The Bennet and Ryder Families

The members of the Bennet family represented in this collection are direct descendents of William Adrianse Bennet, who along with Jacques Bentyn, bought tracts of land from the Canarsees in 1636 and became the first settlers of Gowanus. The heirs represented include William's son Willem Willemse; his grandson John Willemse; his great-great grandson Wynant and his wife Geertie Emans; their son Winant and his wife Jemima Van Duyn; their grandchildren Cornelius W. and Gitty; and Cornelius's daughter-in-law Ellen Bennett and his grandson Edward Bennett.

In 1835, Cornelius W. Bennet moved from Gowanus to Gravesend after purchasing the Wyckoff family home from Andrew and Hendrick Wyckoff. The homestead was passed on to Cornelius' son William and his wife Gertrude Ann Ryder and then on to their son Edward. In 1899, Edward Bennett married Nelly May Ryder, daughter of Charles M. Ryder and Gertrude M. Vorhis. Edward and Nelly's daughter Gertrude Ryder Bennett Williams lived in the homestead until her death in 1982 at the age of 81. Williams was a poet whose work was influenced by the lives of her colonial ancestors. Built in 1766 for the Wyckoff's, the Wyckoff Bennett homestead was granted landmark status in 1976. There are many photographs of Edward, Nelly May, and Gertrude at the Wyckoff Bennett homestead in series three of this collection.

The Lakes

John Lake was among the original English settlers of Gravesend founded in 1643 by Englishwoman Lady Deborah Moody. Gravesend was the only English town in Dutch New Netherland and included the present day neighborhoods of Coney Island, Sheepshead Bay and part of Bensonhurst. John Lake's grandson Daniel and his great-grandson Derick, as well as Derick's nephew Coert and Coert's sons Court and Daniel are all represented in this collection. Also included are the papers of Derrick D. Lake, husband of Sarah Ann Fleming and likely relation to the Gravesend Lakes.

The Stillwells

The Stillwell papers in this collection are those of the likely heirs of Nicholas Stillwell, one of the original settlers of Gravesend. Represented are Captain Nicholas Stillwell, Samuel Stillwell, Jaques I. Stillwell and his son Jaques J. Stillwell and his wife Joanna. Captain Stillwell was one of the governors and trustees of Queens College in New Jersey. Queens College (now Rutgers University) was started in 1766 by the Dutch Reform Church as a school of Theology. Jaques J. Stillwell was assemblyman from the 12th District in Kings County from 1881-82.

The Van Sicklens

Ferdinand Van Sicklen is a likely descendant of Fernandus Van Sicklen, a Dutchman who was one of the original settlers of the English town Gravesend. Ferdinand's papers are represented in this collection.

A note on names:

In this collection, the second "t" in the Bennet name appears sometime in the mid-19th century, Cornelius W. Bennet and previous generations spelled it with one "t", his son William Bennett and subsequent generations spelled it with two. Vanderbilt was originally Van der Bilt, Stillwell may have originally been Stilwel. First names appear with alternate spellings or in familiar forms: Aaron is sometimes spelled Aron, Jaques is sometimes Jacques and John sometimes appears as Jan. Wynant is sometimes Weynant or Winant, and Derrick appears as Derick or Dirck. Gitty, Geertie, Geertje and Charity were forms of Gertrude and Jemima was a familiar form of Jacomyntie.