Box 61, Burlington, West Virginia 26710 (304) 289-3690 (Tues. & Thurs. 10-5, Wed. 12-5, Fri. 10-2, Sat. 10-3)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Stimpson, Roberta Shannon. Yesterday and Tomorrow: Van Meter - Tabb - Shannon and Allied Families (Berkley, Mich.: the author, 1976); pages 5-9 (parents' marriage; baptism).
5. ↑ Source: #S3249 Correspondence, to Kimball G. Everingham
6. ↑ Source: #S3977 Page: 24, 5. Cornelius Eltinge
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} William Heidgerd, The American Descendants of Chrétien Du Bois of Wicres, France, 20 vols. and index (New Paltz, N.Y.: DuBois Family Association, 1968–1984); baptism: page 44.
8. ↑ Baptismal and marriage registers of the old Dutch church of Kingston, Ulster County, New York (1891), available online (accessed October 3, 2014): page 20, entry 329
9. ↑ Stimpson's Yesterday and Tomorrow shows Kingston as birth location also.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} According to Ancestry's database of U.S. Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 (Ancestry Online Publication, 2011), he was born in Ulster County, either Marbletown (referencing SAR Membership Number 74996) or Kingston (citing SAR Membership Number 57055).
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Source: #S11520 Page: 149-156, Van Meters, as given by Mrs. Anna Louise Thompson, of Clinton,Iowa
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Smyth's Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre genealogy, pp 37-42, "Descendants of Johannes Van Metre"
13. ↑ Source #S11733: 28 Apr 1708, Johannes of Jan Joosten Note: Record translated and transcribed as, "Joosten, Jan and wife — Johannes. Witnesses: Isack Bodyn, Van Kocke"
14. ↑ Source: #S11733: 27 Apr 1709, Maria of Jan Joosten Note: Record translated and transcribed as, "Joosten, Jan. and wife — Maria. Witnesses: Albert Louw and wife"
15. ↑ from Van Metern-7, citing a link no longer there (but captured by archive.org's WayBack Machine here)
16. ↑ Wikipedia (accessed August 3, 2014)
17. ↑ Scott Van Metre. "An Interesting Sketch of That Well Known Family" (Accessed 12 Feb. 2017 by Patricia Prickett Hickin).
18. ↑ "Indian Trader" entry and source from VanMeter-50
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} Source: #S11520 Page: 49-50, Isaac Van Metre, or Van Meter
20. ↑ Virginia History Magazine, vol 3.
21. ↑ John Walter Wayland's "The Germans of the Valley," THE VIRGINIA MAGAZINE (May 1902), v.X, pp.35-36; A. D. Lough, "An account of the Indian Massacre at Fort Seybert" (Franklin, Virginia Newspaper Article, ca.1920s). Transcription received via e-mail October 25, 2014 (Thanks Lucy!).
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1} Source: #S11520 Page: 47-49, The Van Meter Family
23. ↑ Source: Wikipedia articles on Berkeley County and Winchester (accessed August 3, 2014).
24. ↑ Winchester Frederick County Circuit Court Clerks Welcome Page
25. ↑ which profile this came from was not noted, but can probably be determined by searching through the details of edits, starting here
26. ↑ West Jersey deeds vol. DD [DGS 7,901,119] pages 145–7.
27. ↑ The transcript of his will shows that it was written August 13, 1745.
28. ↑ from Van Metern-7
29. ↑ abstracted from his will (see pages 31-36, Smyth)
30. ↑ John Van Meter "drew up a lengthy will in which Jacob Van Meter was called 'my fourth and youngest son,' by which he inherited an equal share of 'all Staylen (stallions), geldings, mares, colts.' He inherited land, but not the estate 'Opequen,' on which his father lived, since he was the youngest." ('Opequen' also 'Apequon,' Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia)." ~ VanMetre.com Will
31. ↑ "First Reformed Church, Raritan (Somerville) Baptisms, 1699 – 1745," Somerset County Historical Quarterly, 2 (1913). Pages: 38, 138, 209, 298.
32. ↑ Citation in a merged profile has different information (it looks as if the witnesses and sponsors are for a different baptism):
    • New York Colony, Kingston Baptism 1683, parents : Joost Janz - Sarah du Bois, Child : Jan, Date : 14 Oct, witnesses and sponsors: Jan Joosten. Guysbert Crom. Maykin Hendricx.
33. ↑ ^{33.0 33.1 33.2} Benjamin Franklin VanMeter, Genealogies and Sketches of Some Old Families Who Have Taken Prominent Part in the Development of Virginia and Kentucky Especially, and Later of Many Other States of this Union (Louisville, Ky.: J. P. Morton, 1901), 47–49, The Van Meter Family; 149–156, Van Meters, as given by Mrs. Anna Louise Thompson, of Clinton, Iowa.
34. ↑ Benjamin Franklin VanMeter, Genealogies and Sketches of Some Old Families Who Have Taken Prominent Part in the Development of Virginia and Kentucky Especially, and Later of Many Other States of this Union (Louisville, Ky.: J. P. Morton, 1901), 49–50, Isaac Van Metre, or Van Meter.

From Van Meter-1004 (pre-merge)

• William G. Scroggins, revised 13 Nov 1989, 718 Mill Valley drive, Taylor Mill, KY, 41015, page 1 of 21 (List of names and dates of his birth, death 2 marriages, their children).
• Netherlands, genealogy Online trees Index, 1000-2015 - John Van Meter spouse Margaret Mollenauer.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #79887491 created by Glenda Ragan, 4-11-2011.
• Van Meter Pioneers in America (Van Metre Articles and Papers, posted by Scott Van Metre, accessed 14 September 2021)
• Genealogy of Duke - Shepherd - Van Meter Family : from civil, military, church and family records - part 1, pages 31-36, will of John Van meter ( mentions wife Margaret ).
• About Jan Jansen Van Meteren http://www.geni.com/people/JanVanMeteren/4264697.
• Notes for Jan Jansen Van Meter http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com

From Joosten-252 (pre-merge)

• S11520: VanMeter, Benjamin Franklin, Genealogies and Sketches of Some Old Families Who Have Taken Prominent Part in the Development of Virginia and Kentucky Especially, and Later of Many Other States of this Union J. P. Morton, Louisville, Ky., 1901.
• Ehrlich, P. S., comp. and ed., Fine Lineage (world wide web: the compiler and editor, 2003–). V-4, "Their Children" (accessed August 1, 2014).
• Smyth, Samuel Gordon, comp. and ed. A Genealogy of the Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre Family, from Civil, Military, Church and Family Records and Documents. New Era Printing, Lancaster, Pa., 1909.
• S11733: "First Reformed Church, Raritan (Somerville) Baptisms, 1699 – 1745," Somerset County Historical Quarterly, 2 (1913)
• S3249: Correspondence, James F. Barnett of Elkville, IL with Kimball G. Everingham (Repository: Kimball G. Everingham Genealogical Collection)
• S3977: Elting, James W., comp. The Descendants of Jan Eltinge: The Genealogy of the Elting/EltingeFamily. (the compiler, Charlotte, N.C., 2002)
• S-1415228328: U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 (2011 Ancestry Online publication; APID: 1,2204::0). Original data: Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls. Text (APID 1,2204::1007954): Birth Kingston, Virginia. Death Sep 1745, Frederick, Virginia. Residence United States.
• Ancestors of Henry VanMeter, compiled by Kimball G. Everingham. (May 2013)
• S76: Netherlands, Genlias Marriage Index, 1795-1944 (Ancestry Online Publication, 2012)
• Van Metre, Scott. "An Interesting Sketch of That Well Known Family" URL: http://www.vanmetre.com/Misc/isasac_of_old_fields.htm - accessed 12 Feb. 2017 by Patricia Prickett Hickin.

See also:

• Newkirk Collection, New Jersey (birth/baptism)