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Archiver > Dutch-Colonies > 2004-04 > 1082513280


From: Iris <>
Subject: Re: [D-Col] Reformed Church - "marriage with permission"
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 22:08:20 -0400
References: <00b601c4266d$a294fba0$d8a14b0c@ddg>
In-Reply-To: <00b601c4266d$a294fba0$d8a14b0c@ddg>


Regina wonders why two couples sought permission from by Dominee Selyns
of the RDC to marry.

Thanks to the expertise of Howard and others, we have several citations
to help understand the reasons for this.
But I think there may be more to it.
Take a good look at the surnames and places of residence given in the
records found by Regina:

> 1688 10 Aug; Willem Depuy, jm van Boswyck; Lysbeth Weyt, jd van de
> Barbadas, d' Eerste wonende op Mernach, en twede tot Kichtewang.
> Vertoog Verleent. Om te trouwen tot Kichtewang
>
> 1689 den 2 Febr. Robbert Willemszen, j. m. uyt oudt Engelant, en
> Grees Cerant, Wede Van Jan Beesly, beyde wonende op Kigtuangs punt.
> den 19 Febr.
>
> toegelaten on te trouwen. * *Permitted to marry at Kigtuanga point
> Records of Dominie Selyns at the Manhattan church.

Looking at the names and birthplaces, we can fairly surmise that Wm.
DePuy and perhaps Grees (Grace) Cerant have French surnames; could be
Huguenot or Walloon. We do know from Regina's record here that Robbert
Willemszen was English. And although Lysbeth Weyt came from Barbadoes,
she might also be English (Elizabeth "White" ?? --with the old Dutch 'Y'
replacing the long 'J' sound in the surname.).

Also, after the English siezed control of the colonies, they made a law
"allowing" churches other than the English church to remain, providing
the concregations paid their ministers themselves. That is, the Church
of England was now the "official" church, but the English wisely but
grudgingly allowed the religious freedom that had been established on
this continent to remain in effect. At that point, the RDC had became
one of several denominations of churches in the colony "allowed" by the
English to remain in operation, provided that the congregations
themselves paid their ministers. This was a political as well as a a
religious polarization. So, these permissions to marry at can also be a
result of the the English takeover of the colonies in 1664 and the
sentiments surrounding that issue. These marriages occurred only one
generation after the English siezed the colony here. The seeds of the
Revolutionary War were already sown and growing.
It seems to me that if Willem DePuy and/or Lysbeth Weyt and that Robbert
Willemszen and/or Grees (Cerant) Beesley, widow of Jan Beesley were NOT
members of an RDC congregation, they might request permission to marry
"in" the RDC. Perhaps these two couples preferred to register their
marriages in the RDC because they wished to align with the Dutch, rather
than with the English. Thus the "special" nature of thie "toegelaten on
te trouwen."

And there's the question of the distance from a church. Since Sleepy
Hollow Church was not established until 1697 (Thank you, Regina), it is
possible that these couples applied to the Dominee Selyns to recognize
their marriages after the fact, as many couples in outlying areas often
did.

A search of baptismal records from churches other than RDC might turn up
some of these names, and the names of the parents.
A lucky hit in a search of Ship's Lists may find Robbert, son of Willem.


Last, may I point out that there is a place name in New Jersey that
exactly matches the surname BEESLEY, above. It is "Beesley's Point,"
near Marmora in Upper Township, at the tip of Cape May County, New
Jersey. This is at the south side of the outlet of Great Egg Harbor,
which is oppositte the island of Ocean City (NJ), the island just south
of Atlantic City. The Great Egg Harbor River cuts almost completely
across New Jersey. It begins near Albion and Berlin, New Jersey (Camden
County), less than 30 miles from the Delaware River (South River).

Upper Township of Cape May County was at one time comprised
predominantly of Quaker families.

A Revolutionary patriot, John Beesley, was captured by the British and
interrogated by General Clinton of the British. A brief mention of this
patriot may be found here:

www.south*jersey**new*s.com/issues/june/f061903a.htm


Best from Liz

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