In 1604, Reijer and his wife proudly brought their new baby son to the Nieuwe Kerk ( the New Church) on Dam Square to be baptised. They called him Reijer, the son of Reijer (or Reijersz). Like most Dutch boys, he grew up happily along the canals and learned his first Bible lessons from the Delft tiles around the fireplace.

When he became a young man, he learned the trade of making rope. There was a great need for rope in those days. The Dutch ships, which carried on the country's trade around the world, used vast quantities of it rigging their sails. There were more common uses for it as well, for when the good Dutchman of that era wanted to move a heavy chest or a bed to a higher floor of his narrow house, he needed a block and tackle with good stout rope to hoist it up the outside of the house and in through an upper window.

By the time Reijer was 26 he has taken notice of a pretty girl who lived a few blocks away on Rosenstraat (Rose Street)). She was Marritje Francen, the daughter of Frans Van (from) Swindrecht. Attracted by it's prosperity, Marritje and her family had moved to Amsterdam from a small village of Swindrecht (today Zwindrecht near Dortrecht).

Young people in Holland married later than we are accustomed to today. She was 29 and he was 26 when on a c old December day just after Christmas in the year 1630, Reijer and Marritje walked to the Nieuwe Kerk to make their "intention to marry" known to the Dominie. Reijer and Marritje carefully made their marks in the registry book.

On Sunday January 26, 1631, Marritje & Reijer were united in marriage by the Dominie Badins at the Nieuwe kerk, Amsterdam, Holland.

The doctrines of John Calvin were preached in this Dutch Reformed Church. Research back to the beginnings of record-keeping in Amsterdam is a very complicated and difficult process. Besides the language barrier, one must acquire the skill to decipher 17th Century Dutch handwriting. Reijersz and Reijersen were very common names and there was a sizable number of them living in Amsterdam at the beginning of the 1600's. There was also another family called Reijniersen living there at the time. The addition of an "n" in the middle of these similar names complicated the search even further!

A look at the baptismal records was a melancholy one. Families had many children, whose funeral notices were duly recorded in the mortuary books, Besides the high incidence of infant death, the plague struck time and time again throughout the 17th Century. We are unsure how many children Reijer and Marritje had. There is record of at least three unnamed infants born to fathers named Reijer Reijersz-sen, who were buried in the graveyard near the church.

From the baptismal record of the Nieuwe Kerk we find the record of the birth of Marten, the son of Reijer and Marritje. The sponsor at this happy event was Trijntje Hendrix. The entry is dated 23, Nov 1637. Marten survived to become the next in our line of ancestors.

A baby daughter was also born to Reijer and Marritje on 20 Feb 1639. They named her Geertruid Reijersz. The sponsor at her baptism was Maritje Jaspers. Unfortunately, there is no further information available about this child and regrettfully, we must assume that she did not reach adulthood.

According to the Ryerson Genealogy Printed in 1916, By Albert Winslow Ryerson, there was another,older son named Adriaen. A baptismal record for this boy has not yet been found, however, the available records are by no means complete. A theory put fourth by an earlier historian suggest that Adriaen was in fact, the son of Ryer Elbertsen who settled in Albany, NY in the 1650's. In fact, upon close investigation, there is much evidence to disprove this idea. With examination of the early records in the village of Swindrecht, however, another possibility emerges. Another source shows the pros and cons of Adriaen being the Adriaen, son of Ryers Elbertszen.

Pros

1. The Dutch naming system of family naming was not always used with Adriaen's Family. the fact that he used names such as Elbert and Gozen/Goosen is significant since those given names are not that common.

2. No son named Adriaen has been found baptized in Amsterdam to Reijer Ryerszen and Marritje Frans.

3. Adriaen and Marten lived near each other in Kings co., L.I., but never once witnessed each other's baptisms. In fact, no relationship can be shown except they lived near each other and had a common patronymic name.

4. We know Ryer Elbertszen had sons Gerrit and Adriaen. We know what happened to Gerrit. What happened to Adriaen?

Cons

1. Adriaen Ryerszen stated in 1687 that he had been in the country 41 years, resulting in settlement date of 1647. The date of Sept.. 25, 1651 (Settlers of Rensselaerswyck 1630-1658,ed by A.J.F. Van Laer, p. 42) is not necessarily a date of arrival for Reyer Elbertszen in Rensselaerswyck area, but the first record of him in that colony. He could have been at Fort Orange (independent of Rensselaerswyck) or another part of Netherland and not have been recorded. (Fort Orange records start in 1652.) Also Adriaen, after 41 years, may not have remembered the year correctly, especially if he were a boy in 1647. these boys would not have come to New Netherland as children, unless sent by the Orphan master or accompanied by a parent or step parent.

2. Early secondary sources stated that they were brothers. this apparently originated with Rev. Garret Schenck about 1860. However sometimes Rev. Garret Schenck used hearsay.

In summary, It is Very possible that Adriaen is the son of Ryer Elbertszen. the date of Marten's arrival all depends on the relationship between Marten and Adriaen and that Adriaen came to New Netherland in 1647 without parents at age about 15 and marten age 10. This does not sound realistic, unless they were sent by the Orphan master.

Now Let Get back to Marritje Francen........

In effort to find the baptismal record for Marritje Francen, a close examination was made of all available records from the village of Swindrecht. The family of Frans, Franzen etc. is well represented in the church membership lists. there is no doubt that this was her home town and these were her relatives. Curiously, the list also includes the Family Joost Reijersz who has a son, Adriaen, baptised in 1628 It is possibility (but by no means conclusive) that Adriaen, and Martin Reijersz might have been cousins who would one day sail to a far off New Netherlands together to begin a new life in a new country. It is hoped that future historians will further explore in this direction..

This note of information seems to link with my personal thoughts, that Adriaen was Martens cousin. It could be that Martens father had a brother named Joost, Joost could have died and Reijer took over raising his brothers son OR Martens father died and his brother Joost raised Marten. Until we know for sure we can only assume....

Marritje Francen (Frans in some records) died on 28 April 1643 and was laid to rest in graveyard of the Nieuwe Kerk on 3 May 1643. The death register of this church shows over 500 burials for that year. surely evidence of the plague or some other epidemic. there were 53 deaths in the month of August alone. The membership of the church was gutted by this awful disease and record keeping incomplete. a death record for her husband Reijer Reijerszen has not yet been definitely located but it is possible he died about this same time, leaving their sons, sic year old Marten and his older Brother Adriaen, orphans, to be cared for by relatives. What relatives?

Could it be possible that Marten then lived with Adriaen's Parents his father's brother? It states in the Ryerson Genealogy, that Adriaen sailed to little settlement New Netherlands in 1646 when he was in his teens. He brought with him his little brother (cousin?) Marten who was not quite 10 years old.

Now if Martin was 6 when his father died who raised him until he left with Adriaen to come to the New Netherlands? Could it be that Adriaen' father did and when he died and there was no one there to help take care of them so Adriaen being the oldest decided the take his younger cousin and sail for a new world? Another question that needs to be answered!!

It could be that they came over with Martin Mother's family and not as orphans fort we find a Thomas Franzen who was a member of the New Amsterdam Dutch Church in 1663 as well as Lysbeth, the Daughter of Hendrick Francyn. Marten Reijersen stood as witness as her baptism at the New Amsterdam Dutch church in 1672. Lastly, there is the fact that Marten's death, his widow, Annetje Rapalje, married Joost Frans. the repeated connections between these families is more than Coincidental.

Now if this is the case then I would tend to believe that Adriaen and Martin still were cousins and since both sets of parents died they were both raised by Martin's mother's family or his older cousins.. I do believe that Adriaen is a cousin and NOT a brother