General Notes

June, 1625, Wolphert with his wife and family, arrived in New Netherlands
on the ship of the Dutch West India Company, witch sailed in the expediti
on that was comprised of the ships Mackerel, Horse, Cow, and Sheep
In 1629 Wolphert returned to the Netherlands
He was a baker and then later a bleacher ( bleaching laundry on a grassfie
ld)
Ancestral File Number:<AFN> 8VPS-DL
He was one of the founders of Nieuw Amsterdam (New York) and the found
er of our family in America. He was one of five "head farmers" first se
nt by the Dutch West India Company to Nieuw Nederland in 1625.
He immigrated between 1624 and 1625 to Nieuw Amsterdam, Nassau.  Wolfert r
eturned to the Netherlands in 1629.
Until his return to Holland in 1629, Wolfert farmed Bouwerie (farm) N
o. 3 in Nieuw Amsterdam and, through his wife, engaged in the profitable f
ur trade.
While in Holland, Wolfert signed a six year lease with the Dutch West Ind
ia Company for Bouwerie No. 6 (about 91 acres).  He also contracted with K
iliaen van Rensselar, patron of Rensselarwick (comprised of many thousan
ds of acres along the Hudson including most of present day Albany) as a fa
ctor or director and to be in charge of Bouwerie No. 7 in Nieuw Amsterda
m.  All this bore tribute to Wolfert's reputation for competence and depen
dability.
Upon his return from the Netherlands 24 May 1630 on De Eendracht (The Unit
y), Wolfert farmed Bouwerie No. 6, and for about two years served under co
ntract with Kiliaen van Rensselar. He purchased "Keskateuw" located on Lo
ng Island from the Indians.  Here was established the first known white se
ttlement on Long Island.  Wolfert called his "plantation" Achterveldt, sho
wn on the Manatu Map of Nieuw Nederland as farm No. 36 near the Indian lo
ng house to the Kestachau tribe.  Wolfert's house, surrounded by palisade
s, was the focal point of the village of Nieuw Amersfoort, later called Fl
atlands, on 30 June 1636. He got "Smal Civil Rights" on 18 April 165
7.  He died between 2 March 1662 and 24 June 1662 at Nieuw Amersfoort.
David K. Conover:
"The first reference to WOLFERT GERRITSE was when Wulphert Gerrits si
gned an agreement with his stylized 'A.'  According to the terms of that d
ocument, he agreed to assume the property and debts of the deceased paren
ts of his wife Neeltgen Jacobsdr from the other heirs for 100 guilders.  H
er brother Herman Jacobsz also signed this document, as well as her brothe
r-in-law Willem Dircz who was married to Aeltgen Jacobs Petergen Petersd
r, the underage daughter of her brother Peter Jacobsz, [who] had already r
eceived 50 guilders.
[On] April 14, 1615, Wulphert Gerritsz and his wife Neeltgen Jacobsd
ochter sold a bleach camp outside the Coppelpoort of Amersfoort to Hendri
ck Jansz and his wife Hasgen Thonis for 1,200 Carolus guilders, the occupa
tion of Wolfert is not disclosed in this document on Mar 22, 1612. In t
he settlement of the estate of Wolfert's wife in Amersfoort, it was declar
ed before the court that his profession... was baker on Aug 8, 1612 at Ame
rsfoort, Netherlands. Wolphert took part in a curious agreement with Herm
an Zieboltz of Amsterdam, before Johan van Ingen an officer of the cou
rt of Utrecht. The name of the Amsterdammer suggests that he was a Germ
an or that he was of German descent. His name is also spelled Syboelt a
nd Zyeboltz in those documents.  According to a "donatiaq iner vivos" (gi
ft to a living person) Zieboltz gave Wolphert two morgans of turf ground n
ear Cologne in recognition of services rendered (but not payment for them
).  No monetary amount is mentioned for the services or the turf groun
d.  In a second document of the same date issued by the same officer of t
he court of Utrecht, Ayeboliz made a debt owed by him by Henrick Adriane
sz and Adriaen Adriansz over to Wulpher Gerrits, baker, and Cornelis Wynan
tsz, innkeeper.  This second document authorized Wulpher Gerritss and Corn
elis Wynantsz to assume o