Willow Brook
Johannes Mangelse Roll, Sr., built a stone house* at the corner of Willow Brook and Watchogue roads, Graniteville, Richmond County, New York, about 1740. The structure, located on Soldiers Lot No. 1,** is shown in this photograph taken about 1936. See the chart below about the provenance of the Tree Soldiers Lots. The building has since been demolished. It may have been the oldest surviving Roll family residence in North America. The First House at Willow Brook Jan Harmenson Van Barkelo was born about 1664 in New Utrecht on Long Island in Kings County, New York. His parents were Harman Jansen Van Borkelo and Willemtje Warnaers Elderinick, immigrants from the Province of Gelderland in the Netherlands.† Harman Jansen and Willemtje had six children. Harman died in 1671 at New Utrecht, Kings County, New York. The widowed Willemtje married Hans Harmansz 12 May 1672 in Gravesend, Kings County, New York. Hans was born about 1630, and died 26 Oct 1700 at Constable's Hook, Bergen County, New Jersey. His place of origin, parents and surname are unknown. Willemtje and Hans had two girls.† Willemtje died 28 Oct 1697 at Constable's Hook, Bergen County, New Jersey. In his youth Jan Harmenson moved to New Jersey with his stepfather Hans Harmansz. But he must have returned to Long Island looking for a bride. Jan married, about 1686, Margrietje in New Utrecht, Kings Country, New York. Her place of origin, parents and surname are unknown. Jan was a farmer. Jan and Grietje acquired the westernmost of the Three Soldiers Lots at the southwest corner of Willow Brook and Watchogue roads in Graniteville, Staten Island, New York on December 6, 1697. He built a wooden house on the 80-acre lot and moved in with his wife and baby girl, Willempje, born 1689. They had three more girls, Maria born about 1698, Anna about 1700, and Jannetje about 1707. The 1708 census of Staten Island lists five Harman females Anna, Jane and Mary, girls; Great (Grietje) and Willa, women. Jan is not listed because he had died before 25 Feb 1707/08, when letters of administration were issued for his estate. Grietje had a teenage daughter to help her until Willemtje married.‡ But it was probably almost impossible to operate a large farm without a husband.
Maps
by The Second House at Willow Brook About 1713, Grietje married Johannes Roll, son of Jan Mangels and Tryntje Pieters Van Woggelum. There is no marriage record on Staten Island for the marriage. They were likely married somewhere else. She must have been about fifteen years older than her new husband. A son, Johannes Roll, Jr. was born to Jan and Grietje about 1715. John died after 1754 on his farm at Willow Brook. The date for Grietje's death is unknown. Johannes, Jr. married Fytje Van Buskirk 3 Nov 1738 in Hackensack, New Jersey. The house passed to him, and when he died 2 Feb 1761, to their daughter Fytje, who married Col. Jacob Mersereau. The house remained in the possession of the Mersereau family until 13 May 1896. _____ **Called the Three Soldiers Lots because they were granted to three soldiers in 1680. Apparently they never took possession of the land. †Harman Jansen Van Borkelo was born about 1626 in Geesteren, Borculo Manor, Zutphen Earldom, Province of Gelderland, the Netherlands, and Willemtje Warnaers Elderinick was born about 1630 in Hengelo, Gelderland, the Netherlands. ††Trintje Hermanse Hanse, born 1672, and Annetje Hermanse Hanse, born 1674. Trintje married Pieter Louwersen Van Buskirk in 1690 at Bergen, Bergen County, New Jersey, and Annetje married Claes Hertmanse Vreeland 25 May 1697 atGemonepa, Bergen County, New Jersey. ‡Willempje married Joris Neefies 23 Sep 1709, son of Cornelius Neefies and Aagte Bouman; Maria married Abraham Dirckse Zutphen about 1718, son of Dirck Janse Van Zutphen and Lysbett Janse Van Nuys, and Anna married Pieter Matthyse Luyster 23 May 1719, son of Matthias Pieterse Luyster and Cornelia Kip. |
The Provenance of the Three
Soldiers Lots
Watchogue Road is at the top of the
diagram, and Willow Brook Road ran between Lot #1 and #2.
North is at the top of the diagram, which is not to scale.
|
|
|
___________1___________ |
___________1___________ |
___________1___________ |