History of the Hasbrouck Family
European Background

The European research of the Hasbrouck family was done over a period of many years beginning in 1852 with the work of Gen. George Sharpe and continued by Capt. Raymond Hasbrouck and Maj. John E. Hasbrouck in the 1920's. To their work has been added my own research for the past 15 years, the study of Frau Margarete Paatz of Halle, Germany, and the findings of Consul Erwin VanHazebrouck of Berlin.

Definite proofs of ancestry are still lacking, but the conclusion must be drawn that the Hasbroucks of New Paltz were of the lesser nobility and that many of them were merchants. They were good businessmen and were always able to adjust to a new situation in which they found themselves. Most of the Family Bibles of the original patentees of New Paltz left space at the top of the first page of the family record for the names of mother and father. However, this record was never filled in and it is evident that the reason for this blank space lay in the fact that throughout their lifetime and that of their children there was always the possibility that the French might gain control of the English colonies in the new world. As their families had escaped with many of their possessions and most of their funds, before the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, there was a strong possibility that the French government would still be very interested in these refugees and in their relatives who had remained behind. The family Bibles still remain incomplete.

Conclusive evidence has not yet been presented to determine the ancestors of the brothers Abraham and Jean. It seems best that the results of research and the theories of each person be presented in his own words. The following letters state the case:

Paris, 19th Aug. 1852
Hon. Abm. B. Hasbroudk

My dear Mr. President:

…In all my enquiries and researches here, I was continually stumbling against something relating to Flanders, Brussels, or Brabant, and in Europe specialties are kept so nicely separated that I was immediately lost on crossing the line between France and the Low Countries, I expected to have the opportunity during my residence here of making a third visit to Brussels, if not, intending to employ some person in that city to make the necessary enquiries. A short time since, in coming down the Rhine, I found myself so near Brussels that I decided upon making my route to Paris by way of it; and it would appear that I have been quite fortunate in the time of my visit. My first object was to get admission to King Leopold's library, which I did and found by the obliging character of the guardians that I would have more than work enough for a month to overlook all the sources that could be placed at my disposal. On the second day, I was favored with an interview with the chief librarian, who recommended an application to Mr. Goethals. This person's business will give you a fair idea of the wonderful number of compartments in which every trade and profession on the continent is cut up. The King's librarian, in daily intercourse with all the fountains of knowledge, could give me no new advice or information; but Mr. Goethals, a curious fat little man, living in a very obscure part of the city, has made it his business for twenty years past to buy up, right and left, all sorts of old deeds of title and nobility, genealogical deductions, and so forth, whenever they could be got at moderate or nominal prices.

He amused me very much, being very pedantic and Macaulayising his discourse with the glittering diction of devices and heraldry, but possessing at the bottom a quantity of interesting information.

Mr. Goethals tells me that there has never existed in Brabant of the Low Countries, but one family of the “von Asbroeck's” (with its branches, of course). He believes it to be now nearly or quite extinct (except in Spain, see below), and some four years ago, he was employed by a Mademoiselle Von Asbroeck, the last of the name (as he thinks) living in that part of the Spanish possessions, in the Low Countries, to make some researches into her family history (????) she being about to marry into a wealthy Belgian family.

From these enquiries resulted the papers which he mentions in his note to me; and which I have seen, although I was not permitted to make any extract from them.

You can imagine that they are not devoid of interest (///) and they have every mark of regularity. Mr. Goethals specialty ideas would permit him to think nothing else than that you would be anxious to buy from him all the information he has upon what is (with very great probability) the ancestral line of our Hasbrouck family. I gave him no reason to hope anything of the kind, promising, however, to forward to you his proposition and the sketch of the arms which he gave me, which is already very interesting as having been made one hundred and fifty years ago. He wished you to see this sketch, hoping that if it recalled to mind the one you speak of having seen years ago in the pamphlet, you would be the more led to the purchase he proposes. If the sketch you saw was not colored, any crest engraver will be able to tell you the distributions of lines which signify the different colors (and other minutiae), in engraving and cutting (???) and this may also serve as an assistance to your memory. The papers of Mr. G. could only have their full interest by tracing the name of someone of the von Asbroecks who may have left Belgium about the time when the Hasbroucks arrived in America, and following down the descent to our days. Have you ever consulted our County and State records to see how far back the name can be made to remount?

All about Brussels are found the names which we call at one time Huguenot, and at another Dutch, a little towards France, duBois Bevier and the like; and a little towards Holland, Beekman and the like, and the various vans. In fact, on hearing Mr. Goethals talk of the old Brabant families with whose history he was acquainted, one might almost imagine himself listening to an old settler of Ulster or Albany Counties.

But if the better part of the oldest families in those and adjoining countries, are of Brabant or French Flanders origin, how do you explain the fact of their traditions of Huguenot descent for the Huguenots were certainly confined to that part of France which lies parallel with or south of Geneva, the fountain of the revolution, whence they drank in their doctrines.

Two hundred years ago, the distance between the northeastern frontiers of France and LaRochelle was immense; and I cannot find that any such names as we call Huguenot, exist at the present day in the southwest or south French departments. Being so near the French line, our ancestors in Brabant must have spoken French, and having adopted the Protestant “heresy,” were they called also by the most ready name that was found to designate them? Pray let me know your ideas about it.

Among the papers of Mr. Goethals are many sketches of the von Asbroeck arms. Those enclosed are the ones originally granted. You will notice that the first deed of nobility dates from 1486. Some years later…under the Emperor Charles the Fifth. Some members of the von Asbroeck family did something (I couldn't find out what) very much to the liking of his majesty, who thereupon made an alteration in the arms of that branch. The shield was divided by a bar in two parts, into the lower of which were placed the three burning cups, and other device which occupies the entirety of the shield as I sent it to you; and in the upper, the half body of an eagle, the first named being, of course, reduced in size to conform. If I recollect rightly, it is from the branch bearing these arms that went those members of the family who settled in Spain. The genealogical tables which Mr. Goethals has, appear to be very full, and there are marginal notes which occasionally remark upon change of resicence &c.

Among them, mention is made of an Adrien von Asbroeck, who expaatriated himself in 1625 and nothing further is heard of him, both of which circumstances are rather unusual for, of others who left Belgium, particularly of the Spanish settlers, full information is preserved. Is not the date 1625 a possible, if not a very probable date for the arrival of a Hasbrouck with Ulster Huguenots in America? This Adrien belonged to the branch bearing the original arms granted.

I have made a translation of Mr. Goethals note….

GEORGE H. SHARPE

Translation of letter to Gen. George Sharpe, 1852

8 - 7 - 1852

Sir:

I have the honor of sending to you the arms of the family von Asbroeck. These are also those of Ferdinand von Asbroeck, son of Francois Louis. The last named deceased in 1713, was a nephew of Adrien von asbroeck who left Belgium; we read in the genealogy of the family that he went out of his native land in the year 1625.

Another, John von Asbroeck, born in 1673, established himself in Spain where he has left posterity. The family von Asbroeck is allied to that of DuBois.

The sheets I possess are:

1. Arms of 1666
2. Genealogical deductions of eight ages with well-executed arms (these are beautifully painted).
3. Other quarterings very well colored.
4. Memorandums upon the Spanish von Asbroecks.
5. Diplomas of nobility on parchment of 1486 and 1548, separate, eight pages each.
6. Eight generations of the family von Asbroeck of which one is in very large form with all the arms colored.

If Mr. von Asbroeck should decide to take all pieces at the price of fine hundred francs, I will constantly make further searches in order to complete the information which they inclose.

GOETHALS

Copy of letter, Capt. R. DeL. Hasbrouck, 1924

San Pedro, Cal.
10 - 16 - 1924

Frederick R. Keator, Sec.
Holland Society of N. Y.

Dear Sir:
…
In 1894, immediately after my final graduation at the U.S. Naval Academy, I was sent as a student for a post-graduate course in France and was a student in the French Government schools from 1894 to 1896. It was during this period that I became interested, first in the town of Hazebrouck; the name is so unusual that I thought this French city, that part of France which was formerly Flanders, artois, and Picardie, must have taken its name from the family of Hasbrouck. I searched the Paris records in a desultory way with little result. However, at this time I read extensively, particularly histories of the French Huguenots and of old Flanders.

During the period June 1921 to June 1924 I was American Naval Attache, attached to the United States Embassy at Rome, Italy. I took this opportunity to get in touch with M. de Sorbiers de la Tourasse of the College Heraldique de France, and he began for me a systematic research of the French towns of old Flanders, namely: Ypres, Lille, St. Omer, Furnes, etc. M. de Sorbiers during these three years discovered a great deal of most interesting information which is included in the notes that I am forwarding to you, viz.-namely pages 1 to 16 inclusive.

The information is drawn from the following sources:

1. History of Flanders by Kervyne (small edition)
2. The Lambin Aromorial, 1813
3. Epitaphs of 1137, 1412, and 1631
4. Statistics of names
5. Terrier Villartin in the Ypres Library
6. the Museum of Ypres
7. The First Cartulaire of Artois
8. Genealogical Manuscript of M. Joigny de Pamele
9. Register of Ypres beginning 1509
10. Fonds Goethals Manuscripts, Genealogists, Genealogical Coats of Arms
11. Fond Merghelynch Furnes

It is probable that Abraham Hasbrouck knew Governor Edmund Andros and had served with him in the English Army, and it is probable that he spoke English. Calais belonged to the English until 1658. Andros served in Prince Rupert's Dragoons and the inference is that Abraham Hasbrouck also served with this military unit. It is my belief that Abraham Hasbrouck threw up his commission and went to America as incident to the disbanding of the English army by Charles the Second, in October 1660. This is a most interesting speculation and I am to continue my researches abroad in Flanders and I propose to very soon take up a search in England. The family was evidently a very prominent one and this makes the search fairly easy. If Abraham Hasbrouck served in Prince Rupert's Dragoons there should be somewhere in the English archives a record. What I am most anxious to establish is the connection between Abraham and Jean Hasbrouck in America and the Van Hazebroucks or de Hazebroucks in Flanders. A fairly good clue to date is this name of Adrien and the fact that Adrien Hazebrouck has a chateau whose location is given…

R. DeL. HASBROUCK229