General Notes

[Joanne's Tree.1 GED.GED]

2  SOUR S332582
3  DATA
4  TEXT Date of Import: 14 Jan 2004


[daveanthes.FTW]

OCCU
Hans Kierstede originated in Madgeburg, Germany, born there circa 1612. He fledthat city to Holland after its sack by Count Tilly in the Thirty Years War. He
arrived in New Amsterdam with the first governor, Governor Kieft, in 1638 as a
surgeon in the employ of the Dutch West India Company. He left this service in
1644 and opened a private practice. In 1647 he was made a Proprietor of New Am
terdam and in 1664 he signed the Remonstrance against the surrender of New Ams
erdam to the English. Hans came from Holland in 1638 with Governor Kieft. He w
s the first physician and surgeon to settle in New York. One vignette about li
e in those early days : Captain John Underhill (a notorious ruffian, a soldier
of fortune) was dismissed by Gov. Kieft as commander of the military and in th
hard winter of 1664/65 smashed the door of Dr. Hans Kierstede's house where t
e good doctor was entertaining Domine Bogardus and some other Dutch people. Un
erhill swept the table clean with his sword and threatened the guests. He told
the Domine to clear out ".... for I shall strike at random...." He was calmed
own somehow and later a formal complaint was issued and Underhill left New Ams
erdam. See Probate Records by Anjou II, page 165 for will.