Jacob Luursen

Notes:

The patronym of Jacob Luurszen (son of Luur), tells us his father's first name was Luur but the records of Wageningen do not go back far enough to tell us anything else about the father or mother of Jacob. Old Luur may have been born in the Netherlands, but he may also have been one of the many refugees pouring into the Netherlands during that time. The notation on the banns that Jacob was "from"" Wageningen means that was his last address. It is only an assumption that he was born there. (Note: Various spellings of Leur, Luur, Luyer, etc. have all been used)

The Netherlands, (popularly but incorrectly referred to as Holland) had just won its independence from longtime dominance by Spain. It was at that time a major world power. It had a large naval force, was the financial capital of the world, was, and is, one of the best educated nations in the world. The Netherlands was also a leader in democracy and the adopted home of many persecuted groups of people from other nations in Europe.

In 1609, Henry Hudson, an Englishman in the employee of the Dutch government, sailed up the river that was later to bear his name. With the success of the Dutch East Indies Company in monopolizing trade in the Far East, a Dutch West Indies Company was chartered in 1621. Their mission was not to colonize, as the English were starting to do, but to develop trade in the New World, as America was called at that time.

Jacob and his brother Urbanus Luurszen set sail around 1646(*) for New Netherland. the name used by the Dutch to refer to that section of this new land along the (Hudson) river claimed by the Netherland after Hudson's discovery. Jacob and Urbanus were in the employee of the Dutch West Indies Company according to powers of attorney made at New Amsterdam in 1647 and 1648. (*) Claes, son of Urbanus was baptised in Amsterdam on 10/01/1645. Jacob signed a Power of Attorney in New Amsterdam on 08/02/1647 for back wages from the West Indies Company.

Some researchers have assumed a Carsten (Christian) Luurszen to be a third brother of Jacob and Urbanus. This is not likely. The children of Carsten were born around 30 years later than those of Jacob and Urbanus.

Jacob soon moved his family up the (Hudson) river to Fort Orange, the oldest and largest Dutch trading post in New Netherland. Jacob first took the pledge of allegiance to the Patroon of Rensselaerswyck, then received a grant of land from Governor Stuyvesant in the newly formed village Beverwyck (now Albany, NY). Jacob's name appears often in the court records of Fort Orange, he seemed to have a penchant for getting into minor troubles. Church Deacons' records show Jacob died there in 1655.

In the Dutch Manuscripts of New York there is mention of a Corporal Jacob Luurszen receiving multiple stab wounds attempting to break up a fight in New Amsterdam. The staff of the New Netherland Project confirm that The West Indies Company maintained it's own militia and employed young civilian men as its soldiers. Since the records do not show any other Jacob Luurszen in New Netherland this must be our Jacob. Could these stab wounds have contributed to his early death (age 39)?

from: Family History Our Dutch Heritage A Research Synopsis of the Kuykendall Family: Kuykendall, Kirkendall, Cuykendall, Coykendall, etc Compiled by Gene Kuykendall, 1997 http://w3.gorge.net/forest/FAMILY%20HISTORY%20BY%20GENE.htm

Jacob married Styntie Douwes on 28 Aug 1638 in Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands. Styntie (daughter of Douwe Wiggersz and Agniete Coensen) was born on 22 Jan 1617 in Enkhuisen, North Holland, Netherlands; died after 1682 in Ulster County, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Our first known ancestor was Jacob Luurszen. Jacob was from Wageningen in the Netherlands, born around 1616. This we know from his marriage record to Stijntje Douwes at the old Dutch Reform Church (DRC) of Amsterdam in 1638. Stijntje was baptized at Enkhuisen in the Netherlands in January of 1617. Her parents were Douwe Wiggersz and Agniete Coensen.

A child Christijntje, baptized in Amsterdam on January 17, 1838, had been considered the first child of our Jacob and Stijntje. However, this should be questioned: The baptism took place seven months before our Jacob and Stijntje were married and, although the mother was a Stijntje Douwes, the father is recorded as Jacob Jansz. (Note: Emily Stowell suggests taht Christijntje might have been an illegitimate child of either Stinjntje or Stinjntje's and Jacob's...the father's name Jacob Jansz being the dutch equivalent of John Smith).

Jacob soon moved his family up the (Hudson) river to Fort Orange, and there is strong evidence that Luur had two sisters born at Fort Orange. Agniet Coens Jacobsen (named after her maternal grandmother) who married Dirck Cornelissen Keyser and Jacomyntie Jacobsen who married Thomas Van Der Merken. There are many instances of cross sponsorship at baptisms among these families. The (poorly kept) records of the first Dominie of the Fort Orange Dutch Reform Church were thrown out by his successor so there are no baptism records to verify these sisters. There is no evidence of any brothers of Luur. A Teunis Jacobsen has been suggested to be a son of Jacob and Stijntje but the evidence doesn't seem to support that.

from: Family History Our Dutch Heritage A Research Synopsis of the Kuykendall Family: Kuykendall, Kirkendall, Cuykendall, Coykendall, etc Compiled by Gene Kuykendall, 1997 http://w3.gorge.net/forest/FAMILY%20HISTORY%20BY%20GENE.htm

1. Luur Jacobsen, (Van) Kuykendall was born before 29 May 1650 in New Amsterdam, New Netherland Territory; died after 1720 in Machackemeck, Orange County, New York.