Last weeks surname Saturday - YSSELSTEYN

Dear Grandparents,
Traveling has put me behind in writing to you. I will try and catch up this weekend. The first two posts in the Surname Saturday Topic focused on names that are found at the beginning of the alphabet. After additional consideration, I've decided I really should alternate between the beginning and end of the alphabet so those of you whose names come at the end to not have to wait so long.
Today, I am writing about the surname Ysselsteyn. I believe that the "y" in Dutch is pronounced as a long "i" perhaps my sister Trude, who lives in Amsterdam can provide some additional information on the pronunciation.

My 8th great grandfather was Marten Cornelise van Ysselsteyn. He was born about 1634 in Ysselsteyn a small hamlet outside of Nieuwegein just south of Utrecht. Today the community name is spelled IJsselstein.

This 1649 map of IJsselstein is from Willem and Joan Blaeu's "Toonneel der Steden"
found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IJsselstein

Marten is most probably the son of Cornelis van Ysselsteyn as the Dutch were commonly using patronymics so his name reads Marten, son of Cornelis from Ysselsteyn.

I have not found an immigration record for Marten. In 1908, Frank Allaben writes in his "The Ancestry of Leander Howard Crall",  "Marten is first heard of in this county at, or near Fort Orange, now Albany, then a small settlement of about 200... Marten's patent bears (the) date June 66, 1664, afterwards confirmed by Gov. Nichols.... He became one of the original settlers and one of the fourteen original proprietors of Schenectady. His lot or portion was known as No. 8 and lay West of the Ryer Schermerhorn farm. After residing in Schenectady for about six years, Martin sold his bouwery or farm Oct. 23, 1668 to Claes Fredereckse Van Vetten and Cornelis Cornelise Veilne for three hundred and thirty beaver skins. (page 377).

It is Allaben's conjecture that Marten may have arrived in New Amsterdam as "early as 1659 and probably several years before."

Marten's wife was Mayke or Maria Cornelise who Allaben states was born in Zarrevelt. No one has yet found a marriage record for the couple in Holland nor New York records. It is assumed that after leaving Schenectady, the couple went to Claverack, New York. Allaben found their joint will filed
on the "12th day of January, 1676-7 on file in the office of the Clerk of Albany County Notarial Papers, Co. Clk's Off., Albany Co., Vol. 1 (18)", page 606. He notes that the original is in Dutch.

For family members our descendant from Marten is as follows:

Betty Lorraine Werst daughter of Ada Grace Colby; daughter of Mary Elizabeth Hugunin; daughter of Van Epps Hugunin; son of Richard Hugunin, son of Baata Huyck and David Huguenin,  daughter of Sarah Van Deusen and Dirk Huyck; daughter of Bata van Ysselsteyn and Isaac Van Deusen; daughter of Cornelia Van Vredenburg and Cornelis Martense Van Ysselsteyn; son of Marten Cornelise Ysselsteyn.

Next time we visit Holland, we will have to take a side trip to IJsselstein. There is a castle and Dutch Reformed Church which date back to the time Marten lived there.

Cecily