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- From "The First American-born Generation of Fulkersons" on www.fulkerson.org
VOLKERT DIRCKS b. 15 Nov 1643
Volkert's baptism in the Dutch Reformed Church in New Amsterdam was witnessed by step-uncle Jan Jansen Damen, Philip Graer, Maria Philips and (boo-hiss!) uncle Cornelis Van Tienhoven, whose title "Secretaris" appears in the record of the event. He was raised at Smit's Vly, and about 1655 (age 12) moved across the East River to the farm at Noorman's Kill. In 1667 he contracted with his father to work 200 acres of this farm, in exchange for eventually receiving title to the land. Volkert married Annetje PHILLIPS about 1668. Her father was Phillip LANGELANS, who sailed from the Netherlands to New Amsterdam in 1659 on the ship "Faith" with his wife and two daughters. The other daughter was Marie, who married Grietje Dircks' son Jurian NAGEL. Jurian's aunt Annetje was thus also his sister-in-law, and Volkert's nephew was also his brother-in-law.
When the Dutch recaptured New York from the English in 1673, Volkert became a magistrate of Bushwick under the short-lived Dutch authority. The English and Dutch concluded a treaty in 1674 that returned New York to English control. His name then appears on the 1675 and 1676 Assessment Rolls in Boswyck as Volkert Dierckse. In 1677 he was listed as a member of Dominie Van Zuuren's church, and in 1686 was commissioned lieutenant of militia [p. 147 of Cal. of Eng. Man.]. In the 1682 baptism of his daughter Lydia, his name was recorded as "Holbrecht Dircksen" and that of his wife was "Annitje Flippsen."
Volkert appeared on the 1683 Rate List of Bushwyck as Volkert Dircksen (assessed taxes for 200 acres). On 10 Aug 1684 he witnessed the baptism of niece Lisbeth, daughter of Peter Schamp and Janetie Dirks of Bushwick, at the Reformed Dutch Church of Flatbush. He sold some of his land in 1685 to Peter PRAA, and shows up again on a land patent in 1687. In that same year he took an oath of allegiance to England. On 9 Sep 1688 Volkert witnessed at the baptism of granddaughter Antie, daughter of Cornelius Cortelyou and Neltje Volkers, at Flatbush. He died by the time of the Kings County census in 1698.
Many of Volkert's children moved to New Jersey after his death. It is also likely that his wife Annetje went with them, as an undated map of the Harlingen tract in Somerset County, NJ, shows the adjoining properties of "Anna Volkerse, Claus Volkerse, Dirck Volkerse and D. Volkerse" [the last entry is probably son Philip, with the initial P miscopied as a D].
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