Jan Joosten Van Meteren

Born: Cir. 1625 in Thierlerwaardt, Gelderland, Holland
Died: 1706, New Jersey
Father: 
Mother: 

Married: Cir. 1646
Wife: Macyken Hendricksen
Born: Cir. 1625, Holland
Died: after 1706, New York

Children:

  1. Lysbeth  b. 1647

  2. Catherine b.  1650

  3. Geertje  b. 1653

  4. *Joost Jansen  b.1656

  5. Gysbert Jansen  b. 1660

    It appears possible that Macyken Henderson was the widow of Willem Crom and that the first three children are from that previous marriage.  Jan Joosten apparently adopted them though the children keep their given names of Crom.

    Jan Joosten Van Meteren immigrant ancestor of the Virginia Van Metres, arrived in New Amsterdam (New York) on the sailing vessel  "Fox", September 12, 1662.  He came from Tiederwelt, Holland, accompanied by his wife, Macyken Hendricksen (native of Meppelin, Province of Dreuth, Holland), and five children.  

    The Minnisink Indians raided and burned the villages of Hurley and Kingston on June 7, 1663, carrying away among captives, the wife and two children of Jan Joosten.  They were not rescued till ten weeks later on September 5 by a group of soldiers from New Amsterdam led by Capt. Martin Krieger.  It is believed that one of the children held was 7 year old Joost Janse.  

    Jan Joosten was prominent in civil and religious affairs of Kingston, held a minor judiciary position and was deacon in the Reformed Dutch Church.  In a list if inhabitants of Ulster County, New York, who subscribed to the oath of allegiance, due to a change in sovereignty of the country, between October 21st and 26th, 1664, the name of Jan Joosten appears among them.  Jan Joosten then appears in a land record for the deed of a 30 acre lot in Marbletown, dated March 20th, 1671.  On October 6, 1673 Jan Joosten was selected as one of four magistrates of Hurley and Marbletown to supervise the merging of the village of Niew-Dorp into those of Hurley and Marbletown under English rule.  He was required once again to swear allegiance to the English on September 1, 1689.

    Jan Joosten on October 18, 1695 jointly bought a East Jersey 500 acre plantation at Lassa Point on the Delaware River, near the present city of Burlington, New Jersey.  Next on September 13, 1700 he bought 4 parcels of land totaling  1835 acres on the South Branch of the Raritan River, in the neighborhood of the present city of Somerville, New Jersey.  

    His will, filed with an inventory of his personal property in the Burlington County Surrogate's Office, dated June 13, 1706, was written in Dutch.  It reads "Macyken Hendrickson shall retain full possession of the estate.  She consents that the survivor shall possess everything, lands, houses, personal property, money, gold, silver -- coined or uncoined.  After their decease the property is to be inherited by their children -- Jooste to have one-half the entire estate first.  Jooste and Gysbert to have the land at Marbletown -- Joost one-half and then other half to be divided between them.  Geertje to have the land at Wassemaker's land.  Children of Lysbeth, deceased, to have their portion in money from the other children."