Cowenhoven receipt books
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Abstract
This collection includes two handwritten receipt books from members of the Cowenhoven family living in Kings County. The earlier book, dating 1782-1787 is likely the receipt book of Nicholas Cowenhoven (1744-1793). A later book belonging to Gerretta Cowenhoven (1763-1863) dates 1814-1830.
Biographical Note
The Cowenhoven family (alternate spellings include Couwenhoven, Kouwenhoven, and Covenhoven) were descended from the common ancestor Wolphert Gerritson Van Kouwenhoven, who emigrated from the Netherlands to the town of New Utrecht in the Dutch colony of New Netherland (later New York) in the 17th century.
Nicholas Couwenhoven (1744-1793) was the great-great-grandson of Wolphert Gerritson Van Kouwenhoven. Nicholas was a lawyer, landowner, and enslaver who married into the Lott family. According to transactions detailed in his receipt book, he and his wife Jannetje Lott (1745-1817) held at least two enslaved Black men in their household, Jack and Cuffee, who were sold by Cowenhoven in 1782 and 1785.
Gerretta (Gerritje) Tiebout (1763-1863) married into the Cowenhoven family in 1785. Gerretta's husband John Remsen Cowenhoven (1761-1811) was the nephew of Nicholas Cowenhoven. By the time Gerretta's receipt book was in use she was a widow raising several children. Receipts show an income from renting rooms in a building on Maiden Lane, but it's unclear if this was also her residence. She was buried in the Vechte-Cowenhoven family burying ground.
Scope and Contents
This collection includes two handwritten receipt books from members of the Cowenhoven family living in Kings County. The earlier book, dating 1782-1787 is likely the receipt book of Nicholas Cowenhoven (1744-1793). Receipts are for a range of goods and services, including wood, shoe making, beef, mutton, labor, and livestock. Several payments come from the families of early Dutch settlers, including the Lefferts, Bergen, Vanderbilt, Vorhees, Wykoff, Lott, Stillwell, Remsen, Van Pelt, and Van Brunt families. This book includes entries for the sale of Jack, a Black man enslaved by Nicholas Cowenhoven sold to Peter Lefferts on January 26, 1782, and Cuffee, a Black man enslaved by Nicholas Cowenhoven sold to Rutergt A. Van Brunt on behalf of his father, Adrian Van Brunt on July 4, 1785. Entries for "my son Nicholas Cowenhoven" are likely from his mother, Catharina Remsen (1716-1786).
A later book belonging to Gerretta Cowenhoven (1763-1863) dates 1814-1830 and includes receipts for a range of goods and services including rent for a home on Maiden Lane, manure delivery, flour, medical care, surveying, repairs, and blacksmith services. An 1823 entry notes Gerretta as executor of the will of Tunis Tiebout (1722-1823).
Subjects
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
The materials in this collection are in the public domain.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Cowenhoven receipt books, BCMS.0095, Box number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Gerretta Cowenhoven receipt book was purchased from The Kelmscott Bookshop in 2019. The Nicholas Cowenhoven receipt book was purchased 1882, presumably from Richard H. Benson and S. Benson, whose names have been inscribed on the interior cover.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
If digital surrogates exist, they should be used in place of the originals whenever possible.
The materials in this collection are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org at least two weeks prior to research visit.
About this Guide
Processing Information
This collection combines accession 2019.0030 and a receipt book formerly cataloged as 974.723 C87.
