Pieter Wolfersen Van Gouwenhoven

Schepen in 1653, 1654, 1658, 1659, 1661, 1663

This citizen came to New Amsterdam as early6 as the year 1633, the population of the town then numbering about two hundred and fifty. He engaged in mercantile pursuits in company with his brother Jacob, who was also a miller, a considerable trade being then carried on in flour, which was bolted in windmills.

 Jacob Van Couwenhoven became embarrassed in some private speculation, and his brother separated his business connection. The property of Jacob was sold, consisting, in part, of a good stone dwelling and mill. Pieter continued his mercantile pursuits, and also engaged in brewing, then a profitable business. The merchants of those times did not confine themselves to any particular branch of trade, but dealt in every kind of merchandize. They raised their own poultry and pork. We find in the court records a neighbor complaining of Pieter Van Couwenhoven, that he sold him a hog that was meazled. The defendant answered that it was a
fair trade, that he told the plaintiff at the time of the bargain, upon killing the animal he would return the money for "two pots of beer," meaning a friendly treat.

Van Couwenhoven was on several occasions called upon to join military expeditions against the Indians. It happened in the year 1663 that the Dutch settlers at the "Esopus" (now Kingston) were set upon by a large band of savages. The male portion of the settlers had gone out to their accustomed field labors, when a number of savages entered the Dutch village in a careless
manner, sauntering among the habitations. Soon after they sounded their war-whoop, and began to kill or take captive the women and children. Many of the men were also killed in the fields; the total loss being seventy__twenty-five killed, forty-five taken captive; twelve dwellings, being every house, excepting one, occupied as a mill, were destroyed.

The news of this disaster coming to New Amsterdam, Governor Stuyvesant dispatched a company under the command of Martin Krigier, as captain, and Van Couwenhoven as his lieutenant to retaliate upon the savages. The company, consisting of two hundred and ten men (forty-one of whom were Indians,) commenced their march from Esopus late in the afternoon arose, and commenced their march again; but the country being wild, they could not proceed by night. The day being come, they marched forwards, felling trees to cross streams (for they had wagons and a cannon with them.) With great difficulty they proceeded about twenty-four miles, and came within four miles of the Indian fort, to which all the captives had been taken. Van Couwenhoven was sent forward with one hundred and sixteen men to surprise the fort; but when he arrived, the Indians had decamped, and gone into the mountains with their captives. The fort was taken, and Couwenhoven continued in pursuit; but when he reached the Indian camp, in the hills, he found it unoccupied. Finding it useless to continue the pursuit, the Dutch returned to Esopus, after burning all the Indian stores of maize, and beans, and grain growing in the fields.

The company then marched against another Indian fort, about thirty-six miles south-west of Esopus. This they were so fortunate as to surprise before the savages had notice of their approach. The savages retreated across a creek which ran close to their fort. On the opposite side they rallied. The Dutch pursued them across the stream, where a fight took place, in which the savages were defeated, losing their chief, Popogunachen, fourteen warriors, four squaws, and three children, as they were counted lying dead on both sides of the creek. The Dutch loss was three killed and six wounded. Fourteen Indians, unable either to fight or run, were taken prisoners, and led off by the Dutch. One very old man, after traveling half a mile, refused to go further from his home; "whereupon," says the official dispatch, "we took him a little aside, and gave him his last meal."

Pieter Van Couwenhoven, in 1665, lost his wife, who was buried in this city. He became involved in some pecuniary embarrassment, and also was soured in temper by some adverse decisions in suits in which he was a party. For some expressions derogatory to the character of the court he was imprisoned in this city and fined. He afterward occupied, principally, his farm-house at Elizabethtown, New Jersey. His house in this city was in Pearl street, near Whitehall. Many descendants of this family of Van Couwenhoven are now living in this State and in New Jersey.

Jacob Strycker

Schepen in 1655, 1656, 1658, 1660, 1663

This magistrate was a respectable farmer and trader, a man of property and standing. The family of Striker in this city, at the present day, is descended from this citizen of New Amsterdam.

Allard Anthony

Schepen in 1653. Burgomaster in 1655, 1656, 1657, 1660, 1661. Schout (Sheriff) in 1663, 1665, 1666, 1671, 1672, 1673.

This burgher, who was a prominent citizen of New Amsterdam, was a merchant. He lived in Pearl, near Broad street. His trade consisted in part in traffic with Holland, where he was connected with some mercantile houses. He is frequently found as the consignee of ships from the father-land. He besides engaged in retail trade in all branches. Thus, he sells to one Jan Van
Cleef, in 1660, a hanger, for which Van Cleef agrees to pay "as much buckwheat as Anthony's fowls will eat in six months." He likewise raises his own pork, as we find his wife complaining in 1668, that certain negroes killed some of her pigs. Anthony had a farm near the city on this island.

The first mention of his name in the records is in 1652. He is found an active citizen in 1677 and is believed to have died in this city. Many of the name being now resident here.

At the time of Peter Stuyvesant's administration, there were no lawyers in this city. Each citizen stated his own case to the Court of Burgomasters and Schepens, which was also composed of citizens unversed in law.

Allard Anthony was a persevering and successful litigant. It seems most others were afraid to meet him in legal disputes. He is found to have kept several vessels sometime behind their day of sailing by involving their captains in law-suits. He is believed to have been a wealthy citizen at the time of his death.

Timotheus Gabry

Schepen in 1660, 1661, 1662, 1664.

Timotheus Gabry was, before establishing (1658) his residence in this city, Secretary of the Dutch colony on Delaware Bay. He removed thence to this city, and held several official positions in the city. In 1661 he was vendue master. He was a man of good education, speaking the French language fluently. In after years (1667) he got in pecuniary difficulties, so that he was for a short period imprisoned for debt. He extricated himself from his embarrasments, however, and continued to reside in this city on the present line Pearl street, near Whitehall.

Jacobus Backer

Schepen in 1664

This citizen was a store-keeper, in a general way. He also dealt considerably with Holland, and was a man of property. In 1663, being in Holland, he was in company with Jeremias Van Rensselaer, instructed to bring the affairs of new Netherland before the authorities there. Backer kept store and resided in Broad street, (then called the Heere graaft).

Jeronimus Ebbingh

Schepen in 1659, 1661, 1673.

Mr. Ebbingh was a respectable merchant, dealing in peltries, and connected with merchants in Holland. He was accused, in 1661, of smuggling peltries, or passing them through his hands without paying duties to the West India Company. His residence in this city was in the Brouwer straat, (Brewer street,) now Stone street.

Pieter Tonneman

Schout (Sheriff) in 1661, 1663, 1664.

Mr. Tonneman was engaged in little other than official business in this city, being an employee of the West India Company, and filling several stations in a public capacity. He was schout or sheriff of the several villages on Long Island in 1654. In 1658 he is an assessor in the Company's employment. In 1661 he was designated as sheriff of this city. We find, however, that he dealt somewhat in tobacco, then an article of exportation. After the taking of the city by the English, we find no record of Pieter Tonneman. He is not supposed to have had any family resident here, nor to have left any descendants in this country.

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