Records relating to an area formerly known as New Netherland
through the early years of settlement, which includes
the Colonies of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania.
Question? Where was New Netherland?
The original area of New Netherland as described in historical records, was situated on the northerly coast (of America) in the latitude of 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42 degrees or there abouts coast wise, from Cape Henlopen to Cape Cod. It is bounded on the northeast by New England and on the southwest by Virginia. The coast runs nearly southwest and northeast washed by the ocean. On the north is the river of Canada, a larger river running far into the interior. The northwest sides, for the most part still unknown.
Or in other words........
New Netherland consisted of settlements mainly along the Hudson, Delaware, and Connecticut Rivers, which today are parts of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
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New Netherland was not limited to only Dutch Immigrants, people of many countries settled the area. In the 1600's, the Dutch, English, Swedes, French, Germans to name a few, filled the northeastern coast of what is now the U. S., claiming parts, engaging in wars and making agreements to tracts of land that often changed hands. Disputes among the different governing nations, led to divisions of land. Sweden claimed part of the land on the south, the English were slowly moving in on the east, the French were claiming lands in the north and the Indians were reducing the number of inhabitants by massacres; New Netherland's boundaries were shrinking.
In 1664, the Dutch surrendered to the English and New Netherland was renamed New York after the Duke of York, the Kings brother. The Duke of York's proprietorship included what is known today as the States of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont.
In 1673, New Netherland brought war against the English and reclaimed their land. The entire area was back in control of the Dutch until 1674, when, for the last time, reverted back to the English.
The Duke granted New Jersey to Lord Berkely and Sir George Carteret, then later reassigned to William Penn. West Jersey was added to Pennsylvania in 1674, East Jersey in 1680, and Delaware in 1682.
New Jersey became a separate province in 1702.
Delaware was separated from Pennsylvania in 1703.
In 1688, proprietorships where dissolved and settlements were controlled under the Royal Crown of England. New York and New Jersey were combined with New England under Governor Andros. Vermont remained a part of New York until 1791.
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The states/counties that contribute to areas settled in the former New Netherland:
In 1683, The Colony of New York was divided into 12 original counties.
As the state expanded, these counties were divided and additional counties were formed.
Following are the states/counties that contribute to areas settled in the former New Netherland.
(#11 Cornwall County and #12 Dukes County, were not part of New Netherland,
but part of the New York Colony, which ceded to Massachusetts).
1. Albany, largest geographical area. The areas settled at the time of New Netherland are nowNEW JERSEY
The original area of Bergen County, located in the northeast portion of the state, contained the early settlements of Pavonia, Bergen and Hackensack. Today this area includes Bergen, Hudson and part of Passaic County.
The southwest portion of New Jersey contributes in part to an area formerly known as New Sweden.
DELAWARE, PENNSYLVANIA, NEW JERSEY
aka New Sweden 1637-1655, New Amstel 1655-1664
Although most historical references acknowledge this area as New Sweden, New Netherland was continuously battling over the land originally claimed as theirs. It is presented here for genealogical research, as it all ended up in the hands of the English anyway! The areas of earliest settlements of New Sweden are:
Delaware - New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties,
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