Notes for: Jean Crocheron
From: D Harris [lexingtonbooks at turbonet.com]
Sent: Saturday, January 16, 2021
Subject: Jan Bodine and Maria Crocheron
Greetings. I believe it possible that the Jean Crocheron family is related to the Pierre Cresson family. We see, for instance, that early church records occasionally spell both names as "Creison." For example, the 1658 marriage record for Susanna and Nicolas de la Pleine spells Susanna's maiden name as "Creison." She was a daughter of Pierre. The 1677 baptismal record for the same New York Collegiate Church spells Marie Crocheron's name as "Creison" as well (she the daughter of Jean Crocheron who married Jean Bodine). Furthermore, Pierre's family had lived in the Delft area of the Netherlands prior to coming to America, and some say that there is evidence that the Crocheron family came from the Zele area, which is only 100 miles or so from Delft. What do you think?
With best wishes,
David A. Harris
Odile Jurbert found a Jean Crocheron in a list of the inhabitants of Mannheim, Germany in 1667 after the Black Plague. His origin was not given. Given the information we are finding out about the Bodin family in Mannheim around that same time, I would assume that he is this Jean Crocheron. They were probably forced east into Germany away from Flanders due to dangerous political events at that time related to religious persecution. Then they were forced out later from the German Empire to America through England by more political events and religious persecution.
I was looking on Geneanet and found quite a few people from the 1700s and such with the surname Crocheron from the Departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais, France. So it does appear to be the original spelling of a French name. I do not doubt, but I don't know, that maybe Jean Crocheron's origins go back to La Gorgue, France. That is just north of Richebourg and northeast of Bethune. I only say that since the Crocherons are connected to the Bodin family and I see several Crocherons on Geneanet in La Gorgue. If not La Gorgue, they very well must have come from Nord or Pas-de-Calais.
I read that Jean was given a land grant in New Springville (Staten Island) in 1670. This was in the obituary for Helen Seguine (Crocheron) Brown of Rockleigh, New Jersey who died at the age of 104 on August 29, 2000. This was posted to the Richmond County Obituaries at Rootsweb.
I then sent out a question the the Rootsweb Richmond County, New York mailing list concerning this. Here is what Charlene Hix sent me. She has written a book on the early Crocheron Family of Staten Island.
Subject: Re: Helen SEGUINE CROCHERON BROWN, ca 1896-2000
Resent-Date: 7 Sep 2000
From: "C. Hix"
Dear Dave:
I am quoting from my book, "The Crocheron Family of Staten Island, NY", p. 2, published in 1980, also published in the NYGBS Record during the year 1980. I did correspond with Helen Crocheron Brown at that time.
"Jean Crocheron removed to Staten Island where he secured title to land at Long Neck, now New Springville, where, in 1670, he erected his homestead, about one mile from the Asbury Church. In the Land Papers, volume I, p. 71, Land surveys, 1676, it is recorded that John Crushuron received 188 acres. 'Two lots at the North Side of the Fresh Kill on Staten Island, lying between the two runs of Karle's Neck and Long Neck. 100 rods in bredth by ye meadows Ranging NE by ye common 256 rods. Bounded NW: land of Jacob Pullion and SE: Ye commons, with 20 acres of meadow next to ye Run of Karle's Neck and 8 acres of fresh meadow'. In the New York Calendar of Land Papers, volume II, 1681-1700, on 6 April 1684, there is a description of a survey of 120 acres of land, lying upon the west side of Staten Island, to the north of Long Neck and to the south of Daniell''s Neck, laid out for Jonsia Cronsoon by Phillip Welles, Surveyor. In 1685, there is a memoranda in the land papers in which the surveyor admits his inability to locate the land grants on Staten Island. He gives a list of names of persons to whom land had been granted and among them appears Jousia Crousoon."
I hope this answers your question.
Charlotte Hix
The following comes from WikiTree:
From New York Historical Society, Abstracts of Wills, Vol. I, 1665-1707, 1892:
[Page 267-268]
Benjamin Fletcher, Governor, etc. Know ye, that at his Majesty's Fort in New York, on the 3d day of September, 1696, the last will of JOHN CROCHERON, of Staten Island, was proved and Letters of Administration are granted to his wife, Mary, as executrix.
JOHN CROCHERAN "In the name of God, Amen. The 13 day of December, 1695, I, John Crocheran, of Staten Island, Planter, being of a great age, but of good and sound memory." I leave to my beloved wife, Mary, the use of all the estate for life, and after her death I leave to my eldest son, Nicholas Crocheran, all that my dwelling house, situate, lying and being on the north side of Staten Island, and two lots of land belonging thereto, with the privilege of Commonage, and all the fresh and salt meadow belonging to the same, being 20 acres. Which said lots are bounded, south by the highway, that parts them from the land now in the tenure of Arent Prall. Also 2 horses and 4 cows and a weaver's loom. I leave to my son, Anthony, my two other lots of land, on Staten Island, bounded by Long Neck at the side of Mr. John Casiers, with the fresh and salt meadow belonging thereto, being 20 acres, with the privilege of Commonage, and my utensils of husbandry. Rest of estate to all the children (other children not named). Makes his wife and his sons Nicholas and Anthony executors. Witnesses, Wm. Tillier, Thomas Morgan, Jean Cassier, John Dufrow. Proved, before Governor Fletcher, by oaths of the above witnesses, September 3, 1696, and executors confirmed.
[Page 271]
Page 137.--Inventory of estate of JOHN CROCHERAN, of Staten Island, taken by Nathaniel Brittain, Sr., and Nathaniel Brittain, Jr., January 9, 1696/7, before Elias Duxbury and Thomas Stillwell. Live stock, £131; 200 sheffles of wheat, £20; 110 sheffles of rye, £13.15s. A negro man, negro woman, and negro boy, £120; money in the house, Arabian gold and other gold, £72.8s.; English money, £45; 468 heavy pieces of 8, £140 14s. 11d.; 15 books, one a large Bible, £4. Total amount, £625.
[Page 274]
Inventory of estate of JOHN CROCHERON, of Staten Island. Taken by Thomas Morgan and William Fillyer, December 17, 1696. Money in his chest, £286, 8; A negro man, an Indian woman and her child, £80; 8 cows left as a legacy to Nicholas and Anthony Crocheran, £22; 6 heifers, 2 steers, and a bull, £9. Total, £531. Sworn to, March 8, 169 6/7.
The following comes from various sources. Right now it seems to have been put together by a William G. Scroggins around 1989 or from a book by him called "Leaves of a Stunted Shrub" from 2009.
Jean Crocheron has been called "a Huguenot of distinguished birth, whose ancestors were leaders in commerce and had patents of nobility won on the field of battle or in service for their Sovereign." Before coming to America, he lived at Zele, near Dendermonde in East Flanders, Belgium, which is indicated by the marriage record of his daughter Adrienne who was identified as a young woman from Zale in Walsh- Vlanderin.
However he may have had another residence in Flanders. The marriage of his daughter Marie describes her as from Rysszl in Vlaanderen. The marriages of Jeanette and Marguerite identify them, respectively, as being from Walsch Vlaanderen and Vlaanderen. These descriptions probably reflect places of birth. It also has been claimed that Jean Crocheron came from Nantes, France, but, perhaps that is based on earlier origins of the family. The surname Crocheron appears in France as early as 1296 when Agnes de Crocheron married Gilles de Cocq, who was Bailly de Wallincourt and Captain de Malincourt. (THE CROCHERON FAMILY OF STATEN ISLAND, Charlotte Megill Hix, NEW YORK GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, Volume 111, 1980, photocopy from Philip C. Ellsworth, Bethany, OK, 1986.)
Zele and Dendermonde are east of Gent in Oost Vlaanderen. Modern Vlaanderen (Flanders) in Belgium is divided into two jurisdictions, West and Oost Vlaanderen. This area was the Spanish Netherlands during the time of Jean Crocheron. There was a Ryssel near Lille in Artois, now in French Flanders. Jacques Du Bois, uncle of Sarah Du Bois who married Joost Jans van Meteren, had land at Ryssel in Lille when he died in Kingston, New York, in 1676. Perhaps Jean Crocheron moved from Ryssel to Zele to escape the violent persecution of the Catholics in France.
Walsh and Walsch probably were variations of Walslant, which was the Walloon area of southern Belgium and northern France. Francoise Du Bois, aunt of Sarah Du Bois who married Joost Jans van Meteren, and her husband Pierre Billiou were described as of Walslant when they came to America on the St. Jean Baptiste on 09 May 1661. (SHIPS PASSENGER LISTS NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY 1600-1825, Carl Boyer III, Newhall, CA, 1978, page 127, excerpt from Lists of Passengers, 1654 to 1664, YEAR BOOK OF THE HOLLAND SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, 1902.)
It has been said that Jean Crocheron arrived in New York City before 1677, among the group of French Vaudois or Waldenses, "adherents of a religious sect in southeastern France which had opposed the Church of Rome as early as the 12th century. During the 16th century they associated themselves with the Huguenots and subsequently suffered many persecutions at the hands of the dukes of Savoy. Many survivors found asylum in Switzerland." Jean has been described as an outspoken leader of the Huguenots who was "marked for execution ... forced to leave his native land when the persecution of the Huguenots reached its height ... converted ... property ... into money ... and then was smuggled out of Marseilles in a hogshead aboard a vessel bound for the New World." (THE CROCHERON FAMILY.) This tradition does not account for the emigration of his wife and children who, presumably, could not have fit in the same barrel with him.
The Waldenses were followers of Peter Waldo, a merchant of Lyons, France, about 1160, who objected to certain doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, such as Mass and the praying to saints. They advocated the charity and the poverty of the Apostles and maintained that the only guide to religious life was the Bible. They did not intend to start a new religion and exerted little influence on reformers, but their beliefs spread from France to many countries in Europe and still may be found as a Protestant sect in Italy and other parts of the continent.
The Huguenots were French Protestants of the 16th and 17th centuries, whose name may have come from one of their leaders, Hugues, or from the German word Eidgenoss, meaning a "confederate by oath." During the French Reformation, which began in the reign of King Francis I of France, who ruled from 1515 to 1547, the Huguenots developed into a political, as well as a religious, entity. Francis I, of the House of Valois, was succeeded by his son Henry II, who was king from 1547 until 1559. In 1559, Henry's eldest son was crowned as King Francis II. He died in 1560 and was followed to the throne by his brother Charles IX. King Charles died in 1574 and a third brother Henry III ruled France until 1589.'
King Antoine of Navarre and his brother Louis I de Bourbon, Prince of Conde, joined the Huguenots after Francis II became King of France in 1559. Conde and Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, who converted to Protestantism after the death of King Henry II in 1559, led the Huguenots in several wars against Catholic forces commanded by Henri de Lorraine, Duke of Guise. Conde participated in the unsuccessful conspiracy of Amboise against Guise and escaped execution only because of the death of King Francis II in 1560. As a result of subsequent concessions made to the Huguenots by the regent Catherine de Medici, Conde became governor of Picardy but, after the massacre of Huguenots at Vassy in 1562, he and Coligny again took up arms against the Guise faction. The Huguenots were defeated at Dreux in the same year and Conde was imprisoned. In the second Huguenot War in 1567-9 Conde minted coins which proclaimed him as "Louis XIII, first Christian king of France," but he was captured again at the Huguenot defeat at Jarnac and, this time, shot.
Coligny was killed in a general massacre of the Huguenots in 1572. Guise, who was popular with the residents of Paris, formed the Holy League which was designed to support his accession to the throne of France against the claims of Henry de Bourbon, son of King Antoine of Navarre, who had married Marguerite de Valois in 1572. Guise was assassinated in 1588 and, in 1589, Henry de Bourbon succeeded King Henry III, the last French king of the House of Valois, and started the Bourbon dynasty. To obtain the support of the Parisians, King Henry IV had to return to the Catholic faith in 1593.
Subsequently Henry IV gave limited religious freedom to the French Protestants through the Edict of Nantes in 1598. In addition to official recognition of the liberty of conscience, the Edict gave the Huguenots full civil rights, permission to meet for worship in certain places and provision of 100 places for safety. These privileges were under continuous attack by the Catholic majority and churches erected in places not specified in the Edict were destroyed. In 1685, King Louis XIV revoked the law and French Protestants lost all civil rights and religious liberty. Subsequently, nearly 400,000 Huguenots fled to England, Holland and other countries which had toleration for Protestants, with some emigrating to America. (THE LINCOLN LIBRARY OF ESSENTIAL INFORMATION, The Frontier Press, Buffalo, 1967.)
Whatever the circumstances of his background and travel to America, Jean Crocheron acquired land at Long Neck (now New Springville) on Staten Island where, in 1670, he built a home about a mile from where Asbury Church was later erected. A 1676 survey recorded that Jean Crocheron (John Crushuron) had 188 acres, "Two lots at the North Side of the Fresh Kill on Staten Island, lying between the two runs of Karle's Neck and Long Neck. 100 rods in bredth by ye meados Ranging N.E. by ye common 256 rods, Bounded N.W.: Land of Jacob Pullion and S.E.: Ye commons, with 20 acres of meadow next to ye Run of Karle's Neck and 8 acres of fresh meadow." The surveyor reported by a memorandum in 1685 that he could not find the Staten Island land grants. (THE CROCHERON FAMILY.)
Jacob "Pullion" probably was connected with Jacques Poillon who married Adrianne Crocheron. Jacques and Jacob are forms of James.
New Springville is a community in west-central Staten Island, Richmond County, New York, at the intersection of Travis and Richmond avenues, between Fresh Kills and Willow Brook parks.
Jean Crocheron was identified as a resident of Raritan, Middlesex County, New Jersey, on 30 March 1688 when he purchased 112 acres of land on the Raritan River in Piscataway Township from Henry Coursen (Coursey). It is not known whether this pertains to Jean, Sr. or Jr. Peter van Ness also had land in this area: (PATENTS AND DEEDS AND OTHER EARLY RECORDS OF NEW JERSEY 1664-1703, William Nelson, Paterson, NJ, 1899, reprinted Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, 1976, abstract, East Jersey Deeds, Liber D.)
1687 Dec. 30. Deed. Benjamin Fitzrandolph of Piscataway to Henery Coursey of Raraton, Middlesex Co., for 112 acres in Piscataway Township, E. William Claus, S. Raraton R., W. Mr. Clark, N. land not laid out.
1688 March 30. Do. Henery Coursey to Jeane Crocheron, both of Raraton, for the preceding 112 acres.
1687 Oct. 10. Do. Hendrick Coursen and wife Jesyntje to Peter Vaness, all of Raraton, for a lot at Rahawackhacka on both sides of Raraton R., E. John White, W. grantee; the lot being one half of the fourth bought by both from grantor's father Capt. Cornelis Coursen, June 6, 1687.
1687 June 6. Deed. Captain Cornelis Coursen and wife Mary of Staten Island to Hendrick Coursen and Peter van Ness, both of Raraton River, for one fourth of a tract, patented to him February 28, 1683, 1904 acres, S. a bank of upland, W. and N. land not taken up, E. Capt. John Palmer and associates, to be called 1800 acres.
Jean Crocheron died after 13 December 1695, when he made his will, and before 03 September 1696, when Anthony Crocheron was sworn as executor: (Liber 5, page 126, Wills of New York County, quoted in THE CROCHERON FAMILY.)
... planter, being of great age, but of good and sound memory ... to his beloved wife Mary, the use of all of the estate, both real and personal for life and then to his eldest son, Nicholas Crocheron, the dwelling house on the north side of the island together with two lotts of land belonging thereunto with the privilege of Commonage, and all the fresh and salt meadows belonging to the same being esteemed at twenty acres ... which said lotts of land are bounded south by the highway that parts them from the land now in the tenure and occupacon of one Arent Praell as also two horses and four cows to be chosen by him the said Nicholas out of the stock after the decease of my said wife with a weavers loom tools and appurtenances thereunto belonging ... to his son Anthony my two other lotts of ground ... bound by Long Neck at the side of Mr. John Casiers ... esteemed at twenty acres, with two horses and four cows to be chosen as before, with all the utensils of husbandry. After the death of his wife, and full payment of debts, legacies and bequests, the remainder of the estate to be equally divided among all the children share and share alike ... Nicholas and Anthony to have their equal share thereof over and above the bequests and legacyes aforesaid ... wife and sons Nicholas and Anthony were named executors ... signed ... with a mark ... On 03 September 1896 (sic), Anthony Crocheron took the oath of an executor. The witnesses were William Tiller, Thomas Morgan, Jean Cassier and John Dufrow. The will was proved before Governor Fletcher by the oaths of the above witnesses.
Jean may have signed his will with a mark but he must have been literate because his estate inventory contained, among other things, fifteen books. The estate was inventoried by Nathaniel Brittain, Sr. and Nathaniel Brittain, Jr. on 09 January 1696/7 before Elias Duxbury and Thomas Stillwell: (WNYHS 1:37; quoted in THE CROCHERON FAMILY.)
Live stock L131
200 sheffles of wheat 20
110 sheffles of rye 13 15s
Negro man, negro woman and negro boy 120
Money in the house, Arabian gold and other gold 72 8s
English money 45
468 heavy pieces of eight 140 14s 11d
Fifteen books, one a large Bible 4
Total amount L625
On 07 December 1696 Thomas Morgan and William Fillyer made another inventory of the estate of Jean (John) Crocheron of Staten Island that was sworn to on 08 March 1696/7 (WNYHS 1:274, quoted in THE CROCHERON FAMILY):
Money in his chest L286 8p
A negro man, an Indian woman and her child 108
Eight cows left as a legacy to Nicholas and Anthony Crocheron 22
Six heifers, 2 steers and a bull 9
Total L531
Since the totals of these itemizations do not add up correctly, the published abstracts must be incomplete.
Jean Crocheron's neighbor, Arent Praell, may have been the Arendt Prall (Prael) who was married to Marie Billiou, daughter of Pierre Billiou and Francoise Du Bois .
If Antoine Crocheron had a wife and children, they apparently died before him, since his brother Nicholas was his heir. Antoine died after his father made his will on 13 December 1695 and before 08 February 1697 when a declaration was made, stating that Nicholas Crocheron had inherited two lots of land from his brother Antoine (Anthony) Crocheron, deceased, which had been bequeathed to Antoine by their father Jean (John) Crocheron. Nicholas granted these two lots to his brother Jean (John) and the action was recorded on 14 December 1697. On 25 March 1702/3 another statement, also dated 08 February 1697, was recorded in which Nicholas Crocheron conveyed his two lots of land, household goods, house, barns, orchards, negroes, horses, cows and cattle to his brother Jean Crocheron (John Corshone). It was stipulated that Jean was to pay thirteen pounds yearly rent to Nicholas, who was to be allowed to remain in the house and be provided with meat, drink, washing, lodging and a horse to ride. The deed was signed by mark and witnessed by Ellis Duxbury, Andre Canan and John Casier. (Richmond County, New York, Land Records Liber B, pages 311-312 and 422, quoted in THE CROCHERON FAMILY.)
This deed suggests that Nicholas Crocheron was unwell in 1697 and did not expect to be able to support himself. However, in his will, dated 10 February 1702/3, he declared that he was in good health. Since he had no living children when he made his will, at about age 54, Nicholas and his wife and heir Anne, who survived him, may have been childless. Anne may have been a second wife, with children, since the will mentions her heirs as residuary legatees. The will was witnessed by John Bellville, Moyse Bernad and William Tilyer. It was proved before Thomas Wenham, Esq., on 24 July 1707: (WNYHS 1:445, quoted in THE CROCHERON FAMILY.)
... I, Nicholas Crocheron of Richmond County, being in good health, I give to the poor of the French Congregation on Staten Island, five pounds, to be paid to the Elders. I leave to the children of John Bodine by his first wife, my nephews and nieces, as objects worthy of my charity, one half of all my paternal estate, goods and chattels, in case I leave no children. I leave all of the rest of my estate to my loving wife, Anne Crocheron, and to her heirs and assigns. I leave to all my other heirs, each six shillings.
Previously Nicholas and his brother Jean, Jr. seem to have acquired their father's land on Staten Island by a series of deeds dated 25 May 1702. Conveyances, "out of the estate of John Crocheron, deceased," were made to Nicholas Crocheron and Jean Crocheron from Gerrit van Vechten (Garrett Veighte) and from Peter van Ness (Van Neste). Nicholas Crocheron and his wife Anna transferred land on Carl's Neck to Jean (John) Crocheron. (Deeds B:490.) Nicholas Crocheron bought land on Carl's Neck on Staten Island from Lambert Garrison on 19 December 1706. (Deeds B:544; quoted in THE CROCHERON FAMILY.) "