The Flemish Origins of America's Elite

Last week, August 15, 2012,  an interview of me appeared in ‘t Pallieterke (Issue #33, p.11 - please see the above). The title: "De VS hebben diepe Vlaamse wortels" [The US has deep Flemish roots]. The cause for the interview was my announced appointment  as the new Chairman of the Board (Voorzitter) of Belgian Publishing Inc – the publisher of the Gazette van Detroit.

Friend and fellow Board Member Luc Van Braekel posted this interview to Facebook (here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151185448082704&set=a.286010662703.181904.572682703&type=1&theater ). One individual derisively compared my claims of Flemish involvement in America to something fanciful. Needless to say, I found this both offensive and disappointing.

Simple falsehoods are often best refuted directly. Unfortunately an easily accessible, yet verifiable, genealogical tree no longer exists online. To rebut this gentleman’s statement I offer the below family tree (saved from several years' prior internet trawling).  The original creator of this tree has either vanished or intentionally eliminated his posts, since a quick online check came up empty. [If you are the original creator, please kindly contact me and upon verification of your authorship I will post credit to you here.]

My contribution to the below is to sprinkle the tree with links to external, online references and to make some bio and spelling edits. The ultimate result - I hope - is to better make my case for the Flemish roots of these famous Americans. Prominent individuals in these trees have a link to an online bio posted. Their Flemish ancestors’ data (dates, place of birth, some sources) are sometimes included. As such, any further mistakes are mine alone.

St. Baafs Cathedral Gent

Interior of St Baafs Cathedral Gent

Pieter Winne [bap St. Baaf Cathedral, Ghent, Flanders, April 14, 1609]

- Tannetje Adams

|

|___Adam Winne

|   - Anna Loockermans [daughter of Pieter Loockermans, of Turnhout]

|   |

|   |___Catelynetje Winne

|       - Christopher Yates

|       |

|       |___Johannes Yates

|           - Rebecca Waldron

|           |

|           |___Angeltje Yates

|               - Cornelius Van Schaick

|               |

|               |___Maria Van Schaick

|                   - James J. Roosevelt

|                   |

|                   |___Cornelius Van Schaick Roosevelt

|                       - Margaret Barnhill

|                       |

|                       |___Theodore Roosevelt

|                           - Martha Bulloch

|                           |

|                           |___THEODORE ROOSEVELT [26th President]

Teddy Roosevelt

|                           |

|                           |___Elliot Roosevelt

|                               - Anna Rebecca Hall

|                               |

|                               |___ANNA ELEANOR ROOSEVELT [First Lady]

|                                   - FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT [32nd President]

|

|___Lavinus Winne

|   - Willempje Viele

|   |

|   |___Sarah Winne

|       - John Waters

|       |

|       |___Jannetie (Jane) Waters

|           - Gerrit J. Lansing

|           |

|           |___JOHN Ten Eyck LANSING [Lansing, Michigan] 

|

|___Daniel Winne

|   - Dirkje Van Ness

|   |

|   |___Willem Winne

|       - Maria de Wandelaer

|       |

|       |___Elizabeth Winne

|           - Johanes Knickerbocker, Jr.

|           |

|           |___HARMEN KNICKERBOCKER [ca 1650-ca 1720]

|

|___Rachel Winne

    - Jillis Fonda

    |

    |___Douw Fonda

               - Maritje Vrooman

               |

               |___Adam Fonda

                   - Neeltje Breese

                   |

                   |___Douw Adam Fonda

                               _ Lavina Breese

                               |

                               |___Garrett Tunis B. Fonda

                                   - Rachel Polhemus

                                   |

                                   |___Ten Eyck Hilton Fonda

                                              - Harriet McNeil

                                              |

                                              |___William Brace Fonda

                                                  - Herberta Jaynes

                                                  |

Henry Fonda

                                                  |___HENRY JAYNES FONDA [1905-1982]

                                                               - (1) Margaret Sullivan

                                                             - (2)Frances Ford Seymour

                                                             | - (3) Susan Blanchard

                                                             | - (4) Afdera Franchetti

                                                             | - (5) Shirlee Mae Adams

                                                             |

                                                             |___PETER FONDA [1940 - ]

                                                             |   - Susan Brewer

                                                             |   |

                                                             |   |___BRIDGET FONDA [1964 - ]

Jane Fonda

                                                             |

                                                             |___JANE FONDA [1937 - ]

St Pieterskerk Turnhout

JACOB LOKERMANS "In Turnhout worden de doopregisters bewaard van Godefridus Lokermans (2 juli      1612) en zijn zuster Anna (17 maart 1618), kinderen van Jacob Lokermans en Maria Nicasius. Ook hun broer       Pieter (geboren 5 oktober 1614) liet sporen na in zijn geboorteplaats. In de Sint-Pieterskerk op de Grote Markt      van Turnhout, waar Anna en Godfridus (De Latijnse naam Godefridus werd in het protestantse Noorden al snel      Govert) gedoopt werden, rust nog steeds een van hun nazaten." - Karl VandenBroeck e-mail 10-10-2010

- Maria Nicasius

|

|___Pieter Loockermans [1614 - ?] Born in Turnhout 

|   - Maritje Duncanson

|   |

|   |___Hilletje Loockermans

|   |   - Cornelis Stephense Mulder

|   |   |

|   |   |___Maria Muller

|   |       - Stephanus Van Alen

|   |       |

|   |       |___Christina Van Alen

|   |           - William Van Alstyne

|   |           |

|   |           |__Maria Van Alstyne

|   |              - Richard B. Esselsteyn

|   |              |

|   |              |___Maria B. Esselsteyn

|   |                  - Anson Fowler

|   |                  |

|   |                  |___Melzar Fowler

|   |                      - Clarissa Spicer

|   |                      |

|   |                      |___Nancy Maria Fowler

|   |                          - CYRUS HALL MCCORMICK [Inventor of reaper]

Cyrus Hall McCormick

Reaper

|   |

|   |___Anna Loockermans

|       - Adam Winne

|       |

|       |___Catelynetje Winne

|           - Christopher Yates

|           |

|           |___Johannes Yates

|               - Rebecca Waldron

|               |

|               |___Angeltje Yates

|                   - Cornelius Van Schaick

|                   |

|                   |___Maria Van Schaick

|                       - James J. Roosevelt

|                       |

|                       |___Cornelius Van Schaick Roosevelt

|                           - Margaret Barnhill

|                           |

|                           |___Theodore Roosevelt

|                               - Martha Bulloch

|                               |

|                               |___THEODORE ROOSEVELT [26th President]

|                               |

|                               |___Elliot Roosevelt

|                                   - Anna Rebecca Hall

|                                   |

|                                   |___ ANNA ELEANOR ROOSEVELT [First Lady]

|                                        - FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT [32nd Pres.]

Eleanor Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

|

|___Jacob Loockermans [ ] Born in Turnhout

|   - (_?_)

|   |

|   |___Caatje Loockermans

|       - Wesel Ten Broeck [Family originally from Antwerp]

|       |

|       |___Dirck Ten Broeck

|           - Margarita Cuyler

|           |

|           |___Dirck Ten Broeck

|           |   - Margarita Cuyler

|           |   |

|           |   |___Catharina Ten Broeck

|           |       - John Livingston

|           |       |

|           |       |___James Livingston [Robert Livingston's mom: Janet Fleming]

|           |           _ Elizabeth Simpson

|           |           |

|           |           |___Margaret Chinn Livingston

|           |               - Daniel Cady

|           |               |

|           |               |___ELIZABETH CADY [Started Women's Suffrage]

|           |                   - Henry B. Stanton

|           |                   |

|           |                   |___Harriet Eaton Stanton

|           |                       - William Henry Blatch

|           |                       |

|           |                       |__Dore Stanton Blatch

|           |                          - LEE DEFOREST [Inventor -  1st Walloon]

Lee De Forest

|           |___Christina Ten Broeck

|               - PHILIP LIVINGSTON [Signer U.S. Declaration of Ind.]

|               |

|               |___Philip Philip Livingston

|               |   - Sara Johnson

|               |   |

|               |   |___EDWARD PHILIP LIVINGSTON [New York politician]

|               |       - Elizabeth Street Livingston

|               |       |

|               |       |___Robert Edward Livingston

|               |       |   - Susan Maria Clarkson de Peyster [Family's origins: Gent]

|               |       |   |

|               |       |   |___GOODHUE LIVINGSTON

|               |       |

|               |       |___Elizabeth Livingston

|               |           - Dr. Edward Hunter Ludlow

|               |           |

|               |           |___Mary Livingston Ludlow

|               |               - Valentine Gill Hall, Jr.

|               |               |

|               |               |___Anna Rebecca Hall

|               |                   - Elliot Roosevelt

|               |                   |

|               |                   |___ANNA ELEANOR ROOSEVELT [First Lady]

|               |                       - FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT [32nd Pres.]

|               |

|               |___Catherine Livingston [Daughter of Independence Signer]

|                   - Stephen Van Rensselaer II [Gson of A. Loockermans thru Maria]

|                   |

|                   |___STEPHEN VAN RENSSELAER [10th richest in 18th c]

|                       - Margaret Schuyler

Stephen Van Rensselaer III

|                       |

|                       |___Stephen Van Rensselaer

|                           - Harriet Elizabeth Bayard

|                           |

|                           |___Cornelia Paterson Van Rensselaer

|                               - Nathaniel Thayer, Jr. [son of NT; g-g gson of John Cotton]

|                               |

|                               |___Cornelia Van Rensselaer Thayer

|                                   - Hon. James Hampden Robb

|                                   |

|                                   |___Louisa Robb

|                                       - GOODHUE LIVINGSTON [Prominent Architect]

|

|___Anna Loockermans [1618- 1684] Creator of the Santa Claus tradition

Judith Leyster's(1609-1660) "Portrait of a Woman" -
Portrait of Annetje Loockermans' contemporary

|   - Olof Stephense Van Cortlandt

|   |

|   |___Stephanus Van Cortlandt [1643-1700] 1st native-born Mayor of NYC]

|       - Gertruyd Schuyler [sister of Pieter Schuyler, Governor of New York] 

|       |

|       |___Margareta Van Cortlandt

|       |   - Samuel Bayard

|       |   |

|       |   |___Nicholas Bayard [Broome St Manhattan = "Bayard's Lane"]

|       |   |   - Elizabeth Rynders

|       |   |   |

|       |   |   |___Nicholas Bayard, Jr.

|       |   |       - Catharine Livingston

|       |   |       |

|       |   |       |___Eliza Bayard

|       |   |           - John Houston McIntosh

|       |   |           |

|       |   |           |___Eliza Bayard McIntosh

|       |   |               - Duncan Lamont Clinch

|       |   |               |

|       |   |               |___Elizabeth Bayard Clinch

|       |   |                   - ROBERT ANDERSON [Cmdr Ft. Sumter 1861]

|       |   |                   |

|       |   |                   |___Martha Latham Anderson

|       |   |                       - Woodbury Blair

|       |   |                       |

|       |   |                       |___Ethel Anderson Blair

|       |   |                           - William Brooks Clift

|       |   |                           |

|       |   |                           |___(EDWARD) MONTGOMERY CLIFT [Actor]

Actor Montgomery Clift

|       |   |

|       |   |___Geertruyd Bayard

|       |       - Peter Kemble

|       |       |

|       |       |___MARGARET KEMBLE [ Paul Revere's spy!]

|       |           - Hon. General THOMAS GAGE [British General] 

Margaret Kemble

General Thomas Gage

|       |

|       |___Stephanus Van Cortlandt [Chief Justice of New York]

|       |   - Catharina Staats

|       |   |

|       |   |___Anna Van Cortlandt

|       |   |   - Stephen De Lancey [Major figure in early 18th c America]

|       |   |   |

|       |   |   |___Ann De Lancey

|       |   |   |   - John Watts

|       |   |   |   |

|       |   |   |   |___Susannah Watts

|       |   |   |       - Philip Kearny, Sr.

|       |   |   |       |

|       |   |   |       |___STEPHEN WATTS KEARNEY [Conquered Calif.]

|       |   |   |       - Mary Radford [stepdaughter of William Clark]
Stephen Watts Kearney
|       |   |   |       |

|       |   |   |       |___Robert Kearney

|       |   |   |           - Ann Livingston Reade

|       |   |   |           |

|       |   |   |           |___Susan Watts Kearny

|       |   |   |               - William Ingraham Street

|       |   |   |               |

|       |   |   |               |___Anna Livingston Street

|       |   |   |                   - LEVI PARSONS MORTON [22nd Vice Pr of the U.S.]

|       |   |   |

|       |   |   |___Susan Van Cortlandt De Lancey

|       |   |   |   - Sir Peter Warren [Br. Admiral, MP, conquers Nova Scotia]

Admiral Sir Peter Warren

|       |   |   |

|       |   |   |___Pieter De Lancey

|       |   |       - Elizabeth Colden

|       |   |       |

|       |   |       |___Alice De Lancey

|       |   |       |   - RALPH IZARD [President Pro Tempore of U.S. Senate]

|       |   |       |

|       |   |       |___John De Lancey

|       |   |           - (__)

|       |   |           |

|       |   |           |___Anna Charlotte De Lancey

|       |   |           |  - John Loudon MacAdam [1st modern road-builder]

|       |   |           |

|       |   |           |___Susan Auguste De Lancey

|       |   |              - JAMES FENIMORE COOPER ["Last of the Mohicans"]

James Fenimore Cooper in 1850

|       |   |

|       |   |

|       |   |___Philip Van Cortlandt

|       |   |   - Catharine De Peyster

|       |   |   |

|       |   |   |___Stephen Van Cortlandt

|       |   |       - Mary Walton Rickett

|       |   |       |

|       |   |       |___Philip Van Cortlandt [Congressman in Revolutionary War]

|       |   |           - Catherine Ogden

|       |   |           |

|       |   |           |___Elizabeth Van Cortlandt

|       |   |               - William Taylor

|       |   |               |

|       |   |               |___Catharine Eliza Taylor

|       |   |                   - CLEMENT CLARK MOORE

Clement Clarke Moore

Sinter Klaas

|       |   |

|       |   |___Gertrude Van Cortlandt

|       |   |   - Peter Schuyler

|       |   |   |

|       |   |   |___Cornelia Schuyler

|       |   |       - WALTER LIVINGSTON

|       |   |       |

|       |   |       |___Margaret Maria Livingston

|       |   |       |   - Robert L. Livingston

|       |   |       |   |

|       |   |       |   |___Cornelia Louisiana Livingston

|       |   |       |       - Commodore Charles E. Ridgely

|       |   |       |       |

|       |   |       |       |___Elizabeth Augusta Ridgely

|       |   |       |           - WILLIAM HENRY HUNT [US Secy of the Navy]

|       |   |       |

|       |   |       |___Harriet Livingston

|       |   |           - ROBERT FULTON [1st steamboat & submarine]

Robert Fulton

|       |   |       |

|       |   |       |___HENRY WALTER LIVINGSTON [US politician]

|       |   |           - Mary Masters Allen

|       |   |           |

|       |   |           |___Henry Walter Livingston II

|       |   |               - Caroline de Grasse de Pau

|       |   |               |

|       |   |               |___Robert Linlithgo Livingston

|       |   |                   - Mary S. McRa

|       |   |                   |

|       |   |                   |___Robert Linlithgo Livingston II

|       |   |                       -

|       |   |                       |

|       |   |                       |___Robert Linlithgo Livingston III

|       |   |                           -

|       |   |                           |

|       |   |                           |___ROBERT LINLITHGO LIVINGSTON IV

|       |   |                               (Senator, Almost Speaker of the House 1998)

Bob Livingston

|       |   |

|       |   |___Cornelia Van Cortlandt

|       |       - Johannes Schuyler

|       |       |

|       |       |___General PHILIP SCHUYLER [1st NYer in US Senate]

|       |           - Catherine Van Rensselaer

|       |           |

|       |           |___Elizabeth Schuyler

|       |               - ALEXANDER HAMILTON [Founding Father of the U.S.] 

|       |

|       |

|       |___Maria Van Cortlandt [Solidified the practice of Santa Claus]

|       |   - Jeremias Van Rensselaer [Mother's roots Antwerp]

Jeremias Van Rensselaer

|       |   |

|       |   |___Anna Van Rensselaer

|       |   |   - William Nicoll

|       |   |   |

|       |   |   |___Benjamin Nicoll

|       |   |       - Charity Floyd

|       |   |       |

|       |   |       |___ William Nicoll

|       |   |             - Joanna De Honneur

|       |   |             |

|       |   |             |___Samuel Benjamin Nicoll

|       |   |             |   - Anna Willett Floyd

|       |   |             |   |

|       |   |             |   |___Samuel Benjamin Nicoll

|       |   |             |       - Sarah Brown Payne

|       |   |             |       |

|       |   |             |       |___Charoltte Anna Nicoll

|       |   |             |           - Solomon Townsend Nicoll, Jr.

|       |   |             |           |

|       |   |             |           |___Mary Townsend Nicoll

|       |   |             |           |    - THOMAS FORTUNE RYAN [10th richest in US]

Thomas Fortune Ryan

|       |   |             |           |

|       |   |             |           |___Benjamin Nicoll

|       |   |             |               - Grace Davison Lord

|       |   |             |               |

|       |   |             |               |___Elsie Nicoll

|       |   |             |                   - John Sloane

|       |   |             |                   |

|       |   |             |                   |___Grace Elsie Sloan

|       |   |             |                       - CYRUS ROBERTS VANCE [US Secy of State]

Cyrus Vance

|       |   |             |

|       |   |             |___Gloriana Margaretta Nicoll

|       |   |                 - JOHN LOUDON MACADAM [1st modern road builder]

|       |   |

|       |   |___Hendrick Van Rensselaer  

|       |       - Catarina Van Brugh

|       |       |

|       |       |___Anna Van Rensselaer

|       |       |   - Peter Douw

|       |       |   |

|       |       |   |___Magdalena Douw

|       |       |       - Harme Gansevoort

|       |       |       |

|       |       |       |___General Peter Gansevoort

|       |       |           - Catrina Van Schaick

|       |       |           |

|       |       |           |___ Maria Gansevoort

|       |       |                - Allan Melville

|       |       |                |

|       |       |                |___HERMAN MELVILLE [Author: "Moby Dick"]

Herman Melville

|       |       |

|       |       |___Johannes Van Rensselaer 

|       |           - Engeltie Livingston

|       |           |

|       |           |___Robert Van Rensselaer [Revolutionary War Genl]

|       |               - Cornelia Rutsen

|       |               |

|       |               |___Alida Van Rensselaer

|       |                   - Elisha Kane

|       |                   |

|       |                   |___John Kintzing Kane

|       |                       - Jane Du Val Leiper

|       |                       |

|       |                       |___ELISHA KENT KANE [US Arctic Explorer]

Elisha Kent Kane

|       |

|       |___Jacobus Van Cortlandt

|       |   - Eva De Vries Phillipse

|       |   |

|       |   |___Frederick Van Cortlandt

|       |   |   - Francine Jay

|       |   |   |

|       |   |   |___Augustus Van Cortlandt

|       |   |       - Susan Barclay

|       |   |       |

|       |   |       |___Anna Van Cortlandt

|       |   |           - Henry White

|       |   |           |

|       |   |           |___Helen White

|       |   |               - Abraham Schermerhorn

|       |   |               |

|       |   |               |___ CAROLINE WEBSTER SCHERMERHORN 

|       |   |                    - William Backhouse Astor, Jr. 

|       |   |                    |

|       |   |                    |___JOHN JACOB ASTOR IV [Richest on Titanic]

|       |   |                        - Ava Lowle Willing

|       |   |                        |

|       |   |                        |___WILLIAM VINCENT ASTOR [Chr of Newsweek]

|       |   |                        - Roberta Brooke Marshall [Philanthropist]

Brooke Astor

|       |   |

|       |   |___ Mary Van Cortlandt

|       |        - Peter Jay

|       |        |

|       |        |___JOHN JAY [US Founding Father/1st Chief Justice]

John Jay

|       |

|       |

|       |___Cornelia Van Cortlandt

|           - Col. Johannes Schuyler, Jr.

|           |

|           |___General PHILIP SCHUYLER [1st NY to US Senate]

|               - Catharina van Rensselaer

|               |

|               |___Elizabeth Schuyler

|                       - ALEXANDER HAMILTON [Founding Father of U.S.] 

Alexander Hamilton

|       

|___Govert Loockermans [1612-1671] Turnhout  "Richest man in America"

    - Ariantje Jans

    |

    |___Marritje Loockermans

               - Balthazar Bayard

               |

               |___Jacobus Bayard

               |   - Hillegonde De Kay

               |   |

               |   |___Balthazar Bayard

               |       - Mary Bowdoin

               |       |

               |___Phoebe Bayard

               |           - ARTHUR ST. CLAIR [1st President of Congress]

Arthur St Clair

               |

               |___Judith Bayard

                   - Gerardus Stuyvesant

                   |

                   |___Pieter Stuyvesant

                               - Margaret Livingston

                               |

                               |___Elizabeth Stuyvesant

                               |   - Col. Nicholas Fish

                               |   |

                               |   | _HAMILTON FISH [Best US Secy of State] 

                               |

                               |___Judith Stuyvesant

                                   - Benjamin Winthrop

                                   |

                                   |___Elizabeth Sheriff Winthrop

                                   |   - Rev. John White Chanler

                                   |   |

                                   |   |___Margaret Stuyvesant Chanler

                                   |   |   - LEWIS MORRIS RUTHERFURD 

                                   |   |

                                   |   |___JOHN WINTHOP CHANLER [Politician]

                                   |       - Margaret Astor Ward [Niece of Julia Ward Howe]

                                   |       |

                                   |       |___LEWIS STUYVESANT CHANLER [Politician]

                                   |       |

                                   |       |___WILLIAM ASTOR CHANLER [Politician]

                                   |      

                                   |___Margaret Cornelia Winthrop

                                              - GEORGE FOLSOM [Politician]

.Copyright 2012 by David Baeckelandt. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted in any format without my express, written permission.