Sebastiaen Jansen Krol
Encyclopedia
Bastiaen Jansz Krul (1595, Harlingen
- 14 March 1674), was Director-General of New Netherland
from 1632 to 1633.
When he was 10, Krul's family moved from Friesland
to Amsterdam
where in 1615 he married Annetje Cristoffels and in 1623 he lived on the Bloemgracht. In that year he presented himself to church elders of the Dutch Reformed Church
to be sent abroad as a "ziekentrooster" ("comforter of the sick"). On 25 January 1624 he sailed to New Netherland
, where he arrived when Cornelius May just had become the first Director-General. In November 1624 he had returned to Amsterdam and made a report to the church elders, who gave him the right to perform baptisms and weddings in the new colony. He probably sailed back to New Amsterdam
in May or June 1625, prior to the arrival of Peter Minuit
the next year.
Bastiaen Krul is most frequently remembered for arranging the purchase of the domain of Rensselaerswyck in 1630. Kiliaen van Rensselaer was one of the first to ask for a grant of land. He received a tract of country to the north and south of Fort Orange
, but not including that trading-post, which, like the island of Manhattan
, remained under the control of the Dutch West India Company
. By virtue of this grant and later purchases, van Rensselaer acquired a tract comprising what are now the counties of Albany
and Rensselaer
with part of Columbia
in the state of New York
.
Before and after his post as Director-General, Krul was commander of Fort Orange
. He returned to the Netherlands at least two more times. Between 1638 and 1643 he lived in New Netherland, but the last records of him are from September 1645 in "Old" Amsterdam.
Harlingen
Harlingen may mean:* Harlingen, Netherlands, a municipality and city in the province of Friesland* Harlingen, Texas, a city in the United States* Harlingen, New Jersey, an unincorporated village in Montgomery Township, New Jersey, United States...
- 14 March 1674), was 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...
from 1632 to 1633.
When he was 10, Krul's family moved from Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
where in 1615 he married Annetje Cristoffels and in 1623 he lived on the Bloemgracht. In that year he presented himself to church elders of the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
to be sent abroad as a "ziekentrooster" ("comforter of the sick"). On 25 January 1624 he sailed to New Netherland
New 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...
, where he arrived when Cornelius May just had become the first Director-General. In November 1624 he had returned to Amsterdam and made a report to the church elders, who gave him the right to perform baptisms and weddings in the new colony. He probably sailed back to 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....
in May or June 1625, prior to the arrival of Peter Minuit
Peter Minuit
Peter Minuit, Pieter Minuit, Pierre Minuit or Peter Minnewit was a Walloon from Wesel, in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, then part of the Duchy of Cleves. He was the Director-General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1633, and he founded the Swedish colony of...
the next year.
Bastiaen Krul is most frequently remembered for arranging the purchase of the domain of Rensselaerswyck in 1630. Kiliaen van Rensselaer was one of the first to ask for a grant of land. He received a tract of country to the north and south of Fort Orange
Fort Orange
Fort Orange was the first permanent Dutch settlement in New Netherland and was on the site of the present-day city of Albany, New York. It was a replacement for Fort Nassau, which had been built on nearby Castle Island in the Hudson River, and which served as a trading post until 1617 or 1618,...
, but not including that trading-post, which, like the island of 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...
, remained under the control of the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
. By virtue of this grant and later purchases, van Rensselaer acquired a tract comprising what are now the counties of Albany
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
and Rensselaer
Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
with part of Columbia
Columbia County, New York
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...
in the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Before and after his post as Director-General, Krul was commander of Fort Orange
Fort Orange
Fort Orange was the first permanent Dutch settlement in New Netherland and was on the site of the present-day city of Albany, New York. It was a replacement for Fort Nassau, which had been built on nearby Castle Island in the Hudson River, and which served as a trading post until 1617 or 1618,...
. He returned to the Netherlands at least two more times. Between 1638 and 1643 he lived in New Netherland, but the last records of him are from September 1645 in "Old" Amsterdam.
Additional reading
- William Elliot GriffisWilliam Elliot GriffisWilliam Elliot Griffis was an American orientalist, Congregational minister, lecturer, and prolific author....
The Story of New Netherland. The Dutch In America (Chapter VI. The Riverside Press. Cambridge. 1909) - Allen Johnson, Ed. Dutch and English on the Hudson (Chapter IV . New Haven: Yale University Press. 1919)