of Fort Orange
Lambert Jochemse van Valckenburch
of Fort Orange
(Present day Albany, New York)
From The Washington Ancestry and Records of the McClain, Johnson and Forty Other Colonial American Families
Prepared for Edward Lee McClain by Charles Arthur Hoppin. Greenfield, Ohio - Privately Printed 1932
The earliest record of the presence at Fort Orange (Albany) of Lambert van Valckenburch is dated March 7, 1652, in the proceeding of the court of Rensselaerswyck, when Claes Jansz,, from Bockhoven, also recorded as Claes de Braebander, Holland, was summoned to court for having, out of spite against Director Van Slichtenhorst, caused his servant to haul wood for Lambert van Valckenburch, contrary to the ordinances.
[Van Rensselaer-Bowier MSS., p. 843.] In the appendix to a letter, dated January 15, 1653, from the directors of the West India Company, at the Chamber at Amsterdam, Holland, to the "High and Mighty Lords, the States General," and containing complaints against the patroon and directors of the colony of Rensselaerswyckin the province of New Netherland occurs the complaint that the patroon and directors, "forbid, even on pain of corporal punishment, any wood to be cut or hauled for those at Fort Orange, and a certain man named Claes Jansen of Boeckhoven was by great favor amerced in a fine of fifty guilders solely because he had carted some firewood for one Lambert van Valckenburg, an inhabitant of the aforesaid Fort."
[Transcripts of Documents in the Royal Archives at the Hague and in the Stadhays of the City of Amsterdam, Holland, Documents VII. Documents Relative to the Colonial History of New
York, 7,525.]
Lambert himself was summoned on Tuesday, March 31, 1654 (translation):
It is resolved to have Lambert van Valckenburgh summoned to appear in court on account of the things done or committed by him last Wednesday two weeks ago at the house of Gerrit Jansz from Swoll, together with the witnesses who were present. . . .Tuesday, April 28, 1654.. . . . Gerrit Jansz from Swoll being summoned by the court to give testimony to the truth in regard to the dispute which took place at his house between Andries Herpertsen and Lambert van Valcken-borgh at the time of the departure of the Hon. General, the defendant's second default [is entered against him].
The Honorable General seems to have been Slichtenhorst who, after contending against Peter Stuyvesant, was obliged to return to Holland. What occasioned the controversy does not appear. If Lambert was defending Stuyvesant, who had granted to him the land beside Fort Amsterdam in 1647 and the farm of forty-eight acres in 1649) it would not be unique, because Stu/vesant's authority over Fort Orange and the colony of Rensselaerswyck, while not to be challenged successfully, were not always relished by some of the inhabitants there.
[Minutes of the Court, of Fort Orange and Rensselaerswyck pp. 131,136.] As "Lammert van Valckenborgh," he witnessed on August 31, 1654, at Fort Orange the declaration of Jan Labatie; five days later his name appears in the text of a declaration by "the honorable William Janse Stoll" (alias Hap) as "Lammert Van Valckenbergh"; and at the end of that declaration, where he "made his mark" as a witness, his name appears, as written by Joannes Dyckman, commissary at Fort Orange, "Lemmert Van den Bergh"; he is also named in the deed of sale of a house by Jan Labatie to Adriaen Janse (Appel) van Leyden, on November 11, 1654, as "Lambert Van Valckenborgh."
[Early Records of the City and County of Albany, pp. J, 199, 204, 212, 223.] The translator and editor of the Dutch Van Rensselaer-Bowier Manuscrifts renders the name (pp. 843, 845) "Lambert van Valckenburch," which form may be accepted as the Dutch ancient spelling.
The court of Fort Orange and the village of Beverwyck were erected on April 10, 1652, by the order of Peter Stuyvesant. At the session of this court of August 26, 1652, the minutes read (translation) : "Adriaen Jansz from Leyden, plaintiff, against Lambert van Valckenburgh, defendant, for the sum of fl. 535 in beavers." At the session of October 17, 1656 (translation): "Gossen Gerritsen, plaintiff, against Lambert van Volckenborch, defendant. Owing to nonappearance of the defendant, default is entered against him." At the session of Tuesday, October 20, 1654 (translation): "Lambert van Valckenburgh has requested to have a lot. Postponed until the drawing of lots."
As an officer of the law, serving in a company for the preservation of law and order and in general defense of the community, Lambert testified at the court of Tuesday, February 8, 1656, viz. (translation) :
interrogatories upon which, at the request of Johan de Deckere, commissary and officer here, is to be heard and examined 'Lambert van Valckenburch, sergeant of the burgher company, being summoned by the court to give testimony.
Whether he, the witness, yesterday, a week ago, in the evening, was not molested on the public highway because he, a sergeant, by order of his captain, wanted to take one William Hap to the guard house? Answer, Yes.
Who the aforesaid persons were and how many of them? [Answer] Declares that he saw but one person, without knowing who he was or being acquainted with him, only, that he heard that it must have been a certain tailor, the brother-in-law of Dirk Bentsingh. Whether he, or they, did not come for him with bare knives, intending to attack him, in order to wrest the said Hap from his hands? [answer] Declares that the aforesaid person did as stated in the question.
Who else were present there, what else happened in connection with the said molestation and how the same ended? [Answer] Declares that of the persons who were present he does not know a single one and that he took the said Hap to the guard house.
At the court of October 17, 1656, a suit was entered by Gossen Gerritsen against Lambert van Valckenborch, defendant, who defaulted by not appearing.
[Minutes of the Court of Fort Orange and Beverwyck, 7, 34., 131, 136, 185, 252,292.]
On January 9, 1657, Lambert van Valckenborch brought an action against Hendrick Claessen and Gerrit Willemsen for assault, put over And at the extraordinary session of the court held at Fort Orange, June 7, 1657, by "the magistrates, of this court and the members of the court martial of the burgher guard. . . . Lambert v: Valckenborch, sergeant," is named with the magistrates, as an officer of the court, and testified "that on coming to the guard house he ordered a candle to be lit. Marten, the mason, asked Pieter Jacobsen Bosboom where the candles were? 'l do not know' Bosboom answered. Marten replied 'You stole them,' " whereupon Marten drew his sword and cut Bosboom, etc.
[I bid., II, 4.0.]
At the extraordinary session of the court held at Fort Orange, August 8, 1659, were issued the instructions to Lambert van Valckenborgh and Pieter Winnen who were appointed on July 6, 1659, to the rattle watch on condition that they were to receive for the term of one year 1,100 guilders in seawan and 100 guilders in beavers. They served from 9.00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., "giving notice of their presence in all the streets of the village of Beverwyck by sounding their rattle and calling [out the hour] and this every hour of the night," and also instructed as
to dealing with fires and thieves, and were not to be held accountable for injuries they might inflict upon any person who resisted arrest. [Ibid., II, 209.]
At Fort Orange, on July 28, 1658, Lambert appointed as his attorney the Honorable Govert Loockermans to receive of Jan Dircksen alias de Schreder three and a half beavers due to him for house rent.
[Albany County, Mortgages, 1658-60, p. 330.]
September 4., 1657? Mr. Van Hamel, secretary of Rensselaerswyck, sued Lambert van Valckenburgh for loss sustained in the sale of a field of wheat on the farm of Jan Labite which he had purchased at auction, and which had to be resold for nonpayment of purchase money. Judgment for plaintiff with costs and damages of 168 florins, and 30 florins for the brandy and beer consumed at the auction.
On May 27, 1660, Lambert van Valckenburch was. a petitioner praying that Dutch as well, as Indian brokers may be employed to go into the woods to trade with the Indians. The court declared the petition to be of dangerous consequences, and, after hearing complaints from Indians who had been ill treated by Dutch traders, denied the petition.
[Fort Orange Records, XVI, Part II, 33, 110; Part III, 169.] At the court of July 13, 1660, he complains against the wife of Evert, the baker, for having in the absence of himself and his wife, entered his house and removed personal property. The court orders the defendant to restore the goods. At the same court Daniel Verveelen secured a judgment against Lambert for twenty guilders in beavers. Govert Loockermans entered a suit against Lambert van Valckenborch on July 2, 1658; Albert Gysbertsen sued him on October 28, l659, for a reason not recorded; and on September 1, 1660, Adriaen van Ilpendam obtained a judgment against him of six florins in beavers, the defendant's wife, appearing, admitted the debt.
[Minutes of the Court of Fort Orange and Beverwyck, II, 123-225-277, 295.]
A petition is presented by Lambert van Valckenburch, praying for a small lot on the hill. Answer given by way of apostil that there is no room there and that the space is reserved for a passage way, but if he wishes to have a lot laid out along the street, toward the north, the honorable magistrates will favor him therewith.
[Minutes of the Court of Albany, Rensselaerswyck and Schenectady, 1, 170.]
In May, 1671, Lambert van Valckenburgh is mentioned in a contract of sale of a house and two lots, as residing in Albany on the Pleyn, next to the Rev. Jacobus Fabricius, the first duly authorized Lutheran minister in the province. [Notarial Papers, Albany
County, I and II, 133.]
The last record noted of Lambert van Valckenburch is that in the minutes of "an Extraordinary Court holden at Albany 6 Augst. 1683," when he subscribed one florin toward the expenses of paying for the maintenance of Domine Godefridus Dellius. He was not living in 1697, and no record appears of the settlement of his estate. His widow, Annatie, died September 17, 1704, at Albany. This statement as to his and her death is given at page 134 of Pearsons' Genealogies of the First Settlers of Albany. They had three children of present record, two baptized at the Dutch Reformed Church inside of Fort Amsterdam, Manhattan, behind the house of their parents:
1646. 4 Nov. ouders Lambert Van Valckenburg-Kinders, Jochem. Getuygen, Marten cregier, Jan Hartman, Lijntie Jochems. [Doop-Boeck, 267.]
1652, 21 July Ouders, Lambert Van Valckenberg-Kinders, Lambert-Getuygen, Jochem Beeckman, Trijntie Van Campen. [Doop-Boeck, 283.]
RACHEL LAMBERTSE VAN VALCKENBURCH, the third child, was born after the removal of her parents to Beverwyck, where they first became of record in 1652. Her baptism in the Dutch Reformed Church there is not now of record, because all the records of marriages, baptisms, and burials of this church, prior to August 5, 1683, are lost. That she was born there by 1660 is indicated by the fact that she married Jan Redcliff. She is fully identified in the record of the baptism of two of her children, one of which was named for her father, Lambert van Valckenburch, after his death:
1691. Sept., 6. lambert and margerite, twins of Jean Ratli and Rachel Van Valkenbork. Witnesses: Jean Gilbert, Abr. Isaaksz, Anna Abramsz, Judik Verwey.
Baptism, 1706, June 9, marGaritA John Rattelif and Rachel Van Valkenburg.Witnesses: Anna Rattelif, Jochem Van Valkenburg [brother of
Rachel].[Baptisms, Dutch Reformed Church, Albany, p. 54..] She is similarly mentioned in the records of the baptism of her other children by John Redcliff. "Jan Radcliffe (Redley etc.) . . . His wife, Rachel Lambertse Jochemse Van Valkenburgh, was a widow in 1727, and was buried April 7, 1748."
[Genealogies of the First Settlers of Albany, p. 90.]
Summary:
Jochem (-) = (of Holland) _______| | Lambert Jochernse van Valckenburch = Annatie (-) __________________________| | Rachel Lambertse van Valckenburch == Jan Rattelif (Redcliff)
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