Manuscript Group 594, Cortelyou Family (Ten Mile Run, NJ) Papers, 1732-1940 (Bulk dates: 1800-1880)

Archive Documents, Manuscripts, Maps, & Photographs

Manuscript Group 594, Cortelyou Family (Ten Mile Run, NJ)
Papers, 1732-1940 (Bulk dates: 1800-1880), 0.25 linear feet / 1 small box
Call Number: MG 594

Summary

• Biographical Note
• Provenance Note
• Scope and Content Note
• Folder List
• Cortelyou Family Tree

Summary:

Letters, poetry, deeds, indentures, and land surveys of this Middlesex County and Somerset County family. Included is a daybook and many other items pertaining to Henry P. Cortelyou (1823-1910), a farmer from Ten Mile Run (now part of New Brunswick).

Biographical Note:

The Cortelyou Family is descended from Neeltje Van Duyn (d. ca. 1695) and Jaques Cortelyou (ca. 1625-1693), who arrived in New York from France in 1652.

Hendrick Cortelyou (1761-1841), Jaques and Neeltje’s great-great-grandson, was a farmer in Ten Mile Run (now part of New Brunswick), New Jersey and a soldier in the American Revolution. On November 15, 1787, he married Ann DeHart (1762-1793), with whom he had two children: Hendrick (Henry H.) (1789-1856) and Mary (1792-1794). After the death of his wife, Hendrick married Elizabeth Nevius (1762-1848), the widow of Lucas Voorhees, on July 8, 1795. Elizabeth and Hendrick had four children together: Peter (1796-1879), Anne (1798-1808), Lucas (1800-1808), and Maria (1804-1808).

Peter Cortelyou was born on September 27, 1796 in Ten Mile Run, New Jersey. As a young adult Peter Cortelyou worked in a store at Griggstown or Rocky Hill, New Jersey, though later in life, he worked and managed his farm in Ten Mile Run. On September 23, 1820, Peter Cortelyou married Mary Ann Gulick (1800-1831), and with her had four children, two of whom died in early childhood. Their two surviving children were Elizabeth (1821-1899) and Henry Peter (1823-1910). After Mary Ann Cortelyou’s death, Peter married Julia Beekman (1804-1872) with whom he had another son: Peter (1848-1930). Peter Cortelyou, Sr. died at his daughter Elizabeth’s residence in New Brunswick, New Jersey on August 25, 1879.

Henry Peter Cortelyou was born at Ten Mile Run on December 4, 1823. At the age of eight, his mother passed away and he went to live with his paternal grandparents, while his sister Elizabeth lived with their maternal grandparents. As a young adult, Henry went to Fairview, Illinois with the intention of permanently settling there. After returning to New Jersey for his sister’s wedding, however, he settled in Franklin Park, New Jersey with his new wife, Margaret Hageman (1830-1900), whom he married in October of 1850. Henry P. Cortelyou managed his farm, while also serving as a collector for Franklin Township, president of the Hillsborough Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and in numerous offices in the Dutch Reformed Church of Six Mile Run (Franklin Park).

Margaret and Henry P. Cortelyou had three daughters: Sarah Frances (1853-1922), Mary Ann (1858-1898), and Elizabeth Brokaw (1866-1940). Henry Peter Cortelyou died in Franklin Park on October 31, 1910.

See Cortelyou Family Tree.

Sources:

Cortelyou, Jan Van Zandt. The Cortelyou Genealogy: A Record of Jaques Corteljou and of many of his Descendants (Brown Printing Service: Lincoln, Nebraska, 1942).

Provenance Note:

The source of this collection is unknown.

Scope and Content Note:

The Papers contain the correspondence, literary documents, legal documents, financial documents, and printed materials of the Cortelyou family of Ten Mile Run, New Jersey. The papers date from 1732-1940, with bulk dates of 1800-1880, and are arranged by document type.

The correspondence dates from 1817-1904, but is largely made up of letters between the members of Henry P. Cortelyou’s family during a trip Margaret (Hageman) Cortelyou took to Fairview, Illinois in 1880. The letters have been arranged alphabetically by recipient and then by author.

The literary documents consist of a diary, poetry, essays, and a lesson book from various members of the Cortelyou family. The diary dates from October 2-April 11 of an unspecified year, and although it is unsigned, it probably belonged to Julia Ann Beekman (Cortelyou) since her birthday and the author’s birthday are the same. The entries are very religious in tone. The poetry largely consists of love poems and valentines written between Henry P. Cortelyou and his wife Margaret Hageman, while the lesson book, dating from 1839, belonged to Henry P. Cortelyou and contains both language and writing exercises.

The legal documents largely consist of land deeds of the Cortelyou and allied Hageman and Gulick families. The deeds have been divided by family and then arranged chronologically, dating from 1732-1822. This series also contains a few land survey maps, a bond, and a power of attorney.

The financial documents consist of receipts, bills and a daybook / account book belonging to Henry P. Cortelyou. The daybook / account book dates from 1852-1870 and contains financial records from Cortelyou’s farm.

The final series contains various printed materials including an issue of The Tyro, the newspaper of the Poughkeepsie Collegiate Institute for Young Ladies, which Elizabeth Brokaw Cortelyou attended, and a newspaper article on the assassination of President William McKinley.

Folder List:

Cortelyou Family Tree:

Hendrick Cortelyou (1736-1800) = Johanna Stoothoff (1742-1809)

           |

*Hendrick Cortelyou (1761-1841)

William Cortelyou (1763-1838)

Jaques Cortelyou (1765-1777)

Sarah Cortelyou (1767-1793)

Albert Cortelyou (1768-1825)

Peter Cortelyou (1768-1828)

John Cortelyou (1772-1843)

Harmon Cortelyou (1774-1849)

Ann Cortelyou (1777-1777)

Jaques Cortelyou (1778-1863)

Abraham Cortelyou (1780-1854)

*Hendrick Cortelyou (1761-1841) = 1) Ann DeHart (1762-1793)

           |

Hendrick (Henry H.) Cortelyou (1789-1856)

Mary Cortelyou (1792-1794)

*Hendrick Cortelyou (1761-1841) = 2) Elizabeth Nevius (1762-1848)

           |

**Peter Cortelyou (1796-1879)

Anne Cortelyou (1798-1808)

Lucas Cortelyou (1800-1808)

Maria Cortelyou (1804-1808)

**Peter Cortelyou (1796-1879) = 1) Mary Ann Gulick (1800-1831)

           |                                              2) Julia Ann Beekman (1804-1872)

Elizabeth Cortelyou (1821-1899)

***Henry Peter Cortelyou (1823-1910)

Peter Cortelyou (1848-1930)

***Henry Peter Cortelyou (1823-1910) = Margaret Hageman (1830-1900)

           |

Sarah Frances Cortelyou (1853-1922)

Mary Ann Cortelyou (1858-1898)

Elizabeth Brokaw Cortelyou (1866-1940)

Processed by Kim Charlton, August 2000 as part of the “Farm to City” project funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

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