Hans Hansen Bergen
Encyclopedia
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
colony of New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
, and one of the few from Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. He was a native of Bergen, Norway. Hans Hansen Bergen was a shipwright
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
who served as overseer of an early tobacco plantation on Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
Island, before eventually removing to Brooklyn's Wallabout Bay
Wallabout Bay
Wallabout Bay is small body of water in Upper New York Bay along the northwest shore of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, between the present Williamsburg and Manhattan bridges, opposite Corlear's Hook on Manhattan to the west, across the East River...
, where he was one of the earliest settlers and founded a prominent Brooklyn clan.
Biography
Hans Hansen Bergen emigrated to New NetherlandNew Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
in 1633 in a company with the Director-General of New Netherland
Director-General of New Netherland
This is a list of Directors, appointed by the Dutch West India Company, of the 17th century Dutch province of New Netherland in North America...
, Wouter Van Twiller
Wouter van Twiller
Wouter van Twiller was an employee of the Dutch West India Company and the Director-General of New Netherland from 1633 until 1638...
, and Bergen was initially known in early New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
records by various names, but chiefly Hans Hansen Noorman and Hans Hansen Boer. (The word Boer is Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
for 'farmer.')
Bergen was married to Sarah Rapelje
Sarah Rapelje
Sarah Rapelje, or Rapelie or Rapalje or Rapalye was the first white female of European parentage born in New Netherland, according to the New Netherland Project, a private effort to document New York's early Dutch history. Rapelje was first married to Norwegian emigrant Hans Hansen Bergen, who...
, the first female child of European parentage born in the colony of New Netherland and whose chair is preserved in the collection of the Museum of the City of New York
Museum of the City of New York
The Museum of the City of New York is an art gallery and history museum founded in 1923 to present the history of New York City, USA and its people...
. Following Bergen's death in 1654, his widow remarried Teunis Gysbert Bogart.
Along with his father-in-law, Joris Jansen Rapelje
Joris Jansen Rapelje
Joris Jansen Rapelje was a member of the Council of Twelve Men in the Dutch West India Company colony of New Netherland...
, Bergen acquired and managed several pieces of property. In 1647, Bergen received a patent for 400 acres (1.6 km²) in the Wallabout Bay
Wallabout Bay
Wallabout Bay is small body of water in Upper New York Bay along the northwest shore of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, between the present Williamsburg and Manhattan bridges, opposite Corlear's Hook on Manhattan to the west, across the East River...
area of present-day Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
.(Rapelje was a substantial property owner, as well as one of the Council of Twelve Men
Council of twelve men
The Council of Twelve Men was a group of 12 men chosen on 29 August 1641 by the residents of New Amsterdam to advise the Director of New Netherland, Willem Kieft, on relations with the Native Americans due to the murder of Claes Swits. Although the council was not permanent, it was the first...
.) Following his land grant, Hans Hansen Bergen moved to the area on western Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
now located within the borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, where he made his living as a farmer. Apparently illiterate, Bergen signed his name to official documents with a simple 'H'. Following Bergen's death, in 1662 two of his sons settled at what is today's Bedford, Brooklyn
Bedford, Brooklyn
Bedford is a community in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, centered approximately at the corner of modern-day Fulton Street and Franklin Avenue.Its name is better known today as part of the larger community of Bedford-Stuyvesant...
, near their Rapelje grandfather.
Bergen is a place name which today appears frequently in Brooklyn, including in the neighborhood of Bergen Beach and Bergen Street
Bergen Street (IRT Eastern Parkway Line)
Bergen Street is a local station on the IRT Eastern Parkway Line of the New York City Subway, located at Bergen Street and Flatbush Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It is served by the 2 and 3 trains, the latter of which is replaced by the 4 train during late nights.This underground station, opened...
, both named for the family. Descendants of Hans Hansen Bergen owned the land that became Bergen Beach, which they subsequently sold to entrepreneur Percy Williams, who developed it into a summer resort. Some also believe that Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
as well as Bergen Township take their names from this early Norwegian settler, although the evidence is inconclusive.
Descendants
The descendants of Hans Hansen Bergen continued to reside in Brooklyn and Kings County, New York for centuries, and owned extensive tracts of land across Brooklyn. As late as the mid-nineteenth century, Bergen family members grew up in Brooklyn spreaking Dutch. Several family members – including John Teunis BergenJohn Teunis Bergen
John Teunis Bergen was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Gowanus, Brooklyn, he completed preparatory studies and was appointed a lieutenant in the New York State Militia in 1812, and promoted to captain in 1815. He served in the War of 1812 and was sheriff of Kings County from...
and Teunis Garret Bergen – represented the area in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, as well as owning the forerunner of The Brooklyn Eagle newspaper.
Other descendants include John G. Bergen
John G. Bergen
John G. Bergen was an American public servant and New York City Police Commissioner. A member and treasurer of the Board of Police Commissioners, he and Thomas Coxon Acton assumed command of the NYPD during the New York Draft Riots after Superintendent John Kennedy was injured at the hands of a...
, the police commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
of the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
during the New York Draft Riots
New York Draft Riots
The New York City draft riots were violent disturbances in New York City that were the culmination of discontent with new laws passed by Congress to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. The riots were the largest civil insurrection in American history apart from the Civil War itself...
of 1863, and DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton was an early American politician and naturalist who served as United States Senator and the sixth Governor of New York. In this last capacity he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal...
, Mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
, Governor of New York State and United States Senator from New York. Bergen's descendants married into other early New Amsterdam families, including the Vanderbilts
Vanderbilt family
The Vanderbilt family is an American family of Dutch origin prominent during the Gilded Age. It started off with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy...
, the Voorhees, the Wyckoffs
Pieter Claesen Wyckoff
Pieter Claesen Wyckoff was a farmer and landowner in Kings County, New York. All references to the name Wyckoff, including many variations in spelling, can be traced to his family.-Meaning of the Surname:...
, the Cortelyous
Jacques Cortelyou
Jacques Cortelyou was an influential early citizen of New Amsterdam who was Surveyor General of the early Dutch colony...
, the Denyses, the Suydams, the Vanderveers
Jacobus Vanderveer House
The Jacobus Vanderveer House, also known as Knox House, is a Federal style house located just north of the village of Pluckemin, in Bedminster Township, New Jersey at the junction of US 202 and 206 north of River Road. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
, Bensons among others. Among Bergen's present-day descendants is the American political figure Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
.
The definitive history of the family of Hans Hansen Bergen and his descendants was that written by Teunis Garret Bergen in 1866. In it Bergen wrote of the derivation of the name that it is common in the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland, and that although some descendants attempted to link it with old world aristocracy, "if any of the Bergens of this vicinity have fallen into this delusion, they may as well at once descend from the lofty eminence to which they have elevated themselves, and conclude that they are descended from the commonalty instead of the aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
."
See also
- Sarah RapeljeSarah RapeljeSarah Rapelje, or Rapelie or Rapalje or Rapalye was the first white female of European parentage born in New Netherland, according to the New Netherland Project, a private effort to document New York's early Dutch history. Rapelje was first married to Norwegian emigrant Hans Hansen Bergen, who...
- Joris Jansen RapeljeJoris Jansen RapeljeJoris Jansen Rapelje was a member of the Council of Twelve Men in the Dutch West India Company colony of New Netherland...
- Teunis G. BergenTeunis G. BergenTeunis Garret Bergen was a United States Representative from New York.-Biography:Born in Brooklyn, he attended the common schools and Erasmus Hall Academy . He engaged in agricultural pursuits and surveying, and was supervisor of New Utrecht from 1836 to 1859...
- John Teunis BergenJohn Teunis BergenJohn Teunis Bergen was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Gowanus, Brooklyn, he completed preparatory studies and was appointed a lieutenant in the New York State Militia in 1812, and promoted to captain in 1815. He served in the War of 1812 and was sheriff of Kings County from...
Additional sources
- Jackson, Kenneth T. The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn (Manbeck, John B, Editor. Yale University Press: 1998)
- Walsh, Kevin. Forgotten New York: Views of a Lost Metropolis (Collins. September 26, 2006)
- Benardo, Leonard and Jennifer Weiss. Brooklyn by Name (Published by NYU Press, 2006)
External links
- Brooklyn Navy Yard
- "Wallabout Cultural Resources"
- http://books.google.com/books?id=szY7AAAAMAAJ&dq=%22hans+hansen+bergen%22&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=aJ2Cg1VA3d&sig=o3n5bE05ec2WYwtQYH9rsPhiZFQ&hl=en&ei=KJCnSbnpGpGUsAPj1tDbDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=resultThe Bergen Family, or The Descendants of Hans Hansen Bergen, One of the Early Settlers of New York, and Brooklyn, L. I., (Teunis G. Bergen, Albany, New York: Joel Munsell, 1876)]
- Princeton Class of 1863, Fortieth-Year Book, (Nassau Hall, Princeton, New Jersey: Printed for the Class, 1904)
- Scandinavian Immigrants in New York 1630-1674. (John O. Evjen, Minneapolis, Minnesota: K. C. Holter Publishing Company, 1916)
- Mr. Tunis G. Bergen Jr., President of the Brooklyn Board of Education, NYPL Digital Gallery
- Major Tunis J. Bergen's Homestead, The Last House in Brooklyn's Limits
- Van Nuyse-Bergen House, 1044 East 5th Street, Brooklyn, New York
