Joris Jansen Rapelje facts for kids

Joris Jansen Rapelje (born April 28, 1604 – died February 21, 1662 or 1663) was an important early settler in New Netherland. This was a Dutch colony in what is now the United States. He was a member of the Council of Twelve Men, a group that helped govern the colony. Joris and his wife, Catalina Trico, were among the very first people to move to this new land from Europe.

Biography

Early Life and Journey to America

Joris Rapelje was born in 1604 in a place called Valenciennes, which is now in France. He worked with textiles, like cloth. In 1624, when he was 19, he married Catalina Trico in Amsterdam. Just four days after their wedding, they left Amsterdam for North America.

They traveled on one of the first ships bringing new settlers and workers to New Netherland. Many of the families on these ships were Walloons. Walloons were French-speaking people from areas that are now part of Belgium and France.

Settling in New Netherland

The Rapelje family first worked at Fort Orange. This fort was being built by the Dutch West India Company as a trading post. It was located on the Hudson River in what is now Albany, New York. Fort Orange became an official outpost for the company in the upper Hudson Valley.

By 1626, Dutch leaders moved most of the settlers from Fort Orange. They went to Fort Amsterdam, which was at the southern tip of Manhattan. The Rapelje family made their home near the East River. They were among the first people to buy land on Manhattan Island. Later, they built two houses on Pearl Street, close to the fort.

Life in Brooklyn

In 1637, Joris Rapelje bought a large piece of land, about 335 acres (1.36 square kilometers). This land was around Wallabout Bay in what is now Brooklyn. His son-in-law, Hans Hansen Bergen, also bought a big area next to Rapelje's land. Today, the place where the Rapelje family's farm stood is the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

In 1641, Joris Rapelje became one of the Council of Twelve Men. He represented Manhattan, Breukelen (Brooklyn), and Pavonia. From 1655 to 1660, he served as a magistrate for Brooklyn. A magistrate is like a local judge or official. He died in Breuckelen, New Netherland.

Family

Rapelye Street sign

Property of the Rapelje family, Brooklyn, around 1835

Home of the Rapelje family, near the North River. Drawing by Eliza Pratt Greatorex

Rapelye Estate, 45th Street, North River

Joris Jansen Rapelje and Catalina Trico had 11 children. One of their daughters was Sarah Rapelje. She was the first girl of European parents born in New Netherland. Sarah Rapelje's chair is now in the Museum of the City of New York. People believe her family brought it with them to New Netherland.

Their daughter Annetje married Martin Ryerson. They had many children. Another daughter, Jannetje, married Rem Jansen Vanderbeek. His family later took the name Remsen. They became a very important trading family in New York.

Because they had so many children, Joris and Catalina have many descendants today. Some people estimate they have about a million descendants. The author Russell Shorto even called them the "Adam and Eve" of New Netherland.

A street in Brooklyn, Rapelye Street, is named after the family. The family name has been spelled in many ways over the years. These include Rapelye, Rapalje, Raplee, and Rappleyea.

A town in Montana, Rapelje, Montana, is named after a family descendant. This was J. M. Rapelje, who was a general manager for a railway company. Also, Captain Daniel Rapelje, another family descendant, started the settlement that became St. Thomas, Ontario in Canada.

See also

In Spanish: Joris Jansen Rapelje para niños