THE MEREDITH COLLECTION

VOLUME 1

THE BRADT/BRATT FAMILY

ELIZABETH V. MEREDITH 2009

DEAR ANCESTOR

Your ombstone stands among the rest Neglected and alone

The name and date are chiseled out Of polished marble stone

It reaches ou to all who care It is too late to mourn

You did not know that I exist You died and l was born

Yet each of us are cells of you In flesh and blood and bone

Our blood contracts and beats a pulse Entirely not our own

Dear ancestor, the place you filled Some hundred years ago

Spreads out among the ones you left Who would have loved you so I wonder if you lived and loved

I wonder if you knew That someday I would find this spot

And come and visi you.

Author unknown

Arent Andriese BRADT/BRA TT b bet 1615 and 1618-NOR d abt 1663-N NTH

Ariaantje BRADT b abt 1651-N NTH d 1717-NY

Catalina SCHERMERHORN b abt 1682-NY d bet 1707 and 1709-NY

Ariaantje WEMPLE b (bpt) 9 Nov 1707-NY d 5 Apr 1739-NY

Catalyntie de VOS b-EUR

- - - - - - -m abt 1648-N NTH

--------

d 1712-Albany/Schenectady, NY

Reyer SCHERMERHORN b (bpt) 23 Jun 1652-N NTH m Jul 1676-NY d 19 Feb 1719-NY

Johannes WEMP/WEMPLE b abt 1675-NY

-------m 15Jun 1701-NY d 14 Oct 1749-NY

Andries BRADT b (bpi) 4 Mar 1705-NY ------- m 28 Nov 1728-NY d (w.d.) 6 Apr 1748-NY

Arent/Aaron BRADT Achien/Eva Van ANTWERPEN b (bpi) 3 Sep 1732-NY b 1730-Albany/Schenectady, NY d 29 Nov 1796-Lincoln. ON, CAN - - - - - - -m 9 Feb 1755-NY

daft Jan 1797-Lincoln Co, ON

Peter BRADT Mercy BURTCH

Andries BRADT b abt 1653-N NTH d 9 Feb 1690-NY

Capl Arent BRADT b abt 1682-NY d (w.p.) 19 Nov 1770-NY

Andries BRADT b (bpt) 4 Mar 1705-NY d (w.d.) 6 Apr 1748-NY

Duplicate Line

-------

Margarita "Grietje" Van SL YCK b abt 1667-NY m abt 1682-NY d 7 Mar 1731-NY

Jannetje VROOMAN b 23 Jul 1682-NY m 14 Oct 1704-NY d-Albany/Schenectady, NY

Ariaantje WEMPLE _____ __ b (bpt) 9 Nov 1707-NY

m 28 Nov 1728-NY d 5 Apr 1739-NY

b 8 Nov 1767-NY b 8 Sep 1776-Fredericksburg? Dutchess? NY d 25 Nov 1842-Lincoln, ON, CAN - - - - - - -m 23 Jun 1792-ON, CAN

Daniel BRADT b 10 Oct 1797-Lincoln, ON, CAN d 19 Aug 1863-ON, CAN

d 13 Dec 1850-Lincoln, ON, CAN

Juliana/Julia Ann HEDDEN b abt 1800-US

- - - - - - -m abt 1819-CAN d Oct 1889-Haldimand, ON, CAN

Aaron BRADT Sarah/Sara Ann RUNCHEY b 13 May 1820-Lincoln, ON, CAN b (bpi) 6 Sep 1820-ON, CAN d 13 Oct 1899-ON. CAN - - - - - - -m abt 1844-CAN

d 19 May 1901-ON, CAN

William (B.?) BRADT Elizabeth Ann JOHNSON b 21 Jun 1853-ON, CAN _______ b 31 Aug 1848 or 1851-CAN d 19 Mar 1929-Clarence, Erie, NY m 1 Mar 1876-Buffalo? Erie? NY? (divorced)

d 9 May 1930-Erie. NY

Harry BRADT/VanBRADT· b 21 Jun 1879-ON, CAN d 20 Aug 1968-Custer. OK

Amy Fern VEERKAMP b 19 Mar 1887-Audrain, MO

- - - - - - -m 31 Jul 1922-OK (divorced)

d 24 Nov 1975-Harris, TX

Elizabeth "Lisby" Ann VanBradt

OUR LINE OF DESCENT FROM

ARENT ANDRIESSEN BRADT NORWEGIAN SETTLER IN NEW NETHERLAND

Volume 1

The BRADT/BRATT Family

!f PEoPt..c: .AG~ Yot.J TELL T~M 'rt,Ll'~E A '/l~IN6 )

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Names of direct line ancestors found in most articles and extracts have been underlined.

... a) ....

THE MEREDITH COLLECTION Elizabeth V. Meredith, 2009

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Pedigree Chart- BRADTNanBRADT No. 1 on this chart is the aame a& no. on chart no.

An asterisk following a name indic t that a es has not been proven by this compiler. ancestor

Consult t ahnentafe ending wi

he appropriate family section or the I chart for the continuation of lines

th a plus sign.

4 William (B. ?) BRADT B: 21 Jun 1853 P: Moulton Twp, Haldimand, ON, CAN M: l Mar 1876 P: Buffalo? Erie? NY? (divorced) D: 19 Mar 1929 P: Clarence, Erie, NY

2Ha BRADTNa nBRADT B: 21 Jun 1879

s Aaron BRADT B: 13 May 1820 P: Louth Twp, Lincoln, ON, CAN M: abt 1844 P: Louth Twp? Lincoln? ON, CAN D: 13 Oct 1899 P: Moulton Twp, Haldimand, ON, CAN

9 Sarah/Sara Ann RUNCHEY B: (bpt) 6 Sep 1820 P: Louth Twp, Lincoln, ON, CAN D. 19 May 1901 P: Moulton Twp, Haldimand, ON, CAN

Chart no.

1s Daniel BRADT B: 10 Oct 1797 D: 19 Aug 1863

17 Juliana/Julia Ann HEDDEN B: abt 1800 D: Oct 1889

1s Robert/Reuben RUNCHEY B: 22 Dec 1788 D: 27 Mar 1867

19 Ann "Nancv" HUFFMAN B: 8 Mar 1789 D: 19 Mar 1864

P: Moulton Twp, Haldimand, ON, CAN 20 Hector JOHNSON M: 31 Jul 1922 B· P: Vinita, Craig, OK) ~1_o_G_e_o~e _J_O_H_N_ SO_ N ______ D: D: 20 Aug 1968 B: bet 1807 and 1811 P: Clinto , Custer, OK P: Queenston, Lincoln, ON, CAN 21 Nan Ann?

M: abt 1833 B: ~5_E_li_zab_e_t_h_A_n_n_J_O_HN-'----=S.-::O...::.N ___ ----' P: Ontario, CAN? D:

cont . .±.

cont . -t

cont . ...±..

cont. +

cont.

cont

B: 31 Aug 1848 or 185 l D: l May 1884 P: Gainsborough? Lincoln? ON, CAN P: Wainfleet Twp, Welland, ON, CAN 22 Samuel* DAVIDSON/DAVISON D: 9 May 1930 P: Tonawanda, Erie, NY

1 Elizabeth "Lisb " VanBRADT B:

P: Tulsa, Tulsa, OK M: 31 May 1950 tq Samuel Lee MEREDITH P: Rogers, Benton, AR D:

B: 11 Elizabeth DAVIDSON/DAVISON D: bet 1808 and 1813 B: bet 1809 and 1812 P: Gainsborough Twp? Lincoln? ON, CAN 23 Flora McDONELL* D: I Feb 1857 B: P: Gainsborough Twp? Lincoln? ON, CAN D:

24 Bartholomew VEERKAMP B: 1 Nov 1791 D: bet 1848 and 1850

cont.

cont .

cont_ ·_·

P:

12 Bartholomew Louis VEERKAMP B: 18 May 1826 P: Meppen, Niedersachsen, GER 25 Louisa Henrietta VOLCKER M: 30 Dec 1858 B: 23 Nov 1795

,--s_W_1_·11_ia_m_ E~ b_ert_ VE_E_RKA __ M_P_-----, P: Troy? Lincoln, MO D: (l.a.) 10 Mar 1873 B:19Sepl859 D:17Novl903 P: Clark Twp, Lincoln, MO P: St. Louis City, MO 26 Andrew Jackson BROWN M: 30 Nov 1884 B: 4 or 28 Mar 1783 P: Linn Twp, Audrain, MO ~1_3_S_ar_a_h_C_at_h_e_ri_n_e_B_R_O_ W_N ___ ___, D: 11 Apr 1863 D: 17 Jun 1927 B: 24 Mar 1835 P: Neosho, Newton, MO P: Clark Twp, Lincoln, MO 77 Sarah MILLER

D: 5 Nov 1909 B: 23 Oct 1798 3 Am Fern VEERKAMP St Lo · c· MO P: . UIS tty, D: 9 Jun 1860 B: 19 Mar 1887 P: Rush Hill, Audrain, MO D: 24 Nov 1975 P: Houston, Harris, TX

7 Lydia Catherine SKELLY B: 23 Nov 1864 P: Linn Twp, Audrain, MO D: 31 Oct 1953 P: Neosho, Newton, MO

Prepared February 2008 by: (Mrs. Sam) Elizabeth Meredith l 720 South Gessner Road Houston, Texas 77063-1118

14 Peter Cramer SKELLY B: 5 Oct 1828 P: Southampton Twp, Cumberland, PA M: 16 Aug 1859 P: Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA D: 24 Jun 1886 P: Linn Twp, Audrain, MO

15 Elizabeth Hester WEIDLER B: 6 Mar 1832 P: Southampton Twp, Franklin, PA D. 3 Dec 1912 P: Mexico, Audrain, MO

28 Geor2e SKELLY B: 12 May±l797 D: 3 Feb 1849

29 Lvdia CRAMER B: 4 Oct 1801 D: 2 Jan 1859

30 Reuben A. WEIDLER B: II Jun 1805 D: 9 Feb 1882

31 Catharine Beck HOLL B: 29 Mar 1808 D: 17 Apr 1896

cont...±..

cont

cont . ...±..

cont . .!._

cont . .±_

cont . .!._

cont. -t

WHO ARE THE BRADT'S???

Albert and Arent Andriessen Bradt and their families were early settlers in the Albany, New York area when the colony still belonged to the Netherlands. Like many of their neighbors, they were not Dutch. They were originally from Fredrikstad, Norway.

Over the years, a nu-mber a name changes occurred. A large percentage of Bratt's and Brott's are descended from the two Bradt brothers. Many Vanderzee's and a few Brodt's, Broat's, Brad's, Bradd's, Van Brott's, and Van Bradt's are also direct descendents. Some Brandt's may also be Bradt descendents. In all likelihood, there are other variations in the spelling. In Canada and the United States almost all (90-950/o) Bradt's are descendents.

The Vanderzee line is descended from Albert's son, Storm, who was born on the sea crossing to America. "Van der zee" means "from the sea" in Dutch.

Albert came to Rensselaerswyck (Albany) in 1637 . Arent came at the same time or shortly after. Albert and his family operated a sawmill on the Normanskill (Norman's Creek), so named because the Dutch referred to Norwegians as Normans. Arent was a farmer and fur trader and his family were some of the original settlers in Schenectady.

We can only guess how the Bradt name originated. Hereditary family names were not used by the Dutch and Norwegians. When England took over New Netherland and it became New York, that all began to change.

In those days it was common for Norwegians to use the name of their ancestral farm as their family name. "Bratt" can mean "steep" in Norwegian. Another possibility is the Bratt family of Norway. This family name originates in the middle ages, but no one has ever discovered any documents that tie the two families together. To the best of our knowledge, Albert himself never used the name Bradt; after the English took over, he signed his family name Brat or Bratt. "Bradt" became more common because the Dutch customarily insert a silent "d."

http://www.bradtfamilysociety .org/ Courtesy of the Bradt Family Society

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7/5/2003

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BRADT/BRATT

The following is a summary of one line of the Bradt Family. For details on each generation and information on collateral lines refer to the family group sheets later in this compilation. Our Bradt heritage is particularly significant as we have two direct line Bradt ancestors, Andries Bradt and Ariaantje Bradt, both children of Arent Bradt and Catalyntie De Vos.

The two immigrant Bradt brothers, Albert Andriessen and Arent Andriessen , who settled in New Netherland, came originally from Frederikstad, Norway. It was stated in Albert's 1636 contract with Kiliaen van Rensselaer that he was from Frederikstad , and in later New Netherland records he is frequentl y referred to as De Noorman or the Norseman. 1 Records for Frederikstad which could confirm the brothers' births there are no longer extant.

Quoting John 0. Evjen , "Whether they were related to the Bratts of Norwegian nobility cannot be ascertained. The Bratt family lived in Bergen , Norway, before the early part of the fifteenth century , when it moved to the northern part of Gudbrandsdalen. It had a coat of arms until the middle of the sixteen century. Since that time the Bratts belong to the Norwegian peasantry. "2 In America the Dutch frequently altered the name from Bratt to Bradt although surnames were not common among the Dutch until after the English took over the New Netherland colony in 1664.

Originally the Bradts, like most other Scandinavians in the community, were Lutheran, a sect not looked on particularly favorably by the Dutch. At least by the second American generation and probably earlier Bradt children were being baptized in the Reformed Dutch Church. While the Lutherans were reluctantly allowed to practice their religion , the Dutch Reformed Church retained the exclusive right to the "rites of life ," i.e., baptisms and marriages.

Obvious from naming patterns prevalent at that time, the father of the Bradt brothers was named Andries. As both brothers named their oldest daughters Aeffje (Eva) , it suggests this had been their mother's name. 4 Both parents were deceased before the brothers came to America. 5

The Bradt brothers had lived in Holland for a time where Albert , identified as a sailor , aged 24, had taken a Dutch wife. In the marriage record it was noted that the brothers had an uncle named Lourens Pieters. 6 Albert and his wife and children made the voyage to America on the Rensselaerswy ck arriving 4 March 1637.7 It is presumed they were accompanied by the younger Bradt brother , Arent , our ancestor, 8 who was possibly born about 1618. As the colony into which they came was predominantly Dutch and on account of their many intermarriages with the Dutch , in a few generations the Bradts considered themselves to be Dutch.

In contrast to his contentious brother Albert , Arent appears to have been of a more mild temperament. Initially Arent worked for his brother on the Normanskill raising tobacco. The relationship of brothers between Albert and Arent Bradt is proved by Kiliaen Van Rensselaer's letter of 25 Jun 1640 to Albert Andriesz in which he said, "The account of the sale of four cases of tobacco , among which there was one of your brother arent [sic]. . . "9

About 1648 Arent married Catlyntje De Vos , daughter of deputy director and magistrate in Rensselaerswyck , Andres de Vos. 10 Both Nelson Greene in History of the Mohawk Valley, Gateway to the West and Austin Yates in History of Schenectady County associate Arent with a

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part Mohawk woman . 11 Yates states that Arent was the son of Andries of Albany and Kinetis , daughter of a Mohawk chief 12 Obviously this cannot be correct as Arent's parents were deceased in Europe before he came to America. 13

Nelson Greene says Wenutje, daughter of a French trader named Hartell and an Indian girl named Ots-toch , married a Bradt. 14 As Albert Bradt' s wives are well documented, and Arent was the only other Bradt in the colony, the reference must have been to him. Since 10 or 11 years was a long time to have been in New Netherland without a wife , it is remotely possible that Arent had a liaison or marriage with a native woman previous to his marriage to Catalyntje De Vos.

Arent relocated to Beverwyck and was among the first proprietors when houselots were partitioned in 1652. He also had a lot on the river north of the village. 15 Quoting from Peter Christoph, "In 1658 he leased the island in the Hudson called Rensselaers Steijn at an annual rent of £100, two fowls , and tithes . In 1653 Arent had taken the burger oath in Beaverwyck , which made him one of the freemen of the town, and in 1654 he was one of twenty-nine ' prosperous and loyal' citizens who pledged financial aid when Manhattan was being fortified , Arent giving two beavers . In that same year he was in court over the ownership of a gun which he held and Arent van den Bergh claimed , a rare dispute for Arent Andriessen. The fo!Jowing year he was one of six persons nominated for the three gecommitteerde posts at Fort Orange, but the New Netherland Council did not select him . He was in Manhattan in 1655, probably on a business trip, and went to Long Island in 1658 on business for his father-in-law Andries de Vos ." 16 Arent and de Vos had been appointed by the court 27 February 1657 administrators of the estate of Cornelia de Vos (Catalyntye's sister) because her husband Kit Davids was mishandling the children's inheritance. 17

Arent spent time at the downriver settlement of Esopus where his daughter Ariaantje was born . 18

Arent, along with several other of our ancestors , became one of the founders and first proprietors of the town of Schenectady , although he probably never lived there. 19 He died in 1663 possibly from smallpox as it was prevalent in Beverwyck at that time.20

In May 1664 Arent's holdings in Schenectady were confirmed to his wife Catalyntje de Vos who settled there with their children: Aeffie 15, [our two ancestors] Ariaentie 13, and Artdries 11, and Cornelia 9, Samuel 5 and Dirk 3. Probably about November 1664 Catalyntje married Barent Janse Van Ditmars. 21

During the February 1690 Schenectady Massacre Barent Janse Van Ditmars was killed along with Catalyntje ' s son Andries [our ancestor] , her grandson, a son of Andries , her daughter Cornelia Bradt, wife of Jan Pootman and Cornelia ' s husband Jan Pootman. 22 Purportedly because a wounded French officer was taken there, Catalyntje's house was one of the few not burned .23

The History of the County of Schenectady, N Y., 1662 to 1886 by Rev. J . H. Munsell details both the founding of Schenectady and the Massacre of 1690. Besides our Bradt ancestor (Andries , son of the above Arent and Catalyntje) , a number of our other direct line ancestors also were slaughtered in the massacre . A knowledge of the Bradt and allied family references in the Munsell history , extractions of which are found later in this compilation, is essential in order to have any concept of the part our ancestors played in the founding of Schenectady and the early colonization of New York.2

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In 1691 Catalyntj e de Vos took a third husband , Claes Jansen Van Bockhov en. On 27 February 1690/91 Claes and Catalyntje executed a marriage contract assigning their various assets upon their deaths .25 Catalyntje died in 1712.26

Facts are limited concerning Andries Bradt. He was born about 1653, and died 9 Februar y 1690.27 Approximatel y 1682 Andries married Margarita "Grietje " Van Slyck, daughter of Jacque s Cornelissen Van Slyck and Grietie Ryckman. 28 The couple had three known children , Arent [ our ancestor] , Bathsheba wife of Charles Bum and a son possibly named Andrea s who was killed along with his father in the Schenectad y Mas sacre . 29 Andries was a brewer and owned a house and lot in Schenectad y plus the foremost bouwery numbered one . 30

As we also trace our ancestry to Ariaantje Bradt , sister of Andries and her husband Reyer Schermerhorn ,31 for information on Ariaantje refer to the Schermerhorn Family section.

Arent , son of Andries , after the death of his father , became one of the heirs to the combined holdings of his grandmother Catalyntje de Vos Bradt and Claes Jansen Van Bockho ven.32 Besides his inherited properties in Schenectady , during his lifetime he added considerably to his real estate holdings . 33 About 1715 he built a substantial brick house at 7 State Street in Schenectad y which endured there until it was torn down in December 1895.34

In 1714 Capt. Arent Bradt , as he was known , was made trustee of Schenectad y' s common lands, which office he held until 1765. For the last 15 years of his life he was the sole trustee and by his 11 March 1765 will devised said lands to twenty-three new trustees for the benefit of the community. Arent represented the county of Alban y in the Provincial Assembly in 1745.35

On 14 October 1704 at the Schenectady Reformed Dutch Church Arent had married J annetie Vrooman , daughter of Jan Hendrickse Vrooman and Geesje Veeder .36 They had a family of at least 11 children , some of whom probably did not survive to adulthood .37 Our line of descent is through their oldest son Andries . Capt. Arent Bradt's will was probated 19 November 1770.38

Jannetje (Vrooman ) Bradt was born 23 July 1682, but her date of death is not known. 39

Andries , son of Capt. Arent Bradt and Jannetje Vrooman , was baptized 4 May 1705 in Schenectad y. 40 He was also known as Capt. Bradt and carried on the family tradit ion as a brewer .4 1 On 28 Nov 1728 he married Ariaantje Wemple , daughter of Johannes Wemple and Catalyntie Schermerhorn . 42 The couple was blessed with three children : Catalina who died young ; Arent [our ancestor] ; and Catalyntje who married the infamous Revolutionary War leader , Col. John Butler . 43

Ariaantje Wemple was bapt ized in Schenectad y 9 November 1707 and she died 5 April 1739.44 After her death Andries Bradt married her cousin Elizabeth Wemple by whom he had four additional children .45 Andries made his will on 6 April 1748; his date of death is not known .46

Arent [Aaron] , son of Capt. Andries Bradt , was baptized at the Schenectady Dutch Reformed Church on 3 September 1732.47 He was a cordwainer by trade .48 On 9 February 1755 he married Achien (Eva ) Van Antwerpen , daughter of Pieter Danielse Van Antwerpen and Engeltje Mebie. 49 Arent and Eva had six children : Andries [Andrew] , Margareta , Johannes [John] , Pieter [died young] , Reyer [Roger] , and Pieter [Peter, our ancestor]. 50

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