Hendrick Classen VAN SCHOONHOVEN

                   Historical and research information included in notes

4. Hendrick Claessen Van Schoonhoven (Claes Hendrickse, Hendrich Van Schoonhoven) was bp. May 5, 1652 at the Dutch Reformed Church in Fort Orange, Orange, New York, and died aft. December 4, 1715 in Kingston, Ulster County, New York. Carpenter. He and Cornelia are buried in the Dutch Reformed Church, Kingston, the same place his parents are buried. He married July 6, 1679 (1) Debora Christoffels Davids bp. Jan 25,1665 Kingston, NY, d Dec 4, 1715 Kingston, NY daughter of Christoffel "Kit" Davids, born in 1615 or 1616 in England, woodsman, Indian interpreter and whiskey trader and Maria Martens/Maria Martensen, b.abt 1633 in Ulster, New York. Divorce Filing Oct 17,1687 in Kingston, Ulster County, NY Hendrick married January 1, 1688 (2) Cornelia Swartwout b. March 13,1667 d.July 7, 1714 in Kingston Church, New York, daughter of (Sheriff) Roeloff Swartwout and Eva Bradt. In 1715, Hendrick registered banns: "HENDRIK KLAASZ SCHOONHOOVEN, widower of CORNELIA SWARTWOUD, and WILLEMJEN DE LANGE, widow of THEUNIS KOOL, born in Kingstown. Banns registered, 4 Dec. 'Withdrawn the same day.'"
Debora was a little over 14 when she married Hendrick who was 27. Despite 8 years of marriage, they produced no children. When she was twenty she had an affair with Peg Leg Perrick or Dirck Adrians Van Vliet.*
*Here follows a note by Don Green on research done by Tony Schoonover:
Circumstantial evidence points to Dirck Van Vliet as the elusive Dirrick "Wootin Legg." Our reasons for this conclusion are as follows. (1) His first name was Dirrick (Dirck is another form of the given name). (2) Dirck Van Vliet had one leg. A brother-in-law, Gysbert Krom accidentally shot off Dirck's left leg at a New Year's Eve Party in 1678. A wooden or "peg" leg was the usual artificial limb for the time. (3) We believe that "wooden leg" is not a proper Dutch surname. As we understand it, Dutch surnames at this time were usually derived from the father's given name (the English influence changed that custom to a single surname running from parent to child, etc.) Wooden leg, therefore, was a kind of nickname, possibly a cruel pejorative nickname. (4) In her affadavit, cited above, Debora states that Dirck would not marry her, but instead, he married another. This would have occurred either before or soon after birth of the child. In 1685, the year in which Niclaas was born, Dirck Van Vliet married Anne Andriesen (baptised 1662), daughter of Andries and Hilletje Hendricks Barentsen. (5) The families of both Dirck and Debora lived in the village of Kingston, and obviously knew one another. The Van Vliet family arrived in New Netherlands on the ship, "Trouw," on 13 June, 1662, and settled at Kingston. Dirck died there in 1702. Over the years the Van Vliet, Schoonover, Krom and Davids (Davis) families intermarried. Later, Debora's grand-daughter, Rebekka, married a Krom who was the grand-son of Dirck Van Vliet. See Van Vliet, Krom, Davids and Schoonover Families in Ulster County, New York Ancestors & Descendants by Lorraine Luke at http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=gemini&id  (This web link no longer exists. Lorraine Luke's new website is: My Families of Early Ulster County, New York http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~luke/index.htm  )
Book AA, page 66 in the office of the County Clerk of Ulster County, New York, records a complaint of Hendick Claes Schoonover against Debora Christoffels David before the Justice of the Peace 17 Oct 1687. Debora admitted that Hendirck was not the father of her first child and that the father was Derrick Wootin Legg.
"A complaint of Hendrick Claes (Van Schoonhoven) against his wife,Debora, maid before Capt. Henry Beeckman, Justice of the Peace ye 17 Oct in Kingston 1687."
"-----is yt (that); ye sd [stated] Hendrick Claes comes in his own person and saith yt his wife hath declared yt shee is a ----- and therefore ye said Hendrick Claes by ye reason yt shee is a -----."
"Jurian tunis, brother-in-law of Debora Davis, being sworn testyfieth he was by and heard ye wife of Hendrick Claes say it; she wold bee from his husband and then hir husband said to her --- yt if shee wold carray hir selfa as an onest wooman he would take hir and live with hir as a man and wife ought to doe and furdr saith nott."
"William Demyr being sworne testefyeth yt he heard Debora say yt; shee wold nott live with her husband noo longer ye reason was asked hir and she declared yt shee was nott worthey to live with him and yet ye foalt was not in him butt in hir and yet Dirrick Wooden Legg mislead her.""Ye wife of Matthis Blanshan [nee Margriete Schoonover & sister of Hendrick] reported these following words of which Debora had declared to hir, Dirrick Wooden Legg is the father of hir child and when she was with child Dirrick Wooden Legg was going to be married she went to him and said yt as he had taken away hir repation hee should give it to hir again whereupon he gave hir bad words -------- Hendrick Claes did severall times promis to forgive hir all her fformer ffalts in caes shee wold promise yet shee wold live with him hereafter as an onest woman shold doe with hir husband where upon she said:yet shee noever did love him and connot love him and ffurder sath nott."
Hendrick made a will soon after he married Cornelia and before any of his legitmate children were born. He gave Debora's son "an English Schillling." From research of Patty B. Myers:
Will dated November 12th, 1688
I Acknollig [acknowledge] before ye After mentioned witnesses that Cornelia Swartwout my Espoued [espoused] and truly belouwed [beloved] Brid [bride] is and schal bee [shall be] And Remain the Only herris [heir] of my whole Estaet And if it Schold [should] please God to giueue [give] Childeren to her and that she after my Death Shold Com to remarry than Schall ye hallif [half] of ye Estaet Remaen inviolable to ye Children that hauf [have] been procreated and Agriment Alder bout ouer [agrement ?other about our] Children Schall Equilly inherit as well sons as Doghters only ye Eldest son Schall haufe [have] an Engelish Schilling And furdher to hinder And Scham All manner of troubbel that might Arrise by ye same So Schall be Give unto the Recerdit [recorded] Basterd Child named Claes whoes modder is called Debora an English Schilling. And to hold this my matrimony, Condisyon [condition] and Last will and testament, as by this written, I dissanull and revoke all manner of wills and testaments and swere before ye Leving [loving] And Almeighty God that I schall neuer [never] fforsack nor Lefe [leave] Cornelia Swartwout my betroued bryd untill ye End of my death.
Signed by the testator, and witnessed by Thomas Garton (Justice of ye Pease), Mattis Clarkson, and Jan Ward. (Gustave Anjou, Ulster County, N.Y. Probate Records, Vol. I, p. 49, originally published in New York by Gustave Anjou 1906, reprinted by Palatine Transcripts, Arthur C. M. Kelly, Rhinebeck, NY 12572, 1980.)
Deboras father, Kit Davids was a woodsman/interpreter/whiskey trader to the Indians.
Note: More on the colorful Christoffel Davids, often called "Kit Davids:" http://www.boydhouse.com/michelle/gonzales/christoffeldavids.html  
Young Nick the Bastard was baptized with the Van Schoonhoven family. Hendrick even named his first born son from his second marriage Nicholas and in his will left only a shilling to the "bastard" son. Henricus/Hendrick divorced Debora and she married in 1692 to Pieter Van Bommel and had the following children:
1. Margaret Van Bommel M Hendrick Dojo
2. Marretjen Maria Van Bommel b: 1695 in Kingston, Ulster County, NY M Simon Frere
3. Marcus Christophl Van Bommel b: Jan 9, 1698 NY
4. Christoffel Van Bommel b: Jan 9,1698 NY
5. Elizabeth Van Bommel b: May 21,1701 in Kingston, Ulster County, NY M Hendrick Ostrander
6. Pieter Van Bommel b: 1704 in Kingston, Ulster County, NY
7. Debora Van Bommel b: Abt 1705 M David Burhans
8. Antje Van Bommelb: 1706 in Kingston, Ulster County, NY
9. Pieter Van Bommel b: May 7, 1710 in Kingston, Ulster County, NY
13. i. Niclaes Van Schoonhoven, bp February 01, 1685 in Kingston, Ulster County, NY.Bastard son of Debora David and Peg Leg P/Derrick Von Vliet.