Christophel Hoaghlandt

Schepen in 1664, 1674. Alderman in 1668, 1678.

Mr. Hoaghlandt was a highly respectable citizen and a man of property. He resided on the corner of Pearl and Broad streets.

Jacques Cosseau

Schepen in 1662, 1663, 1665.

Mr. Cosseau was a Frenchman by birth, who emigrated to this place in the Huguenot troubles. He was a general store-keeper, but dealing principally in liquors and wines. His place of business being in Pearl street, near Broad street, he dealt in the retail as well as wholesale liquor business. This being profitable, Mr. Cosseau prospered in circumstances, and at one period was so much in advance in pecuniary means, as to be able to offer a loan of one thousand florins toward expense of defending the city against the English, a sum four times as much as was offered by any other citizen. IN 1664 he was one of the commissioners on the part of the Dutch, for settling the terms of capitulation of the city to the English. Cosseau became embarrassed in after years, his property being heavily mortgaged to Frederick Philipse.* He, however, succeeded in releasing himself, and lived many years subsequently in this city.

Isaac De Foreest

Schepen in 1658

This citizen, who was one of the earliest emigrants to New Amsterdam, was a Huguenot. He arrived here about the year 1635. He commenced trade in liquors, wholesale and retail, in what was afterward known as the "Brouwer straat," now Stone street. He afterward became a large holder of real estate in the city and adjacent. He died about the year 1675, leaving his widow, Sarah, who continued for some years after to reside in this city. There are numerous descendents of Isaac De Foreest now in this state.

Hendrick Jansen Vandervin

Schepin in 1657, 1659.

This gentleman was a merchant of respectability, residing in Pearl, near Whitehall street. He was living as late as 1677

Govert Loockermans

Schepen in 1657, 1660

This burgher came to the city of New Amsterdam in the year 1633. He was at that time a youth of intelligence, and was taken into the office of the West India Company as clerk. He shortly after retired from public employment, and embarked in trade between New Amsterdam (New York) and Fort Orange (Albany). He navigated the Hudson in his own sloop of which he was, for a time, commander. He was one of the earliest if not the first captain of a regular line between New York and Albany. The principal down freight was peltries or furs. The up freight consisting of goods for the settlers at Albany, and for the Indian trade. The country then, between the two cities was a wilderness, without a Christian habitation in its whole extent.

Loockermans, by this sort of life, became acquainted with the Indian tongue, and was one of the few Dutch people who could trade with the Indians in their own language. He gathered, by his intercourse with the natives, the deepest contempt for their character, and was always one of the foremost in visiting destruction upon the race with every opportunity. His first exploit recorded is that of personally butchering a Raritan chief whom he had taken prisoner in 1640.

In 1642, a party of Mohawks, who were the terror of, and dread of neighboring tribes, came down upon the Hackinsacks and Tappan Indians for the purpose of levying tribute. It was in the midst of winter, and the destitute Indians, who were assailed, fled to New Amsterdam to seek the protection of their civilized neighbors. There were three or four hundred in number men, women and children, and half dead with hunger and cold, they presented themselves at the houses of the Dutch. They were hospitably received and provided for during fourteen days. They received information that many of their tribe, left behind in the flight, were destroyed. Grief now lent distraction to their terrors, and they fled again, scattering themselves through the country. A large number afterward congregated at Pavonia, under the protecting care of a large force of Hackinsack warriors, others pitched their camp at "Rechtanck," now called Corlaer's Hook. From some unexplained reason, these poor fugitives became objects of distrust to the Dutch. Suffice it to say, that on the night of the 23d February, 1643, a party of volunteers from the town, under the command of Maryn Adriensen and Govert Loockermans, fell upon the camp at Corlaer's Hook, with sword in hand. They returned to New Amsterdam with thirty heads of the natives, which were kicked about the town. At Pavonia another party of Dutch committed still greater slaughter on the same night. An eye witness says, "I remained that night at Governor Kiefts', and took a seat near the fire in the kitchen. At midnight I heard loud shrieks, and went out on the parapet of the fort. I saw the flashing of the guns, but heard no more the cries of the Indians."

Loockermans, while going up the river in his vessel, in 1644, was shot at from an island near Albany, on account of some dispute with the inhabitants of Renselaenoyck.

Loockermans extended his trade so as to import goods from Holland to carry on his Indian trade. These consisted of guns, ammunition, rum, & c. The government forbid the trade of these articles, above enumerated, with the Indians and such as could be seized were confiscated. Loockermans' interests and those of the government were so conflicting, and his acts were so much in opposition to the government, that he was sentenced to be banished in 1651, but the sentence was not enforced.

In 1658 Loockermans was called upon, from his acquaintance with the Hudson river Indians, to accompany Stuyvesant to the Esopus (Kingston,) to persuade the Indians to sell their lands. While there they set about building a fort, and being so engaged, discovered a body of savages approaching. A parley was demanded by the savages. "They came, they said, to request the Governor to accept the land on which he had commenced his settlement, as a free gift. They gave it to grease his feet after so long and painful a journey to visit them."

The place of residence of Loockermans, in this city, is described in the deed of the property, when purchased by him in 1642, as follows: "A dwelling house and lot situated on the East river, on Manhattan island, beginning at a brook of fresh water emptying into the East river, till to the farm of Cornelius Van Tienhoven, whose palisades extend from the long highway toward the East river, as may be seen by the marks by him made, bordering on the aforesaid land, from the fence till to the great tree." Citizens of the present day would not recognize, in this description, the neighborhood of Hanover square.

Loockermans, besides his extensive trading and shipping operations, carried on an extensive brewery at the place of his residence in Pearl street. He died in the winter of 1670, then the richest man in the colony. His widow Maria Jansen, survived him, and died in 1677. He had by her five children, Elsje, Cornelis, Jacob, Johanna and Marritye.

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