Sussman-Laabs

Jan Van Cleef was born in 1627-28, presumably in Amsterdam, Holland. This presumption is due to his forename spelling of Jan instead of the more common Germanic spelling of Johan. Since Jan named one of his sons for himself with the Germanic spelling of Johannes (son of John) instead of using the spelling of Jan, it suggests that one or both of his parents were probably from one of the German states. Germany was not the Germany of today, which was created in 1919. It was comprised of a large number of independent counties, marks, principalities, duchies and kingdoms.

The various spellings of the surname are due to interpretation by recording clerks and locations to which family branches migrated. Cleef is the Dutch, and Cleve is the German. Clief is the German for the Dutch. Cleaf is the English for the Dutch. Cleave is the English for the German. Family branches using one (or more) of these varied spellings are found to have migrated to (or remained at) a specific U.S. location(s).

Jan died circa 1699, the last record of him being the New Utrecht Census of (presumably) 1698. He was a son of Cornelius Van Cleef, and probably a second or younger son. Jan maybe the son of Cornelius Adriaenz Van Cleef and Neeltje Jansdr Van Der Meulen, who are mentioned in the records of Utrecht, Holland. The names of Cornelius and Neeltje fit the naming system. His first two children have these names.

Jan arrived in New Amsterdam, New Netherlands in 1653. Because he had money to pay for his voyage, with a fair amount of cash money for business ventures after his arrival, and included in his possessions were a gun and a sheathed rapier sword, possessions not often found amongst the common farmer and tradesman, it is thought that Jan might have had a prosperous father.

Jan was only married once (circa January/February 1661, at New Utrecht, Long Island, New Netherland), to Engelje Laurens Pietersen (baptized July 15, 1646, at the New Amsterdam Dutch Church, died post-1711, the daughter of Laurens/Louwerens Pieterse de Norman and Annetje/Anetie Peiters). Jan and Engelje are known to have had the following fifteen children: Neeltje (named for his mother?), Cornelius (was named for his father), Laurens (was named for his wife's father), Jacobus (named for his father's father?), Rebecca (named for his father's mother?), Anna (was named for his wife's mother), Angelica (was named for his wife), Isabrandt (named for his wife's mother's father?), Rem (named for his mother's father?), Johannes (was named for himself), Catherine (named for his mother's mother?), Joseph and Benjamin (were twins named for the Biblical twins), Maritje (named for his wife's mother's mother?), and Ceytie (was named for his wife's sister). We have dates of birth or baptism for some, approximations of birth from census records for a few, and nothing substantial for others.

Amongst the many New Utrecht court cases involving Jan's business dealings is a case of his involvement in a bar brawl. Evidently Jan had a fair amount of free time during the day allowing him to frequent the local public house. On September 21, 1661 Jan assisted the tavern keeper during a mêlée with militia Sergeant Jans Thomaszen and his son in evicting them from the premises. Thomaszen later explained in court that while enjoying half a barrel of beer with his eighteen year-old son on the occasion of the departure of Sir Johannes Verveelen, burgher and brewer of Amsterdam in New Netherlands, he (Thomaszen), being quite drunk, had engaged in a heated argument with one Claertie de Mof (believed to be the tavern keeper). A brawl ensued with several blows being struck between the two men. During the ensuing melee Thomaszen's shirt was torn by Claertie de Mof. Jan Van Cleef then entered the fray by grabbing Thomaszen by the hair in an attempt to pull him off de Mof. Thereupon Thomaszen drew his knife slicing at Van Cleef, making four cuts to Van Cleef's jerkin, and in the process inflicting Van Cleef with a flesh wound. Jan Van Cleef then grabbed Thomaszen by his arms knocking the knife from his hand. At this point Thomaszen's son, Thomas Janssen, not liking to see Van Cleef attack his father joined in, pulling Van Cleef by the shoulders off Thomaszen. Van Cleef then turned on the young Thomas grabbing him by the hair, and with the aid of another tavern patron, Hendrick Matthijssen, who grabbed Thomas by his feet, threw the young man down on the floor. The son then grabbed Van Cleef by the hair in order to be let go of by the two men. Claertie de Mof, Jan Van Cleef and Hendrick Matthijssen were able to evict the drunken Thomaszen and his son from the premises. Thomaszen was required to pay damages to Van Cleef and do penance.

After the British took control of New Netherland, renaming it New York, Jan's name was included with others of New Utrecht being granted the title of "Patroon" in 1686.

Jan's house, known as the Van Cleef-Van Pelt Manor, stood at what was originally the old New Utrecht Village square, located on the east side of 18th avenue, between 81st street and (facing) 82nd street, in the New Utrecht neighborhood, of the Bensonhurst District, in Brooklyn, New York. A court record states that after he sold the house he was allowed to continue to live in it the remainder of his life. Afterwards it was sold, enlarged, and occupied by the Van Pelt family until 1910 when sold to the City of New York. It was demolished in November 1952.

A headstone has not as yet been identified for him, but he is most surely buried in this cemetery, located just down the street two blocks from his house, and associated with his church, which was established in 1677.

Source: From Cleve To America, The Van Cleef/Cleve/et al Family, Volume I, by Allan Ray Wenzel, Library of Congress Card Catalog #86-50753, Copyright 1992, Seattle Publishing Company.

In 1664, Jan Van Cleef made a written declaration of events in New Utrecht, and stated he was 36 years old. He was a representative to The Convention in New Amsterdam in April 1664, which sent delegates to Holland to describe the distressed state of the country to the government and the West Indies Company.

In 1686 Jan received a grant of land in from Governor Donegan, and took the oath of allegiance to the English Government in 1687. The 1688 Census listed Jan with wife and four children and stated that Jan had been a resident of New Utrecht for 34 years.

Between 1677-1685, Jan appeared on the membership rolls of the Dutch Church of New Utrecht.

The VanCleaves http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pinklady/index.html

In 1609, the East India Company sent Henry Hudson to seek a passage to the Orient. He reached the present day Albany area. In 1624, the first colonist arrived in the New Netherlands to settle in Fort Orange. In the 1650’s, the Dutch needed more land to provide food, they expanded into present day Long Island. Soon small villages sprang up. Examples of these are Gravesend and New Ultrecht.

According to my research, the earliest known Van Cleave was Jan VanCleef. He is believed to have been born in 1628 in Amsterdam, Holland to Cornelius VanCleef. Jan immigrated to America in 1653. He was a farmer in Gravesend, Long Island. His wife was Angeltji/Engeltje Louwerens, daughter of Laurens Pieterse De Noorman ( which means the Norseman) and Annetja Pieters.

It is thought that the original family name was not Van Cleef, but Waldyke. When Jan arrived in America, introduced himself for the ship’s passenger list as Jan van Cleeve, which meant Jan from Kleve. The Duchy of Kleve is a city presently located in west central Germany, in North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen). It is near the Rhine River and the Dutch border.

Jan’s son, Isbrandt Van Cleave, was born about 1677 in New York. During his life he worked as a butcher and a tavern owner. He married Jannetje Van Der Bilt sometime before 1700. He moved with his family to New Jersey.

Isbrandt’s son was Captain Aaron Van Cleave. He married Rachel Schenck. Aaron and his wife bought property from Daniel Boone in 1764. They bought the farm in the Forks of the Yadkin. A witness to the signing of the deed is Aaron’s brother Benjamin. At some point Aaron moved to Kentucky. In 1787, Aaron went out to hunt with two companions. Aaron had a finger shot off when the group was attacked by Indians. Aaron and one of his companions escaped. Their daughter Jane married Squire Boone, brother of Daniel Boone.

Aaron’s son, William Van Cleave, was married when his parents bought land in Kentucky. He married Abigail Frost in 1763 in North Carolina. They stayed in North Carolina until about 1780 during this time Abigail raised eight children without William’s presence. Around 1780, William moved his family to Kentucky, where Abigail gave birth to her youngest child. Soon after the family arrived in Kentucky, their eldest daughter was killed by Indians. William died about seven years later, leaving Abigail to raise their children, work the land and fight off people who tried to take her land away.

William’s son, Ebenezer Frost Van Cleave, was probably named after his mother’s brother. He served in the Kentucky militia for about 100 days in 1794. Ebenezer married twice. First, to Susannah “Sukie” Manire (various spellings) in 1796. They family moved to Tennessee from Kentucky between 1804 and 1810. Susannah died in 1819 in Weakley Co., TN. After Susannah’s death, Ebenezer married Sarah Elizabeth Carrick in Dec 1819 in Williamson Co, TN.

Ebenezer and Susannah’s son, Stephen Van Cleave, was also married twice. His first wife was Eleanor Phillips. She died shortly after giving birth to her first child. Stephen then married her sister Nancy C. Phillips. They moved their family to Henry Co, TN. Stephen was a farmer and a surveyor. He and Nancy are buried at the Clifty Hicks cemetery.