Tunis Dirckse van Vechten 1612 to 1700

From: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/van_Vechten-56
See also: https://www.geni.com/people/Teunis-van-Vechten/3135776

Tunis Dirckse van Vechten was born in about 1612 in Vechten, Utrecht, Netherlands. He was the son of Dirck van Vechten.

He came to America in 1628 and lived on a farm in New Amsterdam. In 1632 he was noted working for Pieter Pietersen Bijlevelt in Manhatans, New Amsterdam. [Bijlevelt is noted in many dealings with Kiliaen van Rensselaer, a founder of the Dutch West India Company and who helped establish the Rensselaer Colony (Albany, New York)].

Later in 1632 Tunis returned to the Netherlands and soon after married (unknown, but possibly Andrea Cornelissen van Vloten) (Unknown to Aft. 1644), around 1633. They had 1 child in the Netherlands, Dirck Tunise (1633 to 1702).

He returned to America in 1638 on the ship Het Wapen van Noorwegen (“The Arms of Norway”) and passenger records show he came with his wife, 1 child, and 2 servants (also on the ship was Teunis Cornelisz, his brother). Once he returned to America they lived in the Rensselaer Colony and had 4 more children: Jannetje; Cornelis; Gerrit; and Pieterje.

In 1648 he was granted land on the Hudson River in Greenbush (present day Rensselaer), New York. This land was next to his brother, Teunis Cornelisz who received the land from the Colony after Michel Jansen moved to Manhatans (Tunis Cornelisz served on his farm).

Tunis Dirckse also owned a half interest in the local brewery in Greenbush which was sold in 1650. In 1650 he leased land from Christoffel Davids in Greenbush. A report in 1651 shows he had numerous animals on his farm, totaling 9 horses and 10 cattle. The report goes on to describe that the land was located near “Paepsichene” (Papscanee) New York, being approximately 30 morgens (~60 acres) and that it was very good land.

The same year he was charged with a few crimes. Them being: 1) calling Director van Slichtenhorst “an old gray thief and rascal;” 2) calling Domine Megapolensis an informer and threatening to stab him; 3) selling wheat for a certain price against orders; 4) having a person fire a musket in the brewery (which caused soldiers to cross the river to react); 5) calling his brother Teunis Cornelisz a thief and rascal and then assaulting him when there was a dispute over a plot of land being used for wheat; 6) fighting with Pieter Hartgers and Abraham Staas; and 7) leaving 2 horses outside a house without food or cover.

Some records say he was skilled in castrating horses, and he would receive fees for his service.

A settlement of account in 1657 notes he worked for the Company since 1638 and that his debts to the Company were complete, except he needed to fix/repair some issues with his house and barn. By 1663 he was noted as one of the “old inhabitants” of Albany, New York. Tunis Dirckse van Vechten is said to have died sometime after 1700, likely near Albany, New York.

From: Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs, Vol. I, Cuyler Reynolds, editor,
Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1911, p. 202