General Notes

Occupation: Farmer, fur trader in Beverwyck, or Fort Orange (now Albany, NY)
Religion: Reformed Dutch Church of New Netherland

Name originally spelled "op de DIJK" or "op den DIJK" in Holland. Spelled "OPPEDIJK" by some families living there when the Op Dyck Genealogy was published in 1889. There are no people with any variant of the name presently in Elburg.


REGARDING THE ANCESTRY OF LOURIS JANSEN OPDYCK:
As to Louris Jansen Opdyck's ancestry, nothing is known for certain other than his father was Jan op Dyck, but the Op Dyck Genealogy by Charles Wilson Opdyke supplies us with a chart of POSSIBLE ancestors; people of the name who lived for many generations in the Elburg, Gelderland area of the Netherlands, where our Louris was from. Below are his findings (rather the findings of Opdyke's researcher in Europe, Leonard Eckstein Opdycke), arranged in chart form showing the probable generations of the persons described. The dates in brackets reflect the EARLIEST and LATEST mention of that person in the Elburg records.

GENERATION 1:
-Albert op den Dyck (1355)

GENERATION 2:
-Herman op den Dyck (1402, 1419 - called son of Albert op den Dyck)
-Wolter op den Dyck (1387, 1420)

GENERATION 3:
-Henric op den Dyck (1425, 1453)
-Albert op den Dyck (1419, 1481)

GENERATION 4:
Three sons of Albert of generation 3:
-Herman op den Dyck, died 1497
-Gherit van Helle (1484, 1501)
-Nyel op den Dyck

GENERATION 5:
-Wolter op den Dyck (1542, 1559)
-Henric Dyck (1559)

GENERATION 6:
-Albert Dyck, died 1600
-Jan Dyck

GENERATION 7:
-Johan Louwrensen, born 1540 - possible father of LOURIS JANSEN OP DYCK
-Jan Lauren 'Laeven' Dyck (1636) - possible father of LOURIS JANSEN OP DYCK
-Gert Dyck (1617)
-Bernard Dyck (1603, 1617)
-Deric Jansen Dyck, died 1651

GENERATION 8:
-Louwre Jansen (1635).
It is quite possible that this is our LOURIS JANSEN OP DYCK, born 1606 who emigrated to New Netherland. We know from the patronymic form of his name "Jansen" that his father's name was definitely JAN or JOHAN (see Johan and Jan in 7th generation). Louwre Jansen baptised a daughter METTE in the Elburg church December 10, 1635 according to the baptism records of that church.

-Aert Dyck (1637, 1644)

Probable sons of Bernard Dyck of generation 7 -
-Henric Dyck (1636)
-Albert Dyck (1596, 1631)

Sons of Deric Jansen Dyck of generation 7 -
-Jan Dyck (1639, 1652)
-Egbert Dyck, died 1651



REGARDING THE DATE AND LOCATION OF LOURIS JANSEN OPDYCK'S BIRTH:
This information received July 31, 1999 from my friend Willem Rabbelier from Holland through the Dutch Colonies Rootsweb Mail List:

In the book:
DE NIEUWE WERELD VAN PETER STUYVESANT
Lucas Ligtenberg
Uitgeverij Balans, 1999
ISBN 90 5018 426 x

on page 282:
"Lourens Janszen van op de Zuiderzeedijk in Elburg (according to archives he himself stated to be born in Husum, Schleswig Holstein 1606), married to Styntje (Christina); lived in 1650 in Rensselaerswijck, owning land opposite Fort Orange. Bought some land later in Gravesend. His family moved to Dutch Kills ('kill' means 'stream' in Dutch), now Queens, and later to New Jersey, together with the Anderson (Andriessen) family".

This book however (in my opinion) cannot compete with the first book mentioned. Although the writer lists an impressive list of works he consulted, he never gives sources to the facts he delivers.


Another book:
HET BOEK RINNERING
Dirk Vellenga
Uitgeverij Conserve, 1994
ISBN 90 5429 035 8

on page 94:
"Louris Jansen, born at the Zuiderzeedijk in Elburg, who worked at the farm of Adriaen Huyberts in Rensselaerswijck in 1650. The same year he got/purchased(?) a kitchen-garden next to the land of Sander Leenderts Glen (a Scot), not far from the 'Hoogeberch, opposite Fort Orange. At that time in possession of three sons and three daughters and a wife Christina, commonly referred to as 'Stientje'".



REGARDING THE IDENTITY OF LOURIS JANSEN'S WIFE:
September 21, 1999 I received an email from David M. Riker, chairman of the Holland Society in answer to my query regarding the parents of Louris Jansen Opdyck's wife. He shared the following:

"When John H. Updike, ( the writer) joined the Holland Society in 1990, I
sent him information showing his ancestor was in Rensselaerswyck near
Albany in January 1650. John H. Updike's grandfather is in the OpDyke (sic)
Genealogy and he sent his birth certificate and his father's to link into
the genealogy. His wife's name was Stijntje Pieters which means
Christina, daughter of a Peter somebody" This information is in the Van
Rensselaer Bowier Manuscripts and on page 41 of abstracts made by A.J.F.
Van Laer, called "Settlers of Rensselaerswyck". We know where Gysbert Op
dyke came from but there is no connection with Laurens Janszen so we do
not know his origin. Both Laurens (Louwris) and Stijntje were using
patronymic names."