JONAS BRONCK
Transcribed by SRC1.
6/9/2008
"Born in 1600 in Sweden, Jonas Bronck became a seacaptain
in the Netherlands before coming to the New World in 1639. He established his
farm about where 132nd Street and Lincoln Avenue in Mott Haven is today, thus
becoming the first European settler in the area. He gave his name to the Bronx
River, from which the Borough of The Bronx and Bronx County received their
names." (The Bronx County Historical Society.)
"The first grantee under the sachems of Ranachque was Jonas Bronck, in 1639,
who subsequently obtained a " grond brief" from the Dutch authorities. In 1639
we find the patroon of Bronch's land leasing a portion of his territory in the
following manner: "Appeared before me, Cornelius van Tienhoven, secretary in New
Netherland, in presence of the undersigned witnesses — Mr. Jonas Bronck from one
side, and Peter Andriessen and Lourent Dayts from the other, who agreed together
amicably in the following manner: said Mr. Bronck shall show to the persons
aforesaid a certain lot of land, of which he is proprietor, and which is
situated opposite the river and the plain of Manhattan ; in which lot aforesaid
they may cultivate tobacco and maize, upon the express condition that they shall
clear and cultivate, every two years, a fresh spot for raising their tobacco and
maize, and then the spot which they cultivated before shall return again to Mr.
Bronck aforesaid, to dispose of according to pleasure; they shall be further
obliged to return the field that they again surrender, that it is in proper
order to be ploughed, and sowed with grain : this lot of ground they shall have
the use during three years, for which Mr. Bronck shall have no other claim than
that the land shall have been cleared and brought in a proper manner of
cultivation by the diligence of Peter Andriessen and Lourent Dayts, who from
their side shall be holden to accomplish their task. 21st July, 1639. MAUNT
JANSSEN, Witness.
We find Jonas Bronck again leasing land on the
15th of August, 1639, to Cornelius Jacobsen Stoll and John
Jacobsen.
Jonas Bronck must have died sometime prior to the year
1643, for we find his widow Antonia Slaghboom, at that date, married to Arendt
van Curler. His descendants are said to be still numerous in the vicinity of
Coxsackie, Green county, and Coeymans, Albany county, N. Y." (A History of the
County of Westchester, from Its First Settlement to the Present Time, by Robert
Bolton, Jr. Published 1848. Pages 280-281.)