Martense family papers
Call Number
Dates
Creator
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Language of Materials
Abstract
The Martense family papers include deeds, indentures, wills, estate administration documents, promissory notes, bills of sale for enslaved African-Americans, correspondence, and photographs and other images. The bulk of the documents date from the 1700s to circa 1876. The images date from circa 1870 to circa 1944. Deeds and other land transaction documents dating from the 1700s comprise the largest portion of the collection. The Martense family lived in Flatbush, now part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, and most of the collection concerns that area. Correspondence in the collection dates from 1837-1839 and includes several letters sent to Gerrit Martense at Rutgers College in New Brunswick, N.J., by his family in Flatbush. Subjects of the letters include domestic and local matters. The letters, and other documents in the collection, also refer to dealings concerning one Juan Scorsur, an Italian immigrant to New York attempting to acquire real estate in Brooklyn while residing for an extended time in Cuba. In addition to multiple generations of Martenses, among the surnames found in the collection are Cornell, Hegeman, Lefferts, Remsen, Suydam, Terhune, Van Brunt, Van der Bilt, Van der Veer, and Waldron. The bulk of the collection is in English, but there are several documents in Dutch and one in Spanish. BHS has transcriptions and English translations of documents originally written in Dutch. The photographs and other images, to the extent they are identified, are principally of members of the Wilbur family, into which a Martense married.
Biographical / Historical
The Martense family was among the early settlers of Flatbush, in what is now the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. They were descendants of Marten Adrianse (or Adriaence) (1668-1754), the second son of Adrian Ryerson. Just as Marten was known as Adrianse (child of Adrian) from his father's name, similarly, in the next generation, Marten's second son took the name Gerrit Martense (1697-1732). Subsequent generations of sons into the early 1800s retained the surname Martense, though with some variant spellings, and the first names Gerrit and Leffert appear often in this family line. Their wives came from the families Vanderbilt, Suydam, Cortelyou, Vanderveer, and Ditmas. Gerrit Martense (1823-1849) and Jane A. Ditmas had a daughter, Jane V. Martense (1846-1912), who married Lionel Wilbur (d. 1880?). Their daughter, Anna M. Wilbur (d. 1930) came into possession of these papers. (From genealogy note by Dorothy Truman (see first folder of collection) and The Ryerson Genealogy by Albert Winslow Ryerson, on the BHS library shelves at call number CS71.R947.1916.)
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by document type and chronologically within type. Oversize material is in a separate flat box.
Scope and Contents
The Martense family papers include deeds, indentures, wills, estate administration documents, bills of sale for enslaved African Americans, correspondence, and photographs and other images. The bulk of the documents date from the 1700s to about 1876. Most of the images date from the twentieth century, though some likely date to about the 1870s.
Land transaction documents (1722-1833) comprise the largest portion of the collection. Most of these date from the 1700s and concern property in Flatbush, now part of the borough of Brooklyn, New York City. Brooklyn, Flatlands, and New Jersey are also represented in the land transactions. In addition to Martense, among the surnames found in the deeds are Cornell, Hegeman, Lefferts, Remsen, Suydam, Terhune, Van Brunt, Van der Bilt, Van der Veer, and Waldron. A small number of promissory notes (1728-1745, 1850) are also in the collection. A few wills and estate administration documents (1731-1876) concerning the Martense, Lefferts, and Cortelyou families are in the collection. There are several documents in Dutch, dating from 1675-1748; these appear to be legal transactions. Brooklyn Historical Society has transcriptions and English translations of the documents in Dutch. There are eight enslaved people bills of sale (1753-1812), principally concerning Flatbush families.
The correspondence in the collection dates from 1837-1839. It includes several letters sent to Gerrit Martense at Rutgers College in New Brunswick, N.J. by his family in Flatbush. Subjects of the letter include family health, neighborhood occurrences, local weddings and deaths, comments on local politics, finances, intended visits, and other familial matters. Two letters discuss a theft by an African American, his arrest and multiple escapes. The letters, and other documents in the collection, also refer to dealings concerning one Juan Scorsur, an Italian immigrant to New York attempting to acquire real estate in Brooklyn while residing for an extended time on business in Cuba. One of the Scorsur documents is in Spanish.
Among the miscellaneous documents are a power of attorney from the trustees of Erasmus Hall to Gerrit L. Martense (1818); receipts (1708-1828); and a warrant to Flatbush tax assessors (1717).
The photographs and other images (circa 1870 to circa 1944), to the extent they are identified, are principally of members of the Wilbur family, including Anna Martense Wilbur, Jane V. Martense Wilbur, and Martense Wilbur. There are two cartes-de-visite and two cabinet cards among the formats. Most of the images are of women.
Subjects
Families
Genres
Topics
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction. For access to transcribed and translated documents originally written in Dutch, please contact Brooklyn Historical Society at library@brooklynhistory.org.
Conditions Governing Use
With exception of some of the images, the materials are in the public domain.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Martense family papers, ARC.285; Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated to the Brooklyn Historical Society in 1994 by Mrs. Isabel Woonton of Ontario, Canada. The collection had been in the possession of Mrs. Wooton's aunt, Miss Jane McKee, who was the friend and companion of Miss Anna Martense Wilbur, a descendant of the Martense family. Miss Wilbur died in 1930. After Miss McKee died in 1973 the collection went to her niece, Mrs. Merle McKillop and, at her death, to another niece, Mrs. Woonton. After unsuccessful attempts to pass the papers on to Miss Wilbur's remaining relations, Mrs Woonton gave the collection to Mrs. Dorothy P. Truman of Morristown, N.J., for an appropriate disposition. Mrs. Truman identified Brooklyn Historical Society for the donation.
Separated Materials
Various items were separated from the collection by Brooklyn Historical Society at the time of its donation in 1994:
Three items were removed for special collections or other library handling: A pamphlet with the by-laws of the Flatbush Fire Company (undated); The Social History of Flatbush . . . by Gertrude Lefferts Vanderbilt; and The Historie of Phillip De Commines Knight, . . . (London, 1601).
Two items were separated to the museum collection: An oval brass box engraved "Garret Martense His Box was born in the year 1698 died in the year 1732 we must all run that speedy race"; and a small oval silver/pewter engraved "G.L. Martense, Flatbush, L.I."
Sixteen postcards and 29 photographs. In 2012, those images that could be re-associated with the collection were returned to it. This included many of the photographs, but none of the postcards.
Other Finding Aids
A copy of the original inventory of the collection as accessioned, with item-level description for most of the documents, is filed with the collection.
About this Guide
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Dorothy P. Truman on behalf of the donor in 1993 prior to its donation to the Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS). Truman's work included both the physical arrangement of items and a finding aid with an inventory of content. At donation, BHS separated some materials from the collection (see separated materials note below), including objects, images and postcards; otherwise left Truman's arrangement intact. In 2012, as many of the separated images as could be re-associated with the collection were returned to it; none of the postcards could be re-integrated. Also in 2012, Larry Weimer used Truman's finding aid as a base for input to a collection management system, Archivists' Toolkit, to produce a new finding aid. In October 2020, Eric Platt transcribed the collection's documents which are written in Dutch and created English translations. For access to the transcriptions and translations, please contact Brooklyn Historical Society at library@brooklynhistory.org.
Oppressive descriptive language was remediated from subject terms, abstract, and scope and contents notes in this finding aid as part of an anti-racist descriptive language audit performed in December 2020.