Michael Paulus Vandervoort

1615 - 1692  (76 years)

• Name	Michael Paulus Vandervoort  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  Birth	18 Nov 1615	Netherlands   [2]
  Baptism	New York, New York, United States
  Gender	Male
  FSID	LV14-G79  [6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21]
  Burial	Sep 1692	Talbot, Maryland, United States   [3]
  Death	20 Sep 1692	Easton, Talbot, Maryland, United States   [3]
  Person ID	I45538	footsteps | Bunker
  Last Modified	22 Jun 2025

  
  

  Father	Paulus Michael Vandervort,   b. Abt 1595, Netherlands d. 2 Jun 1681, Bushwick, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States (Age 86 years)
  Relationship	unknown
  Mother	Jan Vanderbeck,   b. 1583, Netherlands bur. 14 Dec 1661, Netherlands (Age ~ 78 years)
  Relationship	unknown
  Family ID	F25127	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Maretje Jorise Rapalje,   b. Abt 1625, New York, New York, United States d. 1685, Talbot, Maryland, United States (Age 60 years)
  Children	+ 1. Paulus Michaelse Vandervoort,   b. Abt 1645, Bedford, Westchester, New York, United States d. 2 Jun 1681, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States (Age 36 years)  [Father: unknown]  [Mother: unknown]
  Family ID	F25128	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	22 Jun 2025

  
  

• Notes

  Wikipedia article on M.P. Van der Voort https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Pauluzen_Van_der_Voort?wprov=sfla1 In New York (it was not New York it was New Amsterdam), Michael went by his Dutch name, Michiel Pauluszen, which means "Michael son of Paul". He added Vandervoort to his name about 1650. In "The Vanderfords-Early Settlers of America" by Cheryl Lynds Jensen (1992) we read: Exactly when Michael Paul Vanderford came to New York is undocumented, but it was no doubt some years prior to 1640, when he and Maria Rapalje were married. Considering the shortage of single women, George Rapalje would have had plenty of offers for the hand of his young daughter, Maria, and would have selected someone established and a "Good match". It is probable that Michael had been employed by the Dutch West India Company in some trade capacity, leaving the Company prior to marrying Maria. This is difficult to verify, however, as all of the early documents and archives relating to the Dutch occupation of New Netherland were sold at auction as scrap sometime around 1820, and were never seen again. Soon after Michael and Maria were married, Michael contracted to purchase land close to George Rapalje but did not complete the transaction, due to the Indian uprisings... The fort was not large enough to shelter all the inhabitants or protect their houses, so in 1653 it was decided to construct a palisade, or wall, along the upper limit of the town of New Amsterdam. On April 20th, it was resolved that "the citizens without exception should begin immediately digging a ditch from the East river to the North (Hudson) river, 4 to 5 feet deep and 11 to 12 feet wide at the top sloping in a little towards the bottom" and that carpenters should "be urged to prepare jointly the stakes and rails...The palisades, completed early in July, protected the southern tip of Manhattan Island, running from the Hudson to the East River. It was a line of solid planks, tapered at the top and set close together, held together by cross timbers, with anearthen ramp behind. The road next to this wall became Wall Street, the financial center of New York. Michael used his sloop to deliver 14 loads of lumber to be used in the construction of the palisades. In September, his wife, Maria, had to go to court to demand payment from the City. Michael was awarded 10 guilders for each load....On January 21, 1647 Michael was granted Lot 2 of Block N Castello Plan, on which was built a large stone brewery. He later obtained part of Lot 7, and built the house in which his family lived, now 49 Stone Street. George Rapalje's family lived on Lot 5 of Block G, right next to the wall of the fort.... Later, Peter Stuyvestant took steps to organize the town. He hired surveyors to define the property lines and required that anyone intending to build submit plans for approval by the surveyors... In 1657 Stuyvestant raised considerable monies to rebuild the city's defenses by introducing the title of "burgher." Michael became one of the 204 small burghers, at a cost of 25 florins. There were also 20 "great burghers," who held positions in the government, Company or military, and paid 50 florins. Being a burgher gave you the right to engage in trade and hold office.... At this time Maryland offered land for settlement, and Michael decided to move. In 1658 and 1659 he sold most of his holdings in New Amsterdam and in 1660 his entire family sailed for the eastern shore of Maryland. Four years later Peter Stuyvestant surrendered New Amsterdam to the British.

  
  

• Sources

  [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Place: New York, New York; Year: 1640; Page Number: 303. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Source number: 21.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: LVP. [S288] FamilySearch.org, Find a Grave Index, "Find a Grave Index", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGKM-WX2G : Wed Apr 02 20:12:15 UTC 2025), Entry for Michiel Pauluszen Van Der Voort. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185426819/michiel-pauluszen-van_der_voort Michiel Pauluszen Van der Voort BIRTH unknown Belgium DEATH 20 Sep 1692 Talbot County, Maryland, USA BURIAL Non-Cemetery Burial, Specifically: location of grave unknown MEMORIAL ID 185426819 Michiel Pauluszen van der Voort was probably born between 1610 and 1620 at Dermonde, Flanders. George E. McCracken, "Catalyntje Trico Rapalje", The American Genealogist vol.35 (1959): 35:196. Wilson V. Ledley, "The Vandervoort-Vanderford Family", New York Genealogical and Biographical Record Vols. 108-109 (1977-1978): 108:198. Immigrant ancestor to America before November 1640. He married with banns published on 18 November 1640 at Reformed Dutch Church, New Amsterdam, Marritje Jorise Rapalje, daughter of Joris Janszen Rapalje and Catalyna Trico. Samuel S. Purple, Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in New Amsterdam and New York; Marriages from 11 December 1639 to 26 August 1801 (Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, reprint 2003, original 1890 NYG&BS), page 10. Michiel Paulus, j.m. Van dermonde in Vlaenderen, en Maria Rappalje, j.d. Van N. Nerderlt. [S326] FamilySearch.org, New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962, "New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HY-YP5 : 14 February 2020), Michiel Pauluszen Van Der Voort in entry for Maria Van Der Voort, 1653. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HY-YP5 [S326] FamilySearch.org, New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962, "New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HY-74L : 14 February 2020), Michiel Pauluszen Van Der Voort in entry for Jan Van Der Voort, 1650. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HY-74L [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Book Title: Genealogy of the Vanderpoel family : with items of personal, political and social interest. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/61157/records/1421440 [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Source number: 388.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: DPS. Name: Michael Paul Vanderford Gender: Male Birth Year: 1605 Spouse Name: Marritje Rapalje Marriage Year: 1640 Marriage State: NY Number Pages: 1 [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 [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Albany, Vol IV, and Jamaica, Book 4. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/6961/records/150088790 [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Nationaal Archief Nieuw-Nederland; Den Haag, Nederland; DTB Baptism. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/61284/records/5896734 [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Place: New York, New York; Page Number: 593. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/7486/records/1981970 [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, Nationaal Archief Nieuw-Nederland; Den Haag, Nederland; Trouwen. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/61285/records/37197 [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (quarterly-1934) - Extracts; Publication Place: New York; Publisher: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society; Page Number: 9. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/7831/records/726738 [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, "New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HY-YP5 : 14 February 2020), Michiel Pauluszen Van Der Voort in entry for Maria Van Der Voort, 1653. This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, "New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HY-74L : 14 February 2020), Michiel Pauluszen Van Der Voort in entry for Jan Van Der Voort, 1650. This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, "New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962", , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HB-QTG : 14 February 2020), Michiel Pauluszen in entry for Josijntje Michiel, 1647. This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, "New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HB-C69 : 14 February 2020), Michiel Paulusz in entry for Josyntie Michiel, 1643. This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, "New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HY-T5P : 14 February 2020), Michiel Paulus in entry for Claertie Michiel, 1658. This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, "New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HB-NWH : 14 February 2020), Michiel Pauluszen in entry for Joris Michiel, 1656. This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, "New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HB-Q4R : 14 February 2020), Michiel Pauluszen in entry for Paulus Michiel, 1649. This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree. [S273] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch FamilyTree, "New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HY-TJD : 14 February 2020), Michiel Pauluszen in entry for Hendrick Michiel, 1655. This extracted record was used to create this person in Family Tree.