Isaac van Meter (abt. 1692 - bef. 1757)

Born about 1692 in Marbletown, Ulster County, Province of New York

Ancestors

Husband of Annetje Hannah (Wyncoop) Van Meter — married 1720 in Ulster County, NY

Descendants

Died before 14 Dec 1757 before about age 65 in Fort Pleasant, Hampshire County, Virginia

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Isaac van Meter was a New Netherland Descendant 1674-1776. Join: New Netherland Settlers Project Discuss: new_netherland

Biography

Birth

Isaac was born probably by 1693 since he received land in New Jersey with his brother, mother and uncle on 19 June 1714, at which time he should have been at least 21.^[1] This page has stated birthplaces of both Marbleton and Kingston in Ulster County, New York. He was the son of Joost Janz Van Meteren and Sarah Du Bois.

Some sources give a birth year of 1702 or state that he was aged about 25 in 1717.^[2][3] The former is certainly wrong, and no original document is known to give his age in 1717.^[4]

Marriages

Isaac had multiple wives, and much confusion and conflicting information about them has been given in the past. Some published accounts seem to have been made without knowledge of the first wife. Thus, the first of two influential accounts by Samuel Gordon Smyth, from 1902, states only that Isaac married once, circa 1717, Annetje (Ann or Hannah) Wynkoop.^[5] Smyth had revised this opinion by the time he published his book in 1909, in which he identifies Isaac's first wife. But many more recent writers seem to have continued to take information either from his 1902 article or elsewhere by identifying a single mother for all of Isaac's children. More recently, Cox notes the claims about multiple wives and states that he had "not found those accounts convincing." He goes on to restate the claim that Isaac married Annah Wyncoop in 1717.^[3]

What is known of Isaac's wives:

1. He married probably around 1719 Cateline/Catherine, probably Cateline Mulinaer, widow of Hendrick Mulinaer. She may have been a daughter of Jean Bodine, but the evidence is not conclusive. She died after 1724 and probably after 1730.
2. Isaac married sometime between probably 1730 and 1741 Annetie/Annah Wyncoop, daughter of Gerret Wyncoop.

(See Catherine's profile for the circumstantial evidence that the wife of Hendrick Mulinauer was a daughter of Jean Bodine.)

Evidence for the identities and chronology of his wives is as follows:

• the baptism of son Abraham on 12 August 1724 calls his parents "Isaac and Cataline Ver-Meeter"^[6]
• the 29 September 1725 will of Andrew Hoffman/Hopman of Pilesgrove, New Jersey was witnessed by both Catherin van Meter and Joost Adriansah Mulinaer.^[7]
• A deed dated 25 March 1730 from John Vanmetere of Prince George's County, Maryland to Cornelius Newkirk, conveying land at Salem County, New Jersey, was witnessed by Catherine Vanmetere, John Miller, and William Birkett. Catherine Vanmetere and John Miller appeared before a judge in Salem County on 2 May 1730 to swear to the deed.^[8]
• on 1 November 1731, Joos Arian Muller discharged his "father in law Isaac Lametra" from engagements relating to probate of an estate, granting him a quietus. Three days prior, John Miller had entrusted his brother Joost Arianse Muliner to act on his behalf regarding their estate.^[9][10]
• on 30 April 1741, the Pilesgrove Presbyterian Church was founded when its members signed the covenant; Isaac van Meter and Hannah his wife were the first two signers.^[11]
• the 26 October 1741 will of Garret Wynkoop of Northampton, Bucks County, Pennsylvania names his daughter Annetie van Meeter^[12]
• a deed dated 20 March 1750/1 was executed by Isaac VanMeter of Salem County and Ann his wife, conveying land to Aaron Burr of Newark, said land being described has part of a tract that was been granted through deeds of lease and release on 18 and 19 June 1714 to Jacob Dubois, Sarah Dubois als. Vanmeter, John Vanmeter, and the said Isaac Vanmeter^[13]
• Isaac's will dated 15 February 1754 calls his wife Annah.^[14]

Thus, there is no doubt that Isaac had married a woman named Cataline by 1724 and that he only later married Annetie/Annah, daughter of Garret Wynkoop, sometime between 1725 and 1741.

The claim is that the earlier wife was called both Cataline and Catherine, and variants, and that she was the widow of Hendrick Mullinaer. The direct evidence supporting this is just the documents from 1731 which seem to indicate that brothers John Miller and Joost Arianse Muliner had a "father in law Isaac Lemetra" (an image of the quietus is to the right on this profile) who was administering an estate to which they were heirs. Hendrick Mulinaer is known to have had two sons Joost Arianse and Jan. So there are two possibilities: this was the estate of their father twelve years after Isaac Vanmeter was made administrator, in which case the quietus allows us to identify Isaac "Lametra" with Isaac Van Meter and thereby proves that he had married their mother. Or else the estate was that of their mother, in which case the quietus indicates that their father-in-law was administrator as would be expected.

The name "Lametra" in the document is somewhat problematic. At the time, relationship names had more loose usage than today and "father in law" was used both to refer to the father of one's spouse and also to refer to a step-father. But "Lemetra" resembles the name of a family unrelated to these Van Meters who lived in New York around the time, various spelled "La Maitre", "La Matre," "Delameter", and variants.

The identification of his first wife is shored up by further indirect evidence:

• the 30 April 1707 baptism of Joost Adriansen names his parents Hendrick and Katleyn Muelenaer^[15]
• the 7 November 1712 will of Hendrick Mulnenaere names his wife Cateline^[16]
• on 9 June 1719, Isaac van Metere posted bond in Salem County, New Jersey with sureties John van Metere and Henry van Metere to act as administrator of the estate of Hendrick Muliner. The executors of Hendrick's will had formally refused to act on 4 March 1718/19.^[16]

There is no other likely candidate to be the Catherine Vanmetere witnessing the 1725 will and 1730 deed other than the wife of Isaac. "John Miller" is a name known to have been used by the son Jan Muelenaer of Hendrick and Cateline Mulenaer.

Thus, not only did Isaac's wife have the same name Cateline as Hendrick's wife, mother of Joost Adriansen, but Isaac was chosen to administer Hendrick's estate in 1719, notably about a year before the estimated birth of Isaac's son Henry. Typically, an administrator was chosen by a probate court either because of a familial relation or because they were the largest creditor of the estate. In this case, the 1731 letter to the probate court in which Joost Arianse Muliner called "Isaac Lameter" his father-in-law makes a compelling case that Isaac had married Hendrick's widow by around 1719. (One wonders also if son Henry were named, not just in honor of Isaac's younger brother, but also in honor of Cateline's first husband.)

Adding a bit more support: Isaac's older brother John perhaps married Cateline's sister Sarah Bodine, as his first wife. The identification of John Van Meter's first wife and of Hendrick Molinaer's wife as daughters of Jean Bodine seems to be based only on a pattern of sponsors chosen at the baptisms of children. But assuming this is correct, then one would think that when Hendrick Mulinaer died, John's status as the widow's brother-in-law and seniority to Isaac would have made him the logical choice as administrator ... unless something gave Isaac priority, such as recently marrying the widow of the deceased. And it was fairly common when a young mother was widowed that a suitable single man among her extended family would marry her, as here Isaac would have been the brother of her brother-in-law.

There are claims that Isaac's brother John married, as his second wife, Catherine's sister-in-law Margaret Mulinaer.^[17] While John's second wife was Margaret, there is no credible evidence to support the claim that she was of the family of Hendrick Mulinaer.^[18]

Children

Isaac had eight children known from baptism records and his will. Because of the uncertainty about Isaac's dates of marriage and the death date of his first wife, it is not clear who the mother of some of the children was. But assuming that his only two wives were those described above, and that son Henry, who married in 1741, was then definitely born before 1725, we can conclude the following:

Children of Isaac Van Meter and his first wife Cateline:

• Henry b. ca. 1720
• Sarah bap. 23 April 1722
• Abraham bap. 12 August 1724

The remaining children, named in the will,^[14] could be the children of either wife. But assuming Cateline died shortly after 1725, as some authors do, the remaining children would then be assigned to Annetie.

• Jacob
• Catherine
• Garret
• Rebecca
• Hellita

Benjamin VanMeter incorrectly states that there were just four children when Isaac died, but in places he seems to be confusing Isaac with his nephew Isaac, son of John.^[19]

Church Records

23 April 1722: Sarah was baptized at the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, the daughter of Isaac "Van-Meeter".^[20] It would have been a long trip from Salem County to Philadelphia to baptize a child, but there was reportedly no formal church in Pilesgrove at this time.

12 August 1724: Abraham was baptized, the son of "Isaac and Cataline Ver-Meeter."^[6]While this was recorded in the records of the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, the record notes this baptism as happening at Pilesgrove, in a group of four baptisms.

30 April 1741: The first four signers to the covenant of Pilesgrove Presbyterian Church at its founding were Isaac van Meter, Hannah his wife, Henry van Meter (their son), and Sarah van Meter (their daughter).^[21]

26 July 1743: Isaac Van Meter was debarred from the Pilesgrove church. The reasoning:^[22]

Harman Richman complaining that Isaac Van Meter, at the public house of Obadiah Lloyd, had lately before company, abused him, by abusive, railing threatening words, and raging behavior. It appeared upon examination of the case, partly by confession of the said Isaac, as well as by the evidence of several witnesses, That the said Isaac, in some angry discourse with the said Harman, did call the said Harman several times an old aggravating dog, and a cursed old devil, & that he would (or had a mind to) have the heartblood of the said Harman, and in a continued raging, provoking, threatening manner, holding out his fists to, or toward the face of the said Harman: threatening to lick or beat him, with more such like expressions, & ragious behavior. Now the said Isaac being a member in full communion, and looked upon to be one chief leading man of our christian congregation, whose profession, age, and gray hairs should have influenced him to be an example of Christian behavior to all about him: That he should let himself loose, as abovesaid to use the hellish Language, and postures, of the most profane, of the vilest of men, and that in such a public place and manner, to the dishonor of God, scandal of the Christian Religion; shame and grief of serious christians, and the opening of the mouth of the wicked, to blaspheme the name of God, his holy ways & people, and thereby to harden themselves unto their wicked ways and their perdition. -- Therefore as our Lord Jesus Christ the King of his Church, hath numbered revilers and railers, with the vilest of sinners, & hath forbidden his church to eath with them (I Cor. 6, 9. 10, with chapter 5-11, 12, 13) So by the authority of the Lord Jesus, we do debar, the said Isaac Van Meter from the Lord's Table, that we maintain the Holiness of God in his house, and may see what signs of Gospel humiliation, and repentance will appear in our said Brother, in order to his restoration of his church priveleges. And let this awful act of the Lord Jesus, in his house, make us all tremble, so as to cry day and night for grace to enable us always everywhere, to behave in all things, as becometh the holy gospel, and holy Laws of our Savior & Lord Jesus Christ amen. And let us know that this is not excommunication, but only a suspension. Therefore, let us pray for the suspended, as the Word of God requireth and directeth. 2 Thessalonians 3.6.14-15.

1 October 1743: "Isaac Van Meter being abroad, about Potowmack in Virginia, his suspension was continued."^[22]

3 December 1743: "Isaac Van Meter not appearing in due time, according to warning given, his suspension was continued."^[22]

26 January 1743-4: "Isaac Van Meter upon his public humiliation, and promise of walking becoming the Gospel, was restored to his former church privileges."^[22]

5 January 1748-9: Isaac Van Meter was chosen a ruling elder of the church.^[23]

Movement and Residence

Isaac lived in Salem County New Jersey probably by 1714, when he and his brother John and mother Sarah and uncle Jacob Du Bois received land from Daniel Coxe.^[1] He seems to have taken an interest in land in Virginia (now part of West Virginia, close to the Pennsylvania border) around 1740 and is described as being alternately in New Jersey and in Virginia until making a permanent move to Virginia around 1744.

1715, Piles Grove, New Jersey. Isaac van Meter appeared on a list of "foot shoulgers [sic] under the command of Captain John Loyde in Files [sic] Grove "preseent" in ye County of Salem "in ye Province of New Jarsie in Amarica"."^[24]

4 March 1718/19, Salem County, New Jersey. He was named executor of the estate of Hendrix Mullinar.

ca. 1720, Piles Grove/Maniton, New Jersey. Isaac was listed as an ensign in the West Jersey Militia representing Piles Grove and Maniton.^[25]

20 March 1720, Isaac Vanmetre of Pilesgrove "precinct" in Salem County, West New Jersey purchased 50 acres of land at Pilesgrove from John Dickenson Junior of the same place [son of John Dickison the older].^[26]

10 July 1721, Isaac Vanmeter of Salem County in West New Jersey purchased from William Trent of Trent Town 370 acres of land known as "Pilesgrove Manor Plantation." Surprisingly, the price for this tract was only five shillings.^[27] Then on 11 July 1722, the same parties executed a seemingly identical transaction, but this time for the price of 671 pounds.^[28]

27 May 1726, Sarah "Deboies" of Salem County in West New Jersey gave to her son Isaac Vanmeter all of a 302 acre tract in Salem County except for 100 acres. Witnesses were Sam Elwell, Barent Duboies, and Charles Crossthwayt.^[29]

Isaac seems to have travelled between Virginia and New Jersey several times, as indicated by the church records above. The following entries citing Benjamin Franklin Vanmeter may have confused Isaac with his nephew.

1740, Indian Old Fields, Hampshire (now Hardy) County, Virginia (now West Virginia). To establish a 'tomahawk claim'^[30]

1 October 1743, Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church, Salem County, New Jersey. "Isaac Van Meter being abroad, about Potowmack in Virginia, his suspension was continued."^[22]

1744, Fort Pleasant, Indian Old Fields, Hampshire (now Hardy) County, Virginia (now West Virginia)^[30][31]

What is clear is that Isaac was not permanently in Virginia from the 1740s, as we find a deed from Isaac Vanmeter and Anna his wife dated 20 March 1750/51 conveying land he had purchased with his brother, mother, and uncle in 1714, said deed saying he and Anna were at that time of Salem County, New Jersey.^[32]

Burial

Buried By Indians

Note

The Isaac Van Meter House is in what is now Hardy County, West Virginia. In the 1740s, George Washington spoke with Isaac Van Meter while surveying Lord Fairfax's land grant (he contended the land was his; after the Revolution, "the Van Meter heirs finally prevailed").

Research notes

To be incorporated

scalped by indians -------------------- Bought a number of Tracts of land near Salem, New Jersey where he resided until 1730.^[33]

On June 17, 1730, he obtained from Gov. Goost of Virginia a grant of 10,000 acres of land "beyond the Blue Ridge" upon which he and divers other families were to settle.^[33]

About 1744 he and his family settled and built a home at Port Pleasant Old Fields, Virginia where he was killed and scapled by the Indians 1767.^[33]

His will was filed with the County Clerk of Hampshire County Virginia on December 14, 1757 (?). Hampshire County subsequently became a part of Hardy County when that county was formed.^[33]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Early Land Records Database", database and images, New Jersey Department of State (https://wwwnet-dos.state.nj.us/DOS_ArchivesDBPortal/EarlyLandRecords.aspx : search First Name -> Isaac, Last Name -> Vanmeter : accessed 19 March 2020); citing West Jersey Deeds, book DD [FHL #460,049], folio 316. Isaac's mother was called Sarah Du Bois in this record, despite being Joost Jans Van Meter's widow.
2. ↑ Roberta Shannon Stimpson, Yesterday and Tomorrow: Van Meter — Tabb — Shannon and Allied Families, (Berkley, Mich.: the author, 1976) page 26
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Gregory V. Cox, A Van Meter chapter in the American story (Falls Church, VA: the author, 2001) pages 15 and A-5
4. ↑ Because some authors have estimated the year of his first marriage as 1717, his age may just be an estimated age at first marriage made by a past researcher.
5. ↑ Smyth, Samuel Gordon. "Records Relating to the Van Metre, Dubois, Shepherd, Hite, and Allied Families" The West Virginina Historical Magazine Quarterly 3 (1902) pages 45–55; at pages 48–49.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} "Register of Baptisms 1701-1746, First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia," Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 19 (1952) page 288; consulted through "Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. Philadelphia, PA: Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1895–," database and images (AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011).
7. ↑ Nelson, William (ed.), Calendar of Wills, Administrations, Etc. Volume I, 1670-1730. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Trenton, NJ: Archives of the State of New Jersey, 1901, volume 23, page 232
8. ↑ West Jersey deeds vol. DD [DGS 7,901,119] pages 145–7.
9. ↑ Middlesex County, New Jersey wills 683L [FHL film #545,469]
10. ↑ McGeehan, Bertha Edwards, "Ancestry of Jost Miller of Salem County, New Jersey" Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 13 (1936–7) pages 63–71; at page 68. McGeehen gives a transcription of both original letters.
11. ↑ Turner, Joseph Brown, "Vital Records of the Pittsgrove, N.J., Presbyterian Church, 1740-1768," Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society (1901-1930) 9 no. 2 (June 1917), pages 65-94; at page 68
12. ↑ Bucks Co., Pennsylvania, wills vol. 2 pages 102–4
13. ↑ West New Jersey deeds vol. I pages 391–4
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Tyler's Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine, vol. 5 page 251
15. ↑ "First Reformed Church, Raritan (Somerville) Baptisms" Somerset County Historical Quarterly 2 (1913) page 44
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Nelson, William (ed.), Calendar of Wills, Administrations, Etc. Volume I, 1670-1730. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Trenton, NJ: Archives of the State of New Jersey, 1901, volume 23, pages 332–3
17. ↑ Source: #S11721 Page:
18. ↑ "Fine Lineage", defunct website, archive copy of V-4, Their Children, citing defunct website http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~bodine/f1423.htm
19. ↑ Source: #S11520 Page: 49–50, Isaac Van Metre, or Van Meter
20. ↑ "Register of Baptisms 1701-1746, First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia," Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 19 (1952) page 287; consulted through "Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. Philadelphia, PA: Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1895–," database and images (AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011).
21. ↑ Turner, page 68
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4} Turner, page 71
23. ↑ Turner, page 72
24. ↑ Second Ann. Report of the State Hist. of NY, page 543
25. ↑ "West Jersey Militia", Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 8 no. 2 (1922) page 205
26. ↑ West Jersey deeds vol. D [DGS 7,901,119] pages 206–7
27. ↑ West Jersey deeds vol. D [DGS 7,901,119] pages 209–10
28. ↑ West Jersey deeds vol. D [DGS 7,901,119] pages 210–12
29. ↑ West Jersey deeds vol. D [DGS 7,901,119] pages 203–4
30. ↑ ^{30.0 30.1} Source: #S11520 Page: 47–49, The Van Meter Family
31. ↑ Source: #S11520 Page: 50–53, Garrett Van Meter
32. ↑ Because this was most or all of the land he owned in New Jersey, it is possible that they permanently recorded to Virginia after that deed.

    Death

    05 OCT 1757, Fort Pleasant, Hampshire (now Hardy) County, Virginia (now West Virginia). He was killed and scalped by natives only a short distance from his fort<ref></ref>

    Will

    The will of Isaac Van Meter "of the South Branch of the Potomoc" was dated 15 February 1754 and was proved at Hampshire County, Virginia (now West Virginia) on 14 December 1757.<ref></ref> It names

    wife Annah

    children Henry, Jacob, Garrett, Sarah Rickman, Catherine, Rebecca Hite, and Hellita Van Meter.

    This comes from an apparently insufficient abstract of the will. Another source adds that the will names Rebecca Hite's husband Abraham Hite.<ref>Thomas Kemp Cartmell, ''Shenandoah Pioneers and Their Descendants: a History of Frederick County, Virginia,'' (Winchester, VA: Eddy Press, 1909), [https://archive.org/details/shenandoahvalle00cartgoog/page/n272/mode/2up pages 259-60]</li>

    <li id="_note-Van_Metre-21">↑ ^{[[#_ref-Van_Metre-21_0|33.0]]} ^{[[#_ref-Van_Metre-21_1|33.1]]} ^{[[#_ref-Van_Metre-21_2|33.2]]} ^{[[#_ref-Van_Metre-21_3|33.3]]} from Van Metre-21</li></ol></ref>

• Joseph Brown Turner, "Vital Records of the Pittsgrove, N.J., Presbyterian Church, 1740-1768," Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society (1901-1930) 9 no. 2 (June 1917), pages 65-94.

• Second Annual Report of the State Historian of the State of New York, (Albany and New York, N.Y.: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford, 1897).

• "New Jersey, Births, 1670-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC5T-NT1 : 8 April 2016), Isaac Van Meter, 09 Aug 1692; citing , Ulster, New York, United States, Division of Archives and Record Management, New Jersey Department of State, Trenton.; FHL microfilm 1,543,465.

• S11520: Benjamin Franklin Van Meter, 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).

• S11721: P. S. Ehrlich, comp. and ed., Fine Lineage, (world wide web: the compiler and editor, 2003): http://www.skeeterkitefly.com/finelineage_00.htm.

• John B. Woodworth, "Van Meeteren Manuscript Genealogy", (Waynesboro, Va.: typescript, n.d.). Burlington Public Library, Patterson Creek Road, P.O. Box 61, Burlington, West Virginia 26710

• Correspondence from James F. Barnett, Elkville, IL 62932, Author Kimball G. Everingham Genealogical Collection, 5715 Highway 85 North #1724, Crestview, FL 32536

• James W. Elting, comp., The Descendants of Jan Eltinge: The Genealogy of the Elting/Eltinge Family, (Charlotte, N.C.: the compiler, 2002).

See also:

• Ancestry tree

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Van Meter-26 was created on 14 September 2010 through the import of 124-DeCoursey.ged.
• WikiTree profile Van Meter-87 was created through the import of LaBach Family TreeApril28_2011.ged on 05 May 2011.
• WikiTree profiles Van Meter-73 and Van Metre-6 were created through the import of carl&elaine_(grove)_rhodes-10-2-2010.ged on 09 March 2011.
• WikiTree profile VanMeter-51 created through the import of wikitree1.ged on Oct 17, 2012 by Kimball G. Everingham.
• WikiTree profile VanMeter-92 was entered by Lester Lane, Monday, February 24, 2014.