3rd generation: Garrett Garrettson

Grandson of immigrants Gerrit Rutten and Marritje, husband of Elisabeth Freeborn, father of Freeborn Garrettson.

Open Issues / Conflicting Narratives

Gerrit Rutten

note: it seems that there is quite a bit of evidence that the "Rutten" name was already being used as a "lastname" rather than a "patronymic" in at least some branches of the family. There is an extensive family history for the Rutten family in the Maaß (Meuse) river area, where the name was definitely retained and passed from parents to their children over many generations.

Exact wording of Marriage Document

It is clear that a Gerritt Rutten and a Marritje Heijndrix were married in 1645 in Sloterdijk. The original source https://archief.amsterdam/indexen/deeds/ece2a0d7-6f1a-44aa-a117-8e229298a04b has not been partially transliterated / translated in Rutten-128 as follows:

Birthplace and Birthdate of Gerrit Rutten

• A Gerrit Rutten who was 22 years of age in September 1645 was born about 1623
• If consensus is reached on whether Nimwegen or Huizinge is noted in the marriage document, then there is still a question as to whether this refers to "birthplace" or "last place of residence".

Birthplace and Birthdate of Marritje Hiyndrix

• the interpretation of the "A" will be critically important for further research into parents and birth of this person. Generally assumed to be "Amsterdam"
  • Note (3) It would seem plausible for Marritje to be "from Amersfoort", since that would provide a logical justification for the young family to be living there when their son is born (n.b.: a 1631 birthdate for their son is NOT plausible!).

Date and Circumstance of Migration to New Netherland

• A Gerritt Rutten/Garrett Rutten was in New Amstel colony in mid-May, 1661 and purchased land from Nathaniel Utie at the end of that month. It has generally been assumed that this Gerrit Rutten was the same person as the one who was married in Sloterdijk in 1645. This assumption has been challenged by the discovery of a SECOND marriage record in Amsterdam for Gerrit Rutgerse, widower of Marritje Hendricx. (see Rutten-128). Unless that challenge can be met, other alternatives must be considered and confirmed by reliable sources. The man who died in 1664 in Maryland cannot be the same as the one who re-married in Amsterdam in 1665. It is almost equally unlikely that the immigrant Garrit Rutten was the son of parents who married in 1645. He must have been born immediately after the wedding, emigrated to New Amstel as a young teenager, married, and died in 1664, at the ripe old age of 19 years!
• The City of New Amsterdam assumed control of New Amstel Colony in 1656, and began recruiting for colonists, with publications such as Van der Donck’s Beschrijvinge, the official Conditiën for settlement, and van den Enden's Kort Verhael van Nieuw-Nederlant (Short Accountof New-Netherland), which particularly praised the South River area and describes the Indians as "an ideal people from whom the colonists have nothing to fear".^[3]
• Given those constraints, the most plausible timeframe for emigration may be between 1657 and 1660. A review of actual ship journeys within this timeframe suggests that the Rutten family may have been among the "100 settlers" on the Golden Mill, which sailed from Amsterdam in June 1658 and arrived in the South River on 27 September, 1658. ^[4]
• It may be important to determine what terms were in force concerning how long colonists were required to remain in the New Amstel colony after being transported there, as the "desertion" of colonists to other places (such as Maryland) was a serious problem for the New Amstel regents.

Contacts with Nathaniel Utie

• The connection between Nathaniel Utie and ANY colonist in New Amstel immediately raises the issue of disputes between Maryland and New Netherland over jurisdiction in the area of the South river. Utie led a delegation to New Amstel in 1659, in which he proclaimed that the area was rightfully covered by Lord Baltimore's patent, met with at least some colonists, and suggested that Maryland might use force to assert its territorical claims. Since the Rutten biography clearly indicates that the Rutten family were among those who left New Amstel for Maryland, and in fact that they purchased land from and were otherwise involved with Utie in the 1660s, the timing of Utie's visit to New Amstel would seem to strengthen the argument for Rutten's arrival at the colony BEFORE Utie's appearance there.report of Utie visit 1659 report of travel to Maryland by representatives of New Netherland. nahc onlineprotest note

Migration to Maryland

• Garrit Rutten was naturalized as a freeman in Maryland in September 1663, after having purchased land in Maryland at the end of May 1661 (a few weeks after his complaint to New Amstel authorities concerning his safety).

Death of Garrit Rutten

• Should be noted that he died before 08 March 1664 (before his will was proved in court)

SOURCES

1. ↑ GERRIT (Garrett) RUTTEN Accessed on ancestry.com, September 2023. View Ancestry Profile: #1884704413 (requires subscription).
2. ↑ Gerrit Rutten Accessed on ancestry.com, September 2023.</div></div>
   • View Ancestry Profile: #1884692541 (requires subscription).
3. ↑ F. Blom & H. Looijesteijn. Ordinary People in the New World: The City of Amsterdam, Colonial Policy, and Initiatives from Below, 1656-1664. 2013. online
4. ↑ NAHC online list of ships