VAN STEENBERGHEN

On Oct 3, 1660, Katryn Matthyssen, Daughter of Mathij Jansen Van Keulen(a Dutch Earl and a Lord-Director of the Dutch West Indies Company), married Jan Jansen Van Amesfoort at Kingston, New York. This was the first entry in the Kingston DRC register. Katryn and Jan also have the third entry in this register - the baptism of their daughter Styntje on 19 Dec, 1660(gestation periods must have been much shorter back then). They had 6 children, all christened at the Kingston Church, and all choosing later to use the surname Van Steenberghen. Although the exact reason for the change in surnames is not known, it is believed to be related to the legal troubles their father was involved in.

Jan Jansen Van Amesfoort was reputed to have a violent temper. The early records of the New Netherland/New York colony show him to be a regular at court. Many of the cases involved his drinking habits and abusive nature. Thoomas Chambers sued him for calling Thoomas' wife a whore, a hog, and a beast. Several times he appeared in court for physically abusing his wife and/or mother-in-law. Finally, in February of 1668, he was exiled from the colony, while still being required to pay the support of his family. Perhaps this is the first case of New York Alimony.

Anyone interested in the genealogy of the Van Steenberghen, Steenbergh, Stinebergh, etc family of Ulster County, New York can find the early history of this family in a book titled:

"Van Keulen / Van Keuren / Van Kuren / Van Curen

A Family History"

by

D G Van Curen

.

Although this book focuses on the Van Keuren/Van Curen family(descendants of Katryn's brother Matthys), the Van Steenberghen genealogy is covered through about 1800.

To find out more about the book, or order a copy:

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Email: vancuren53@aol.com