Cornelius (van Langevelt) Longfield (abt. 1658 - abt. 1733)

Born about Nov 1658 in New Amsterdam, New Netherland

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Greeneland) Longfield — married 16 Sep 1680 in New York, New York

Descendants

Died about 1733 at about age 74 in New Brunswick, New Jersey

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Cornelius (van Langevelt) Longfield was a New Netherland settler. Join: New Netherland Settlers Project Discuss: new_netherland

Biography

Cornelis was baptized on 1 December 1658 in the Reformed Dutch Church of New York, recorded as a child of Corn. Van Langevelt and Marritje Jans. Witnesses were Hendrick Hendrickszen Obee and Anneken Loockermans.^[1] Cornelis is the child of Cornelis Van Langevelt and Maritje Janse.

He passed away about 1733.

From the Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society (1921):^[2]

Of the three first owners of the land on which New Brunswick now stands, Cornelius Longfield's family history was the most distinguished. In 1679 Danker's Journal refers to him as the Indian trader. Some facts relating to his later official positions in the Council of the House of Deputies (1690), the Assembly (1695) and Governor Hunter's Council (1710) appeared in the Proceedings for 1912 (Third Series Vol VII pp 4 etc.) but a few more interesting facts have been gathered since.

It is claimed that his ancestor was Admiral Langeveldt (probably the correct spelling in Holland) of the Dutch navy who served in an engagement against Admiral William Penn and that his mother was the daughter of Admiral Cochradth, also of the Dutch navy, who was engaged in the memorable fight between the Dutch and English in the reign of Charles II (1665) and who, or his son, is said to have come later to New York City. The widow Langeveldt married Thomas Lawrence, the baker, thus making Cornelius his stepson. A sister of Cornelius, Rachel, married another Thomas Lawrence, who became Mayor of Philadelphia in 1728 and again in 1735. Cornelius Longfield by his wife Mary Greenland (daughter of Dr Henry Greenland of Piscataway township), had a daughter Catherine, who married William Cox. He was the father of the noted Revolutionary officer Col. John Cox, whose daughters married into noted families.

From Fernow's Court Records of New Amsterdam we find in numerous small causes that Cornelius Langevelt, the father of Cornelius Longfield, was a Dutch trader in 1653. He was a partner of Jan Geraerdy, son of Philip Geraerdy, who is mentioned in Valentine's History of New York as being one of the earliest Dutch settlers, having received in 1643 a grant of a house and lot on the road now called Stone street. These little disputes over differences of understanding regarding trading show that he dealt in tobacco, cloth, boots, apples, beaver, etc. and took goods in pawn as well. He and his partner owned a vessel over which they had quite a dispute, which was called a bark and a yacht. In 1655, in a settlement between the partners, Langevelt claimed half of the vessel but this dispute does not seem to have been satisfactorily settled, as the next year Langevelt complains that his partner sailed away and left him. These trading trips were long, for in 1653, a suit having been brought in Langevelt's absence, it was deferred a month to give him a chance to appear in his own behalf; and they were at the North as it was there his partner sailed away and left him to get home as best he could. In 1655, in a record of a voluntary tax raised that year, Cornelius Langevelt is listed for one beaver and 8 florins. On April 14, 1657, Cornelius Van Langevelt appears in the list of small burghers, there being but 204 of them at that date in New Amsterdam.

In 1661, there is mention of Langevelt's wife Merritje (Mary) and also mention of Thomas Laurens (or Laurensen, becoming Lawrence “the baker's wife”) called to Court by Geritje Pieter as witnesses in a case of defamation of character. This Thomas the baker later married the widow of Cornelius Langevelt as stated above. Thomas appears in Court to answer for failing to pay the minister's quota Oct 15, 1667, (church support evidently not being optional at that date). In the Directory of 1665 the names of Thomas Laurensen and his wife Marritje Jans appear on Pearl street. Scot's Model in 1680 mentions Thomas Lawrence the baker and Cornelius Longfield, his step son, as landowners on the Raritan. Joseph Danker mentions in his Journal in 1679 staying with Cornelius Longfield at the river. While at the Raritan he married the daughter of Dr. Henry Greenland, but evidently took his wife to New York as the Dutch Domine,

Henricus Selyn, in his list of church members with their residences, mentions Cornelius Van Langevelt and his wife Maria Mary Groenlant (Greenland) so that he and his wife preferred to make their home for a while at New York rather than among Indian friends on the Raritan. Evidently the first Cornelis Langevelt died before 1679. From the fact that his name is omitted from the Directory of 1665 I should say that he died before 1665. On November 10, 1681, Capt. Cornelis Van Langevelt makes an affidavit regarding his purchase of land on the Raritan River to which he had some difficulty in getting the title as it appears in 1682, 1683 and 1684. In 1689, his stepfather deeded him his land on the Raritan (it would appear for the purpose of disposing of it for him.) There is a statement by an unknown member of the New Jersey Council in 1711 to the effect that if the vacancies in the Council were filled up with honest well-meaning men like Cornelius Longfield (and others named) affairs then in a muddle would be easily settled. (4 NJ Archives 133).

Cornelius of New Brunswick must have died on or before 1733, when probably between 75 and 80 years of age, and his wife, Mary, before Mar 25, 1747, when her will of Mar 11, 1742, was probated (as per Trenton Wills Lib. E, p. 4). No will of Cornelius appears on the records. There was a son Henry who died in 1769 or 1770 (Trenton Wills Book K, p. 341).

Sources

1. ↑ Evans, page 51
2. ↑ Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society, Volume 6, "Concerning Cornelius Longfield", pg. 182 [1]

• Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State. 1614-1703, Page 220
• Evans, Thomas Grier. "Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in New Amsterdam and New York. Baptisms from 25 December, 1639 to 27 December, 1730." Collections of the New-York Genealogical and Biographical Society. Vol 2. New York: Printed for the Society, 1901.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Amsterdam
• http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/new-amsterdam-becomes-new-york
• http://www.usahistory.info/colonies/New-Amsterdam.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Netherland