Jan Franse Van Hoesen

Jan Franse Van Hoesen is said to have been was born about 1609 in what is now Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. As a young man, he was identified as a sailor.

In May 1639, he married Volkie Van Noorstrant in Amsterdam. Within a year, they had arrived in New Netherland where he was employed by the Dutch West India Company. He was living in Beverwyck and participated in the initial distribution of houselots during the mid-1650s.

Their family of as many as nine children was born in Europe and New Netherland. He was a Lutheran.

He was not identified on either list of fur traders posted in 1660 and seems to have supported himself as a clerk for the Van Rensselaers.

His home was on the corner of Broadway and State Street. He also had a garden lot. Besides Albany property, in 1662 he obtained several hundred acres of land along the river on the present site of the city of Hudson.

In November 1665, he made a joint will with his wife. It left the survivor his entire estate including gold, silver, and jewels and land in Albany, Claverack, and in Husum. Jan Franse Van Hoesen was in his sickbed at the time and died while writing the will. His wife re-married and lived for many more years. However, their joint will did not pass probate until after Volckie's death in 1703.

Sources: The life of Jan Franse Van Hoesen is CAP biography number 776. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.