Jan Cornelise Damen

1. JAN CORNELISZEN DAMEN was born about 1638 in the Netherlands; died 1707 Flatbush NY. He emigrated from Bunnik in 1650 and married SOPHIA/FYTIE MARTENSE/MARTYNS born about 1640. On 14 Jan 1674 he is listed, along with his wife Sophia, as sponsor at the baptism of Thys Janse Buys, son of Jan Cornelise Buys aka Jan Cornelise Damen and his wife, Willemtie Thyssen. The baptismal records show the sponsors names as: "Jan Cornliszen RYCK and Sytke MARTENS" with a footnote that these were Jan Cornelis DAMEN aka RYCK and Sytie [sic] MARTENS. There is a further reference to Jan Cornelise DAMEN as Jan RYCK in Riker's Revised History of Harlem. Riker states that on 18 April 1671 Jan Cornelisz De Ryck was appointed overseer of the new road to be built "on this and the other side of the Fresh Water". This referred to a carriage road proposed between New York and Harlem. By 1655 Jan was in Brooklyn and on 29 April 1655 he purchased a house and land adjoining that of Jan Dirksen in Brooklyn from Cornelius Van Tienhoven. By 1663 he was in Flatbush NY. He kept a tavern in 1677 in the house in Brooklyn. On 21 Aug 1662 Jan bought a farm on the west side of the road in Flatbush from Cornelis Hendrickse Van Eens. He sold this farm on 10 Aug 1664 to Claes Melles Baes.


There has been much confusion over Jan Cornelis Buys aka Damen, who was the son of Hendrickje Janse Damen. When Hendrickje died, her brother, Jan Janse Damen, who was married to Adrienne Cuvielle adopted his nephew, Jan Cornelis Buys. Thus Jan Buys was also known as Jan Damen. In 1674 Jan is recorded as residing at Norman's Kil where he purchased a farm at Kyckuyt from Claes Claessen Smit. In 1677 he was a member of the Reformed Dutch Church of Brooklyn living in the Wallabout. He also was listed on a patent of Brooklyn in 1677 and took the oath of allegiance there in 1687. In 1686 Jan bought the main portion of the farm of Pieter Ceser Alburtus at the Wallabout. In 1679 Jan Damen and his wife were accepted as member of the Breukelen Church. In 1663 the inhabitants of Brooklyn presented a petition to the Council of New Netherlands; Jan Damen was one of the signers. On 1 Sep 1680, he made a joint will with his wife, Sophia, which was probated on 3 Sep 1706.

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