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Who were Christiaan Christiaansz and Marie Anne Christiansen?

This is a copy of the article by Eugenie Fellows that appeared in the Spring 2000 edition of the Memoires de la Societe Genealogique Canadienne-Francaise which purported to solve the mystery. Unfortunately the author disregarded a very important note that was included in the original article (in the October 1997 issue of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record) on which she based her article that throws doubt on the assumption that Marie Anne’s parents were Christian Christiansen and Elizabeth Elderszen. The original article by Barbara A. Barth was published in two installments and was about the “Family of Ysbrant Eldersz of Rennselaerswyck”. It is rather a lengthy article (17 pages). In the discussion re Christiaan Christiaansz and Elizabeth Ysbrants she purposely omits Marie Anne as one of their children and refers to her only in a note. That note is reproduced in its entirety as follows:

It has been suggested that Christiaan Christiaansz was the father of an Annetje Christiaans, who married in Albany 21 July 1697 Moses DePuis. He was native of Quebec, and they went there to live, becoming the parents of nine children. In 1699 Annetje was re-baptized into the Roman Catholic Church at Montreal, and described as “born at Corlaer,” as the French sometimes called Schenectady. On 27 December 1696, seven months before the above marriage, a Moyse Depuis and Anne ———- had a child Jean Baptist baptized at Albany. The sponsor was Abigael Verplanck, whose husband Isaac had been sponsor for a child of Thomas Craven and Emmetje Ysbrants. But the mother, Anne ——–,. was described in this record as “semi-black,” presumably meaning that one of her parents was African. Assuming this description is correct, as neither Christiaan Christiaansz nor any other member of the Ysbrant Eldersz family is described in this way, it is unlikely that this Anne could be the daughter of Christiaan and Elizabeth Ysbrants. She might have been the child of Christiaansz by an earlier wife or liason, but aside from the patronymic there is nothing to link her to him.

The following is from the same article and provides some insight as to who Christiaan Christiaansz was.

RennselaerswyckChristiaan Christiaansz sailed to New Netherland as a boy on de Vergulde Bever, 25 April 1659. He arrived shortly before 9 August 1659 when his passage was paid by Jeremias van Rensselaer and he was placed as a farm servant with Jan Barentsz Poest alias Wemp at Rensselaerswyck. On 23 June 1671 Christiaan purchased 1-1/2 morgans (almost 3-1/2 acres) at Schenectady from Paulus Jansen. In 1694 he sold his village lot there with 100 foot frontage, adjoining that of the church and later part of the church property, to Neeltje Claes, widow of Hendrick Gardenier. His first wife, presumed to be Elizabeth Ysbrants, died probably in Schenectady after 1685 when her last child was born, but before 1692 when Christiaan married Maritje Ysbrants (Elizabeth’s sister). He was still living in 1696/1697 when his last child Maritje was baptised.

The article further states that Elizabeth Ysbrants probably was born about 1660 and married to Christiaan Christiaanaz about 1678. (Three years after Marie Anne’s accepted birth date of 1675.)

Following is the article by Eugenie Fellows from the Spring 2000 edition of the “Memoires de la Societe Genealogique Canadienne-Francaise”, According to this article Annetje Christiansen was the daughter of Christian Christiansen and Elizabeth Elderszen. While there is no information re: Christian Christiansen’s forebears there is given the names of Elizabeth’s parents who were Ysbrant Elderszen and Neeltje? The following is a transcript of the article:

Children of Ysbrant Elderszen (died in September 1696, Bergen, New Jersey) and Neeltje

1. Niesie, born ca 1656.
2. Elizabeth, born ca 1660.
3. Emmetie, born ca 1663; married Thomas Craven.
4. Marittie, born ca 1665.

Children of Christian Christiansen and his first wife Elizabeth Elderszen

1. Annetje, born ca 1675, Corlaer; Baptized Catholic 12 July 1699, Montreal; buried 20 October
1750, La Prairie.
2. Christian, born ca 1680, Corlaer.
3. Johannes, born ca 1683, Corlaer.
4. Neeltie, born ca 1685 Corlaer; baptized 11 November 1685, Albany.

Children of Christian Christiansen and his second wife Maritie Elderszen

1. Elizabeth, baptized 2 July 1693, Albany.
2. Cornelis, born ca 1695, Albany.
3. Daniel (David?), baptized 11 April 1697, Albany.

  • Jean-Jacques Lefebvre, “Les Deux familles Dupuis de Laprairie”‘ MSGCF XVII-2(88)avril-mai-juin 1966, p.81 -99.
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