Tomys Swartwout facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tomys Swartwout
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | June 1, 1607 |
| Died | October 1679 |
| Spouse(s) |
Ariaentjen Sijmons
(m. 1630; Hendrickjen Barents Smient
(after 1631) |
| Children | 9, including Roeloff Swartwout |
| Parent(s) | Rolef Swartwout Catryna Swartwout |
Tomys Swartwout was an important person in the early history of New Netherland, which is now part of the United States. He was born in 1607 in Groningen, Netherlands, and passed away in 1679 in Amsterdam. Tomys was one of the first people to bring tobacco from New Netherland to Europe. He also helped start the town of Midwood in Brooklyn, New York.
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Tomys Swartwout's Early Life
Tomys Swartwout was born in 1607 in Groningen, Netherlands. His parents were Rolef Swartwout and Catryna Swartwout.
Tomys became one of the first people from New Netherland to trade American tobacco. He started a business in Amsterdam in 1629. His older brothers, Wybrant and Herman, were already in the tobacco business.
Moving to New Amsterdam
In March 1652, Tomys Swartwout and his family left Amsterdam for New Netherland. He joined with Jan Snedeker and Jan Stryker. They asked Director-General Peter Stuyvesant for permission to settle together. They wanted to live on a flat, wild area of land. This area was near the farms of Breukelen and Amersfoort.
Tomys Swartwout suggested naming their new settlement Midwout. This name meant "middle woods" in Dutch. Today, this area is known as Midwood in Brooklyn, New York.
A Leader in the New Settlement
In April 1655, Director-General Stuyvesant chose Tomys Swartwout to be a schepen. A schepen was like a judge or a town leader. He served with Jan Snedeker and Adriaen Hegeman in the Midwout Court.
Because he was one of the first settlers, Tomys Swartwout received a special land grant. The leaders of New Netherland gave him 116 acres of land on April 13, 1655.
Fighting for Fairness
Tomys Swartwout was one of 19 people who signed an important paper. It was called the "Humble Remonstrance and Petition." This paper was sent to Director-General Stuyvesant on December 11, 1653. It was a big step in the fight for democracy in America.
The paper complained that Stuyvesant chose leaders himself instead of letting people vote. This idea later helped inspire Jacob Leisler's efforts for more democracy in New Amsterdam.
Tomys Swartwout's Family
In March 1630, Tomys married Ariaentjen Sijmons in Amsterdam. Sadly, she passed away nine months later in December 1630. She died after giving birth to their only child, Jan Swartwout.
On June 3, 1631, Tomys married Hendrickjen Barents Smient. They had eight children together. Their children included Roeloff, who later founded the towns of Kingston and Hurley. Other children were Cornelis, Barent, Trijntje, Jacomijntje, and Rachel.
Tomys Swartwout did not die in New Netherland as some people thought. He returned to Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic. Records show he was a witness there many times starting in 1664. He and his wife lived on a street called Herengracht. Tomys passed away in Amsterdam in 1679 and was buried there on October 15, 1679.
