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Catharina Van Der Werven

Catharina Van Der Werven

Female 1622 - 1702  (80 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Catharina Van Der Werven  [1, 2] 
    Birth 1622  Netherlands Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Gender Female 
    FSID LT2V-DDV  [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17] 
    Death 1702  Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Burial 1702  Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 

    • Flatbush Dutch Reformed Church Cemetery
    Person ID I45457  footsteps
    Last Modified 1 Jul 2025 

    Family Johannes Theodorus Polhemus, Reverend ,   b. Abt 1598, Boikirchen, Rhenish, Bavaria Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 9 Sep 1676, Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 78 years) 
    Marriage 1643 
    Children 
    +1. Anna Polhemus,   b. 1650, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1732, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 82 years)  [Father: unknown]  [Mother: unknown]
    +2. Maragarita Polhemius,   b. Abt 1649, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1702, Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 53 years)  [Father: unknown]  [Mother: unknown]
    Family ID F24948  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 1 Jul 2025 

  • Notes 


    • Catharina and Johannes were married circa 1643 and their first five children were born in Brazil. By 1654, the Dutch administration in Brazil had become inefficient and corrupt. The Portuguese revolted and the Dutch were given three months to depart Brazil or embrace the Roman Catholic faith and become Portuguese citizens. They declined. The Dutch sent 16 ships to Brazil to evacuate the settlers. Catherine and the children left on one and Johannes stayed to depart on the last ship. Catherine and the children were in dire need. On arriving she had approached the Lutheran Church officials and explained what had happened and that without her husband she had no means to provide for herself and family. They doled out small amounts of money and kept her in poverty for a year or more before finally deciding that they would pay her passage so that she and the children could rejoin Johannes in Flatbush. The family was reunited in 1656-1657. Another son, Snebering, was added to the family the following year with two more to follow.

  • Sources 
    1. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, James Wilbur Clayton, History and Genealogy: Polhemus, Woolley, Totten, Clayton, Bedell (West Orange, New Jersey: Clayton, Bedell, Overturf, 1954), p. 5, digitized by Archive.org (http://www.archive.org: accessed January 2020).
      Book on Pohlemus, Wooley, etc. genealog5

    2. [S288] FamilySearch.org, Find a Grave Index, "Find a Grave Index", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK1X-G6H3 : Wed Apr 09 00:22:12 UTC 2025), Entry for Catherine Van Werven Polhemus.
      https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK1X-G6H3

    3. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, C. J. Wasch, Doopregister der Hollanders in Brasilie, 1633-1654 (‘s-Gravenhage, Netherlands: Genealogisch en Heraldisch Archief, 1889), FHL Film 375563, digitized by FamilySearch.org (http://www.familysearch.org: accessed January 2020).
      100145027

    4. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Mary Greenawalt Murphy, Billiou/Boileau Family: Including Polhemus and Seubring Families (Claverack, New York: M.G. Murphy, 1991), Books.Google.com (http://www.books.google.com: accessed January 2020).

    5. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Mary Ella Van Gorden, A Van Gorden Family History: Ancestors and Descendants of Harry Humphrey Van Gorden (1881-1956) (M.E. Van Gorden, 2000), Books.Google.com (http://www.books.google.com: accessed January 2020).

    6. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, John Van Zandt Cortelyou, The Ancestors of Two Sisters: Records of the Ancestors of Helen Robina Cortelyou and Carol Van Zandt Cortelyou (Lincoln, Nebraska: Brown Printing Service, 1954), FHL Book 929.273 C818, digitized by FamilySearch.org (http://www.familysearch.org: accessed January 2020).

    7. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, William Kenneth Rutherford, Genealogical History of Our Ancestors, Vol. I & II (Lexington, Missouri: [s.n.], c1977), FHL Film 1321329 items 1-2.
      These pages cover the family history of the Polhemius Family and their descendants.

    8. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, William Kenneth Rutherford, Genealogical History of Our Ancestors, Vol. I & II (Lexington, Missouri: [s.n.], c1977), FHL Film 1321329 items 1-2.
      These page contain more secondary information on the Polhemius family. including speculation on where marriages took place in Pernambuco, Brazil and the arrival of Reverend Polhemius in New Amsterdam in 1654. Regrettably, the account lacks the story of the documented capture of Polhemius and the Jews who sailed with him on the 16th ship of evacuees from Recife; the diplomatic efforts that freed them from their captives in the Caribbean; and their voyage aboard the French Privateer, St. Charles, captained by Simon de Felle under the direction of Jacques de la Mothe. Reverend Polhemius was welcomed in New Amsterdam. The Jews with whom he sailed were taken to conurt for failing to pay De Mothe the promised money for their passage. The court case and political maneuvering makes interesting reading.

    9. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Philip Van Wyck, “Johannes Theodorus Polhemius,” De Halve Maen, Vol. 55, No. 2, p. 9 (New York, New York: Holland Society of New York, 1922), FHL Fiche 6050874.
      100018294

    10. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Herbert F. Seversmith, “The Dominy Johannes Theodorus Polhemius of Flatbush, Long Island,” National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 43, No. 4, December 1955, p. 125 (Washington, D.C.: National Genealogical Society Bookstore, 1955).
      another account of Johannes Theodorus Polhemius's life

    11. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, I. Heyward Peck, “The Rev. Johannes Theodorus Polhemius and Some of His Descendants,” The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 90, No. 2, April 1959, p. 61 (New York, New York: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1959).
      100017008

    12. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, I. Heyward Peck, “The Rev. Johannes Theodorus Polhemius and Some of His Descendants,” Genealogies of Long Island Families, Vol. I, 608-724, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 23 September 2019).
      This record contain comments of Adrianna's father and his service to the congregations in area of New Amsterdam. There is no mention of Adriana.

    13. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 07 March 2025, 19:56), entry for John Smith V (PID https://ark.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:G72P-5H4 ); contributed by various users.
      https://ark.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:G72P-5H4

    14. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Source number: 14514.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: WAY.
      https://search.ancestry.com/collections/7836/records/965614

    15. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Book Title: A register of the ancestors of Dorr Eugene Felt and Agnes (McNulty) Felt.
      https://search.ancestry.com/collections/61157/records/1205693

    16. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Ancestral File (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA.

    17. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, International Genealogical Index, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family History Library, 35 N. West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150, USA, www.familysearch.org.
      Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church to request LDS temple ordinances.
      Search performed using PAF Insight on 09 Jan 2006
      Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church to request LDS temple ordinances.
      Search performed using PAF Insight on 09 Jan 2006
      Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church to request LDS temple ordinances.
      Search performed using PAF Insight on 09 Jan 2006
      Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church to request LDS temple ordinances.
      Search performed using PAF Insight on 09 Jan 2006


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