General Notes

Notes for Cornelius Antonissen Van Slyke:
from The Van Slyck Family in America - by Lorine McGinnis Schulz -
   "The Dutch patronymic system of naming indicates that Cornelis and his brother Pieter were the sons of a man named Antonis or Teunis. These sons would use the patronymic of Antonissen, Antonisz, or Antonise. Teunissen, Teunisz or Teunise are the diminutive forms of Antonis with the patronumic ending applied, indicating "son of".
     " The name Van Slijk means "coming from the village of Slijk". In old Dutch, the letters "y" and "ij" were used interchangeably and Slijck could be written as Slyk or slyck The earleist record found of the place name Slijck is from March 25, 1424 when Heer Wouter Van Mijnden and Van Ruwiel conveyed land "on Slijck in Maerssen" in two Utrecht convents. It also emerged early as a last name when Splinter Egbertsz van den Slijck placed his seal as a "landgenoot" of Galecop in 1441. (Utrecht Archives). One translation for the work "Slijck" is muddy or dirty, and usually refers to water. The River Vecht runs thru Breuckelen and Maarssen, is a muddy river which gives support to this area as the original homeland of the Vam Slykes.
     She also says that the 1st Lord of Nijenode was Splinter (1277), the 3rd son of Gijsbrcht van Ruele, Lord of Castle Ruwiel (situated between Breukelen and Nieuwer-ter-aa), & there might be a connection between the 2 Splinter's, as that is not a common name in the Netherlands.

Cornelius sailed from Breuckelin, Netherlands,  near Utrect in the ship "Eendracht"  in May of  1634 under contract to the Patroon. By trade he was a carpenter and mason. He was 1/2 Dutch & 1/2 French, and 30 years old.  One of the original proprietors of Schnectady, he leased a farm which he seems to have maintained during his contract, for in one of the Patroon's letters he mentioned "the place of Broer Cornelis and the Great Flats (North of Albany),  together, containing about 140 Morgens, according to the survey".

He signed his name Cornelius Antonissen Van Slicht in his contract with Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, but was also referred to as Cornelis Van Breuckelen (Cornelis from Breuckelen), and Cornelis Teunisson, and by the name given to him by the Mohawks - Broer Cornelis. The contract was signed in April of 1634. He contracted to do carpentry and mason work, but also farm work as needed, for the fee of 180 florins a year.

By 1640 the Mohawks had depleted the beaver supply in their hunting areas, and failing to arrive at a peaceful trade agreement with the Hurons and other tribes to the north, they began sending out raiding parties north from the Mohawk River to take furs from anyone they encountered. It was during this unsettling period that Cornelis met and married his Mohawk Wife, Ots-toch. Tradition stats that Cornelis and Ots-toch were married in a Mohawk ceremony at Canajoharie (one of five Mohawk "castles", or villages), and it is known that Ots-toch lived there with their children, as was in keeping with Mohawk custom, where a wife stayed with her family after marriage, bringing her husband to live with her.  Cornelis took no other wife, and remained faithful to Ots-toch all of his life. Because of his relationship with her, he was adopted into the Mohawk Tribe, and they deeded land to him, and also to his sons Marten and Jacques Cornelise. Cornelis was well-respected and admired by both whites and natives.

From 1639 to 1641 Cornelis was one of 3 men appointed to manage the -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----Colony's affairs.  In 1640, he is mentioned as living part of the time on a tract of land given him by the Mohawks at the site of their old village at Cohoe Falls. In 1646 Director Kieft of the Manhattens gave him a patent for land at Catskill in recognition of his services as peacemaker with the Indians and also for his influence in obtaining the release of some white men held captive by them.  In 1650 he and 3 others were chosen to go with Arent Van Curler on an important mission into "maquas County", and act as an ambassador to the Mohawks, renewing old friendships and ensuring peace.  The mission was successful.

Between 1643 and 1648 Cornelis spent much of his time at Manhatten, as interpreter and negotiater with the natives. His absence did not set well with the authorities, and the Secretary of Rensselaerwyck, Antony de Hooges, wrote to him in 1646, urging him to "come up the river to see how the harvest proceeds." Van Rensselaer was also unhappy about the time not spent on his accounts, and also feeling that Cornelis was siding with the farmers instead of with the colony administrators, in disputes over fees and rents.

In 1651 2 farms were listed as used by Cornelis Van Breuckelen and Cornelis Teunesse van Breaueken. When Cornelis left Rensselaerswyck in 1661 he was charged back rent of over 4000 florin, but he refused to pay, claiming that he owned the farm.  When a deed was drawn up on July 18, 1661, between the Mohawks and Arent Van Curler as representative of the settlers, and 15 men from Rensselaerwyck - among then Cornelis and his son Jacques Cornelis - became the 1st settlers of Schnectady, Cornelis being the seventh proprietor.