“Random Notes Concerning Settlers of Dutch Descent,” by William J. Hoffman, M.Mech.Eng., Laplume, Pa.”

pg 111-A group of prospective farmers, twelve in number, was engaged by Jan Van Rensselaer in 1651, who were natives of villages within a five mile radius of Amersfoort. There was 14-year-old Elbert Elbertsz from Nykerk (not the ancestor of the Stoothoff family of the same name and origin who was born about 1620 and settled here in 1637), who, though the youngest, had for fellow travelers Paulus Paulusz from Amersfoort, 15 years old, Ryck Claes from Nykerk, 16 years old, and Cornelis Jansz from Bunschoten, also 16 years old. What an experience for the youngsters, to sail for the New World expecting to see the Indians who would later murder one of their fellow passengers.

Another passenger was Cornelis Evertsz Wynkoop, 24 years old, from the “Buuarschap Wyckerom by Eeden.” This establishes the origin, age, and the father’s name, all heretofore unknown, of this well known family in America. In my article [N.Y. Record, 1934:331; 1935:68] devoted to the arms of this family, I enumerated several bearers of this surname found in the records of Gelderland (to which I have since been able to add others). I mentioned Evert Wincoop, who was living in 1585, and also one Reynier Evertsz Wijncoop whose widow Diele van Morseler was mentioned in 1609, then aged 85, hence born about 1524. It is possible that he may be identified with Rev. Reynier Wijncoop, formerly a priest who had been converted to Protestantism and had become a minister at Barnevelt. He died in 1602. There is also mention of Styne Elbertsd [Evertsdr?], wife of Gerrit van Mehen and a sister of Reynier van Wyncoop (possibly the above) who sued Evert Wyncoop in 1580. These are excellent leads for a further investigation concerning the ancestry of the American settler, Cornelis Evertsz Wynkoop, born about 1627. The above cited records prove that the American Wynkoops belong to the Gelderland family of this name and not to the family of the same name from Hoorn as the late Mr. de Young, a Dutch genealogist in the United States, propounded.”191

Cornelius Wynkoop, in 1671, was Elder of a Dutch Church at Esopus over which Hermanus Blom had labored as pastor.

On the 25th of April, 1663, he received a grant of twelve morgens of land at Esopus, Ulster County., (H. N. N., ii., 592.) The morgen seems to have been equivalent to a little more than two acres. This land is said to have been at New Dorp, now Hurley.

He removed from Albany to Hurley in 1664. The same year he hired some land of Albert Gysbert, for the price of a pair of horses - 400 guilders.

His wife was Marritje Jans. The baptismal records of some of their children have been found at Kingston. She is said to be the “Orphan Daughter,” whose name is recorded in a list of immigrants from Holland, who arrived in the Gilded Beaver, March 1660 (Documentary History of New York, O’Callaghan, iii., 56) Marritje Jansen, maiden, arrived on the Love, in the same month. (Same authority.) The names Marritje, Maria, and Mary, are said to be the same. (Annals of Albany, iii., 114.) This leaves the question of identity open. She was still living in 1678, as her name appears in that year in a list of church members.192

In 1673, he was Schepen of Hurley, Ulster County. (Documents Relating to the Colonial History of New York, ii., 626.)

On the 5th of February, 1674, he witnessed the signatures of Indian Sachems to a treaty with Col. Nicolls (Collections of the Ulster Historical Society, i., 63.) He died in 1674.

Wynkoop, Cornelis, supposed to have been the son of Pieter, was in Beverwyck in 1657, where he purchased a lot and house; he is said to have removed to Esopus in 1664 where he died in 1674 leaving six children.193, pg 184

The progenitors of the Wijnkoop family are CORNELIS WIJNKOOP and his wife Marie Jansdr. van Langendijk, who among other children had the following sons: Johannes, Gerrit and Evert. Cornelis and his wife settled in New Netherland abt. 1655.

There was also in the colonies at the same time one Pieter Pietersz. Wijnkoop born in 1616, for in a disposition made March 9, 1640, his age is given as 24 years. (Van Rensselaer-Bowier Mss.) It is not known at present if there existed any relationship between Cornelis and Pieter Wijnkoop. The latter does not seem to have left any descendants. The most complete genealogy of this family is the Wijnkoop Genealogy of the United States of America by Richard Wijnkoop published in 1904. As to the origin of the family the writer states on page 3 that a tradition preserved in the Pennsylvania branch of the family, seems to indicate that the American progenitor Cornelis C. Wijnkoop came from Utrecht. On the same page is reproduced what is supposed to be the arms of a Wijnkoop family, which was settled in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is taken from Rietstap's Armorial Général, but drawn by someone unfamiliar with heraldry or at least with French blazoning, with the result that the representation is a heraldic curiosity. Quarterings I and IV should represent the mountain and sea respectively issuing from the dividing line and the base, not floating in mid-air, with two stars (mullets) in chief; II and III the lion should be rampant and no stars are to be shown in these quarterings

There are in existance in a private collection in the Netherlands two excellent, very complete MS genealogies of the Wijnkoop family bearing the foregoing arms, of which a branch was settled in Amsterdam, but which originally came from Hoorn, North-Holland. A thorough research failed to disclose any possible connection of the American Wijnkoop family with the former. The American compilers of the Wijnkoop genealogy however have overlooked the fact that there existed in the Netherlands another family of the same name, settled in Barnevelt and Nijkerk, a vicinity from where many persons emigrated to New Netherland (see van Slichtenhorst article) and although the final conclusive proof is at present still lacking (a thorough research has not been made), circumstantial evidence seems to point to this family as the probable ancestors of the American Wijnkoop family, incidentally in a general way corroborating the tradition heretofore mentioned of an origin from Utrecht. The town of Barnevelt is situated in the Province of Gelderland but very near the Utrecht border and it is to Barnevelt that we must look for the place of origin of this Wijnkoop family. In the neighborhood of this small town is a district (buurt) known by the name of Wenkop (Magazine Navorscher XXXIV, p. 43) from which the family undoubtedly derived its surname, for the family name is often given as van Wijncoop.

The earliest mention of the name which I have found is an entry under date of October 7, 1557 in the records of the treasury of the Province of Gelderland. The entry reads, translated:

No. 1-DERRISKEN, ATRIS WIJNKOEPS mother, born outside of the Province (of Gelderland) died in Barnevelt. Leaves a daughter married to Evert Jansz. van Domzeler. (A tax was levied on the estate of a person born outside of the Veluwe, a district of the Province of Gelderland, who died within its borders.)

No. 2-REINIER (RENERUS) (van) WINCOOP or WIJNKOOP, from Barnevelt was at first a priest, but joined in 1583 the Reformed church. In 1592 be was appointed as a minister at the Dutch Reformed church at Barnevelt, but his appointinent had not been confirmed in 1594. On the 17th of Oct. 1596 however Regnerus Wijnkopius, minister at Barnevelt, is present at the communion supper held at Nijkerk. He died 1603. (Geschiedenis der Reformatie te Nijkerk (History of the Reformation at Nijkerk) in Publications of the Dutch Society Gelre. Bijdr. En Meded. Vol. XV.)

No. 3-There is a REYNIER EVERTSZ. WIJNCOOP, whose widow Diele van Morseler lives Oct. 4, 1609 at Apeldoorn (near Barnevelt) and who is then 85 years old. They have a daughter DIRCKSKE WIJNCOOP. (Civil lawsuits court of Gelre 1616, I.)

No. 4-STIJNE ELBERTSDR. (EVERTSDR,?) the wife of Gerrit van Mehen a sister of REYNIER VAN WIJNCOOP sues EVERT WINCOOP in 1580. (Same source as No. 1 above.)

No. 5-EVERT WINCOOP is mentioned in Nijkerk in 1558. (Same source as No. 1 above.)

No. 6-WESSEL (or BESSEL), GERRIT and MELIS WIJNCOOP, brothers, sons of JOHAN WIJNCOOP, appear before the court of Gelre June 30, 1612. They are inhabitants of Putten, near Nijkerk. (Civil lawsuits court of Gelre 1613, 1.)

No. 7-BESSEL JANSZ. WIJNCOP is mentioned in 1608 as owner of property in Arckemede (a district near Nijkerk and Putten) and so is JAN WIJNCOP, in 1611. (Civil lawsuits Court of Gelre 1620 V.)

No. 8-Enfeoffed with the estate Hoerne near Garderen (near Nijkerk) was on April 27, 1618 BESSEL GERRITSZ. WINCOOP. He was succeeded by his son MELIS BESSELS WINCOP and so on in many succeeding generations. (Registers of Landtenure Veluwe. Gelderland.)

No. 9-TRIJN JANSDR. WIJNKOOP b. 1577, d. Nov. 12, 1649, m. Melis Lamberts b. 1574, d. Feb. 3, 1652. She is possibly a sister of the three brothers mentioned under 6. (Magazine Navorscher XXIII: 623.)

There is still mention of a Bessel Wijnkoop in 1793 in Putten, a Melis van Winkoop is trustee of the orphan asylum at Nijkerk in 1826 and Wulfert van Winkoop in 1854, proving that the family still existed in this part of the Netherlands about 100 years ago.

Considering the fact that children of the American progenitor bore the names Jan, Gerrit and especially Evert, names which we also found in the contemporary generations of the Barnevelt-Nijkerk-Putten family, it seems logical to assume that the probable pre-American ancestors of the American Wijnkoop family are to be found among the former.

A clue might be found in the fact that the American founder Cornelis Wijnkoop was in 1666 appointed an executor of the estate of the late Gijsbert Philipszen van Velthuysen (who had been killed by the Indians at the Esopus) and who is designated as his "neeve," cousin or nephew. (Early Records of Albany Vol. IV p. 11 note.)

As far as I have been able to ascertain, the Barnevelt Wijnkoop family never assumed a coat-of-arms. The American family however assumed the arms which are reproduced herewith and which are said to have been first used by Peter Wijnkoop b. 1755 (Wijnkoop Genealogy p. 7). They are reproduced in this genealogy and also in colors in the Holland Society Yearbook of 1886 (annual dinner issue) opp. page 60.

Charles D. Allen in American Bookplates under Nos. 960, 961 and 962 lists the ex-libris used by Augustus Wijnkoop, C. C. Wijnkoop and Peter Wijnkoop and reproduces on page 56 the bookplate of Richard Wijnkoop. These all call for or show these same arms with slight modifications of general design but not of substance. The idea of these arms was evidently first conceived for a bookplate, but as it is strictly heraldic in design we must classify it as the Wijnkoop coat-of-arms.

The charge of the arms is meant to be a pictorial representation of a meaning of the name Wijnkoop, namely the buying of wine. The most common meaning of the name is a drink of wine offered by the purchaser to a seller at a sale. Wenkop, the name of the district from which the family undoubtedly derived its name is said to mean the extreme end of a pasture.194, pgs. 351-353

WYNKOOP, CORNELIUS, of Kingston
Testamentary disposition, dated Aug. 11, 1676, and written in Dutch.

“Lawful wife and seven children” “the survivors to possess the whole estate.” “In case husband or wife should remarry, then he or she” is “to divide one half with the children as their patrimonial share.”—Note: “What has not been perfectly expressed abve is that one child shall not receive more at the division than the rest of them.”—Signed by the testator and witnessed by Wessel Ten Broeck and Dirck Jansen Schepmoes.

(Cornelius Wynkoop was in Albany as early as 1655; came to Kingston prior to 1671. his wife was maria Janse Langendyck (q. v. under Maria Wynkoop). They had issue:—i. Johannes (Major), m. June 7, 1687, Judith Blodgood, and 2., 1696, Cornelia, d. of dirck Wessel Ten Broeck (see Cornelius Wynkoops’ will); ii. Maria, m. Moses, s. of Nicholas Depuy; iii. Evert, b. in New Albany, m. Aug. 26, 1688, Gertrude, d. of jacobus Elmendorf and Grietje Aertse van Wagenen, and 2., Antje, d. of Roeloff Kierstede and Eiche Roosa; iv. Gerrit, m. Hillitje, d. of Gerrit Fokker and jacomyntje Slecht; v. Nicholas, bt. K. Oct. 15, 1668; vi. Catherine, bt. June 18, 1671; vii. Benjamin, bt. apr. 18, 1675, m. Oct. 20, 1697, Femmetje, d. of Abr. Vanderheul and Tryntje Hendrick Kip).183, pg 32

Patent granted in the County of Ulster, in the province of New York:

June 28, 1667 - Cornelis Wynkoop - part Included in the Manor of Foxhall. Error for Hurley [the words “Error for Hurley,” are in a different handwriting.]188, Vol. 002, No. 3, July 1871, pg 143