Josias Jansze DRATZ

According to JJDNN, Josias is the head of the only early American DRAKE family that came from Holland. He came to America (first New Amsterdam, then Brooklyn) from Amsterdam in 1661. Although not certain, he appears to have been born in Amsterdam Jesayas Jansze DOUWESZ. It appears that his forbears came to Holland from England (based on the traditions and characteristics of the descendants). Josias married Aeltje in 1682. Josias took the oath of allegiance to the British Crown in 1687 and was on the assessment roll (Brooklyn) in 1683. In 1692 he lived in Newtown.

The following information is from Michael Boyer O'LEARY (mboleary@mit.edu):

A section from the DGSD book cited below [This book begins with Josias Jansze DRATZ and wife Aeltje Adams BROWER, d/o Adam BROWER, and gives their seven children, including a 2nd son, John, b. 9-14-1722, and a 3rd son, William, b.11-9-1730 [these appear to be children of Josias' and Aeltje's son John]. As "Generation 1," it gives Josias Jansze DRATZ, b. Holland (but "traditions and characteristics of his descendants preclude any but English orgins"), d. 1701 Brooklyn, NY, m. 4-30-1682 Aeltje Adams BROWER, dau. of Adam BROWER.

Then, it gives "Jans or John DRAKE" as one of his sons Josias's and Aeltje's sons, bapt. 12:11:1687 in Brooklyn, md. 2-24-1720 Madelina BROWER, b. 1704 (bapt. March 8), d/o Jacobus and Annette (BOGARDUS) BROWER of Gowanus, LI, NY; with Jacobus listed as son of Adam BROWER and brother of John DRAKE's mother. It gives Annette BOGARDUS as d/o William and Wyntie (SYBRANT) BOGARDUS, son of Rev. Everardus BOGARDUS and Anneke JANS, "who was the daughter of Anneke WEBBER, said to be daughter of King William the 14th of Holland." It goes on to say that John DRAKE "evidently lived in the neighborhood of Brooklyn for some years, but in later life settled and died at Goshen, NY. He evidently made a second marriage." This reference to a second marriage is apparently based on a 2-6-1779 will for John DRAKE of Goshen, yeoman, (probated 1-28-1780) which lists wife Martha, sons Benjamin, Joseph, Samuel, William, and Zephaniah; heirs of son John: daughters, Martha JACKSON, Mary HOLLY, and Esther KNAPP; granddaughters Martha and Mary, daughters of Joseph HOLLY. It goes on to mention "Home farm land in Queens and Kings County inherited from grandfather Adam BROWER, personal estate." I'm not yet sure whether the eight children listed in this book are John's by 1st wife Madelina BROWER or by apparent 2nd wife, Martha OLDFIELD.

The above book lists Esther3 (Jans/John2, Josias Jantze1) DRAKE, b. Aug. 1727, m. James KNAPP. Esther is listed as John's fifth child, but this book does not make it clear whether Esther was d/o John's 1st wife Madelina BROWER, or his apparent 2nd wife, Martha. For the answer to this, I turn to another source:

Page copied from genealogy of Samuel GRASSET (recently mailed to me by Talma KLASSEN). Describes family of Marthe/Martha GRASSET, b. La Rochelle 1 Oct 1675, md. prior to 28 May 1699 Joseph OLDFIELD, copper [sic; cooper?] son of John and Sara OLDFIELD of Jamaica, Queens, NY, who d. between 14 May 1741 (will) and 24 Nov 1742 (probate). The 1st child of this couple is Martha OLDFIELD, b. ca. 1698, Jamaica, d. aft 6 Feb 1779 (mentioned in husband's will), m. 1718/19 John DRAKE (son of Josias and Aelje [BROWER] DRATZ or DRAKE, bapt. 11 Dec 1687, Brooklyn, Kings, NY); resided at Goshen, NY and had issue.

This page (well and critically) sourced indicates that your Esther (and her younger brother William) was daughter of John DRAKE's second wife, Martha. For the 1718/1719 date of John and Martha's marriage, it gives the following source: "Their eldest son Josias or Joseph DRAKE was bapt. 8 Jan 1721/2. Louis S. DRAKE in JJDNN gives baptismal dates for twelve children of this couple [i.e., John and Martha [OLDFIELD] DRAKE] but does not give the source of this information."

Phoebe (MzCortez@aol.com) included in a list of wills mentioning Goshen, NY, a will for Joseph OLDFIELD (father in law of Josias' son John, who m. Martha OLDFIELD): "1742 OLDFIELD, Joseph G. Son Joseph, Elias, Augustus Dau Mary SMITH, Martha DRAKE, Esther HALSTEAD son in law Richard HALSTEAD". I'll put this here for now, since I don't yet have a page for Joseph OLDFIELD.

Cindy WINKLER (aka Ghost Hunter, gosthunt@capital.net) of the NYORANGE rootsweb group maintains 2 websites, the first of interest to Anneke JANS relatives: The Anneke Jans and Everardus Bogardus web page and the Quackenbosch/Quackenbush Family Page.

Sources: