Alexander Simpson (1655 - 1721)

Born 1655 in Flatlands, Kings, New York

Husband of Jannetje Stevens Van Voorhees — married 28 Feb 1690 in Flatlands, Kings, New York

Descendants

Died 1721 at about age 66 in Flatlands, Kings, New York

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Biography

ALXEXANDER SIMPSON “SIMSON” is thought to have been born between 1660 and 1670 in Gravesend, Long Island. He was the son of Peter Simpson (English descent) and Margaret “Grietje” (Dutch descent). His first actual appearance on record is 1690 when he married Jannetje Van Voorhees (1658-1709), who was a widow of Jan Schenck. Jannetje was born in Hees, Netherlands and was the daughter of Steven Coerte Van Voorhees and Willempie Roeloffse Seubering. Jannetje had a few children before becoming widowed in 1687. In 1693 they were noted as living in Flatlands, New York (present day Brooklyn). Alexander and Jannetje had only 2 children together: John (1693-1773); and Sara Cory (unknown-1785). Through the 1690s he is noted in numerous land transactions with relatives of Jannetje. In 1698 Alexander “Simson” appears on the Kings County Census, with a household of 1 male, 3 females, and 6 children (Jannetje’s children from her previous marriage). The census also marks “(E)” next to his name, meaning he was English, not Dutch like the majority of those living in the Flatlands. Jannetje died around 1709 and he is noted to be remarried to “Metthe Lie, Wed. V. London in O. Engle” (Martha Lee, widow of London in Old England.” In 1711 he was a deacon of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Flatlands. He prepared his Will in 1713, which noted his wife Martha, 2 children, farm animals, and that he also owned a Negro boy. In 1715 he, with his son John, were part of the Richmond County Militia, South Company under Captain James Pollion. In 1716 he is noted to have baptized his daughter Tabeta at the Protestant Dutch Church of Staten Island, which was witnessed by his son John. In 1719 he baptized his daughter Jannetje at the Reformed Dutch Church in New York. We know that Alexander died between 1719 and 1721, when only his wife’s name was noted in a Flatbush land record.

Alexander was noted as a “young man from Gravesend.” Because of this, he was born in Gravesend instead of England (which would have been recorded as “Old England”). Peter is the only Simpson/Simson noted in the region (let alone in Gravesend).

Simpson, Alexander, m. Feb. 29, 1690, the widow Jannetje Stevense (Van Voorhees); and he m. 2ndly, Sept. 10, 1709, Metthe Lee, from London, widow of Thomas Radjes. Alexander was a grand-juryman in 1692, as per record of the sessions. On May 8, 1697, he with others conveyed 26 A. in Flatlands to Gerret Coerte (Voorhees). Issue:

1. Jannetje, baptised Jan. 28, 1719, in NY ^[1]

Note: 1723 26 Jun; James Sibbit, wid, V. London; Martha Lie, wid Alexander Simson, V. N. York, beide woonende alhier ^[2]

Sources

• Records of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Flatbush, 1677-1720 (1998) V.1,Pg. 269
• Bergen, Register of the Early Settlers of King County, Long Island (1881) Pg. 262, 272, 380
• Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in the City of New York, Baptisms (1917) Pg. 355-361
• Genealogical Gleanings from Book No 2 of Conveyances, Brooklyn, N.Y. (1923) Pg. 250
• Kings County, New York, Conveyances Liber 2: 192-196; FHL microfilm 1,413,189
• O'Callaghan, The Documentary History of the State of New York (1849) Vol. 3, Pg. 136
• Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in the City of New York - Marriages, (1881) Pg. 90
• Stiles, A History of the City of Brooklyn (1867) Vol. 1, Pg. 180-181
• New York, New York, Wills, 1718-1724, Vol. 9, Pg. 310-12
• Second Annual Report of the State Historian, (1897) 1715 Richmond Co. Militia, Pg. 549
• Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Staten Island Records, Baptisms 1696-1790, Pg. 111
• Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in the City of New York (1887) Pg. 163

1. ↑ Early Settlers of Kings Co, NY by Teunis G Bergen, page 262 https://ia802607.us.archive.org/32/items/registerinalphab00berg/registerinalphab00berg.pdf
2. ↑ http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rbillard/na_marriages_1639-1801.htm