New Amsterdam
A.K.A.: Amsterdam in New Netherland, Manhattan, the Manhattans, New York City (modern name).
Location: What is now Lower Manhattan in New York City; the site where the wall that fortified the old Dutch city's northern edge is now the famous Wall Street.
Background Information: In 1626, Peter Minuit purchased Manhattan Island and moved Dutch settlers there. A fort was constructed and the city of New Amsterdam grew up on the southern tip of the island. New Amsterdam became the capital and one of the largest settlement in New Netherland. In 1664, an English fleet threatened to attack the city. Peter Stuyvesant, the Director-General of the colony, gave control to English and the colony and city were both renamed New York after the Duke of York, who had funded the attack.
Baptismal Records: Sources
Baptisms at the Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam, (1639-1730)
http://www.altlaw.com/edball/dutchbap.htmNew Amsterdam/New York Reformed Dutch Church (Baptisms, 1639-1801)
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/church/rdcbapt.shtmlNew Amsterdam Baptisms, 1639-1730
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~rbillard/na_baptisms_1639-1730.htmPurple, Samuel S. (ed.), New Amsterdam Baptisms from 1639-1730.
Marriage Records:
New Amsterdam/New York Reformed Dutch Church (Marriages, 1639-1801)
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/church/rdcmarr1639.shtmlNew Amsterdam Marriages, 1639-1801
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~rbillard/na_marriages_1639-1801.htmPurple, Samuel S. (ed.), Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in New Amsterdam and New York: marriages from 11 December, 1639, to 26 August, 1801.
Death, Burial, and Probate Records:
Unfortunately, such records during the New Netherland period are rare for this city. A few probate records can be found in the Court and civil records (see below). For information on burials in the Reformed Dutch Church in New York City starting in 1727, see Dutch Reformed Records of New York City in the NYG&B Library, http://www.nygbs.org/info/articles/DRC_Records.html. For information on Lutheran records in New York starting in 1704, see Lutheran Records of New York City in the NYG&B Library, http://www.nygbs.org/info/articles/Lutheran_Records.html.Other Church Records:
Membership Lists of the Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam/New York Reformed Dutch Church (1649-1701)
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/church/rdcmembers.shtmlCourt and Other Civil Records:
Fernow, Berthold (ed.), The Records of New Amsterdam from 1653 to 1674 Anno Domini, New York: Knickerbocker Press, 1897.Fernow, Berthold (ed.), The Minutes of the Orphanmasters of New Amsterdam: 1655 to 1663, New York : F.P. Harper, 1902-1907.
Van Laer, Arnold J.F. (ed.), New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1974.
Land Records:
Phelps Stokes, I.N., The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498-1909, The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., 1998.Maps and Images:
The Virtual New Amsterdam Project (includes a map by Peter Spier and a table of who owned which lot in the city)
http://www.teachout.org/vna/Maps from New Netherland (at The Warehouse by Willem Rabbelier, includes old maps and images of New Amsterdam)
http://www.rabbel.info/Warehouse/newnetherland.html
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Michelle's Main Page New Netherland Family History To contact me: michelle@boydhouse.com
Last updated 15 Nov 2003.
© Michelle Boyd, 2003.
