Early History of the Vandergrift/Vandegrift Family (from Holland to Pennsylvania)
1st Generation:
Lenaert Evertse Van Der Grift (Thomas, p. 7) of Amsterdam, Holland, married Maritjen Pauwels. Their children were:
Paulus Leendertsen
Van Der Grift
Jacob Leendertsen
Van Der Grift, baptized 23 Oct 1622.
The following regarding the 1st & 2nd generations is from the Vandegrift
CD, assembled by Robert Vandegrift over 40 + years of genealogy research . It may be obtained from Vandegrift Research, 797
S., 350 W., Bountiful, Ut. 84010.
A letter from Peter Vandegrift (to Robert Vandegrift) answered
the question about where the original Van der Grifts actually came from because old family group sheets indicated they came
from Amsterdam and later the village of Charlois was cited as their origin. I
believe Pete’s letter clears it up.
Peter writes:
“I have never really found a reputable source for anyone in our family line beyond Evertsz Lenert. My friends, Ger van der Most, Willem Timmer and I visited the Amsterdam Archives (Gemeentearchief Amsterdam)
and found the birth record (23 Oct 1620) of Jacob, first in the fiche (40-186) which was copied from the Oude Kerk records
p 306-323. Lenaert Evertsen’s marriage was found on fiche 414-84 and the
original bound pages in document Archief Nr. 5001 bottom of page 84. That was
awesome, the actual parchment pages of the old church records. Took special permission
to visit the vault area and it was strictly a white glove thing”.
Ger translated from
Dutch:
“Lenaert Evertsen
van Saarlois kaasmaker oud 22 Jaren wonende op de Leidse hof geassist (.......) zijn vader ter ener zijde Maritje Pauwelse
van Aken oud 29 jaren wonende aan de oude zijds achterburgwal geen ouders hebbende ter andere zijde,” which means: Lenaert
Evertsen from Saarlois, cheesemaker, 22 years old, living at the Leidsehof, assisted byh (.....unreadable.....) His
father on the one hand, Maritje Pauwelse, old 29 years, from Aachen, living at the Oudezijdsachterburgwal, no parents left
on the other hand.”
Peter writes: “I
have a xerox of the above with no father’s name that can be discerned. Totally
frustrating, especially because of all the other people who claim our ancestry going to Evert Antonisz and beyond, no documentation
is offered”.
Ger wrote that Antonis
supposedly born ca 1540 was found in the ‘Official Registers’ of Amsterdam; known indirectly from the patronimicum
of his son; Evert Antonisz assists his son at his 13 June 1609 marriage in Amsterdam.
He is also present as a witness when Lenaerts first child is baptized.
2nd Generation:
Jacob Leendertsen Van Der Grift (Thomas, p. 10) was baptized 23 Oct
1622 in Amsterdam by his parents Lenaert Evertse Van Der Grift & Maritjen Pauwels of Amsterdam, Holland. He & his
brother Paulus came to New Amsterdam around 1647. Paulus returned to Holland in 1671. Jacob married Rebecca Frederickse on
19 Jul 1648 (Reformed Dutch Church). In 1686 he was living at Newton, Long Island. His widow & children moved to Bensalem,
Bucks, Pa. in 1697. Their children (all baptized at the Reformed Dutch Church in New Amsterdam) were:
Marritje, baptized
29 Aug 1649
Christine, baptized
26 Feb 1651
Annetje, baptized
16 Mar 1653
Leendert, baptized
19 Dec 1655
Nicholas, baptized
5 May 1658
Frederick, baptized
22 May 1661
Rachel, baptized 20
Aug 1664
Johannis, baptized
26 Jun 1667
Thomas lists another
daughter, Rebecca, between Frederick & Rachel, but she doesn’t appear in the baptismal reference & she is not
mentioned in the book History of Bucks County.
3rd Generation:
Leendert Van Der Grift (Thomas, p. 15) was baptized 19 Dec 1655 (Reformed
Dutch Church) in New Amsterdam by his parents Jacob Leendertsen Van Der Grift & Rebecca Fredericks. He married Styntje
Elswaerts on 20 Nov 1678 (Reformed Dutch Church). He died before 18 Feb 1725, when his will was administered by his son Abraham.
Their children were:
Jacob, baptized 20
Sep 1679 (Reformed Dutch Church)
Christoffel, baptized
6 Aug 1681 (Reformed Dutch Church)
Rebecca, baptized
15 Dec 1683 (Reformed Dutch Church)
Abraham, baptized
4 Jul 1686 (Reformed Dutch Church)
Anneken, baptized
7 Apr 1689 (Reformed Dutch Church)
Elizabeth, baptized
8 Oct 1691 in Brooklyn
Annetje, baptized
12 Jun 1695
4th Generation:
Abraham Vandegrift (Thomas, p. 24) was baptized 4 Jul 1686 (Reformed
Dutch Church) in New Amsterdam by his parents Leendert Vandegrift & Styntje Elswaerts. He married Maritje Van Sandt on
17 Oct 1716. He was known as “Abraham by the river”. He died Mar 1748 in Bucks Co., Pa.
Their children were:
Leonard
Abraham
Garret
Christina
Mary
Jemima
5th Generation:
Abraham Vandegrift (Thomas, p. 30) was born about 1720 in Philadelphia
County to Abraham Vandegrift & Maritje Van Sandt. He was a carpenter. Wife unknown.
Their child was:
Abram Vandegrift,
born abt 1758
6th Generation:
Abram Vandegrift (Thomas, p. 40, was
able to examine a Van Sciver Family Bible & talk to some close relatives to determine the following names & dates)
was born abt 1758 to Abraham Vandegrift “the carpenter of Philadelphia County”. He married Jane Van Sciver (born
17 Mar 1759), of Beverly, N. J., about 1777. Their children were:
Charlotte, born 7
Sep 1778
Abram, born 8 Feb
1781
Jesse, born 8 Mar
1783
Jacob, born 10 Jun
1785
Mary, born 21 Feb
1788
Jeremiah, born 16
Feb 1792
Isaac, born 19 Nov
1794
7th
Generation:
Jacob
Vandegrift married Elizabeth Miller as detailed in the web page entitled "John Miller, His Children, Their Spouses
& Children".
References:
1.
Baptisms at the Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam (1639-1730),
www. altlaw.com/edball/dutchbap FHL film 17503.
2. Marriage Book of the Registration of Persons who are herein Recorded
& who were Married Here or Outside of the City of New York from 11 Dec 1639, http://olivtreegenealogy.com/index/shtml
3. Thomas, Frederick A., Vandegrift
Genealogy (abt 1912 – 1952). Available at Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wi., call no. CS71 V225 1976. Also
at Ancestry.com
4. The History of Bucks County, W. W. H. Davis, 1876, 1905.
