Van Der Veer Het Familiewapen

Van Der Veer Genealogy

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Maintained by Steve Vandiver
Updated Jul 20, 2007
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Origins of the Van Der Veer Name

 The Ferry Tower of Veere - Sept 2001   The name itself means of the ferry or of the village of Veere. Dutch dictionaries also refer veer as meaning  feather, but I have seen no surname references using it in that context. Veere, Zeeland, The Netherlands, which was once the location of a Roman fort and is now named for a ferry that was established at it's present location. This village is commonly associated with the Van Der Veer name. De Kampveersche Toren or The Campveere Tower is pictured at right and named after Campveere, as Veere was known as in 1281 for a ferry that sailed to Campum on the other side of the lake. I visited Veere in Sept 2001, a definite must see for anyone traveling to The Netherlands.    A brief Veere History    Pictures of Holland

   Wolfert Van Borsselen, 1st Lord of Veere   Link     Link    Link , born about 1245 is the earliest reference to the name I have found.. The name Van der Veer or Van Veer as a surname appears with the birth of his children. In the early 1800's, Napoleon took possession of The Netherlands and required all Dutch to have surnames. While much of the country had already assumed surnames, many of the people of Friesland resisted using surnames until imposed upon by Napoleon. Many assumed names of where they were at the time, using the 'van der' meaning 'of the' and an object or location, as in a ferry, therefore van der Veer or of the village of Veere. I have spoken with several van der Veer or v.d. Veer (current common usage) families who emigrated from Friesland to South Africa and Australia who have indicated that their family name was adopted during the Napoleonic time. The van der Veer name is somewhat common in The Netherlands and appears to be adopted rather than originating with The Lords of Veere.

  The family coat-of-arms or Het Familiewapen depicted in the upper left is of unknown origin and is supposedly registered with the Heraldry office in Dordrecht, Holland, I have not not been able to confirm this however. My understanding of coat-of-arms in The Netherlands was many times nothing more that a family seal for the purposes of family business identification and may not have been registered as heraldry as such. I have also heard that this coat-of-arms may have been derived from the seal of the Van Scaghen family, a family related to the Van Borsellen family.
The coat-of-arms is described as:

Interpretation of Het Familiewapen The Latin inscription "Aut Inveniam Aut Faciam"

The family coat of arms in the upper right is related to the `s Gravenhage Van der Veer family Reference  

Some of the Van Der Veer related books and articles in my possession

Links to other Van Der Veer research related sites

  Gayle Brown's Research on the Vandeveers of Miami Co, Ohio
   Brief story of Cornelius Vanderveer and the Red Coats
  Alice Stipak Maria Vanderveer Page
  Amanda Robert's Vandever Guestbook
   Steve Vanderver Vanderver Family Home Page
  Genealogie Homepage of Ton Schulte - Dominicus info
  Vanderford Family
  Franklin Township, NJ Public Library
  New Netherland Section: Index to New Netherland Surnames
  To New Netherland and Beyond Research Materials of Early New York 1609-1790+
  Surnames - With Coats of Arms on the Internet

  A special thanks to Jeffery van der Veer and Marcel van der Veer of The Netherlands who have provided clarification of Dutch language and customs. Marcel is also the author of Algol68G, a lean, orthogonal general-purpose programming language.


  The Van Der Veer name took many spellings variations once in America and generally descends from four individuals who emigrated to America from the Netherlands; Pieter Corneliuszen Van Der Veer was in America by 1653, Jacob Vanderveer was in New Amsterdam by 1655, Michael Paul Vandervoot was in New Amstersdam in 1640, and Cornelius Janszen Van Der Veer arrived in 1659.



Louis Joriszen Van Der Veer

From Genealogical notes of NY and New England Families by S.V. Talcott.

Louis Joriszen Van Der Veer who married Neeltje Douw on 9 Jan 1650 in NY but doesn't appear to have any children.

From the Marriages at the RDC of New Amsterdam (New York)

1650 09 Jan; Lovis Joriszen, jm van der veer in Zeelt; Neeltje Douwens, wid van Jan Janszen van Ditzmarsen.
1654 20 May; Lowys Lanszen van Ysendyck; Aeltje Douwens, wid van Leuwis Joriszen


Pieter Corneliszen Van Der Veer or Van Der Veen b. bef 1632

  Born in Holland, he arrived in America before Sep 1653 and died here. He purchased property in Oct 1663 which was located on Pearl St. on Manhattan Island, New York. Pieter was appointed along with Jacob Cowenhoven on Sept 10th, 1653 in the case Steinmets vs Capt Verlath, to balance the accounts of the case. ref: N.J. HISTORICAL SOCIETY MAGAZINE 1916. I have been unable to locate any known descendants of him.

From the records of "Baptisms at the Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam (1639-1730)"

29 Jun 1659; Pieter Corn. Van der Vers; Catharyn; Govert Loockermans, Cornelia de Peystert


Jacob Jacobsen Vanderveer b.~1630 d. 30 Mar 1699

Jacob's will dated 15 Apr 1698, prv 1699

  Jacob Vanderveer is believed to have been born in The Netherlands about ~1630. When and how he arrived in America is unknown as well as his parentage in The Netherlands. His wife Catherina, states in later years the she has been in the country as long as Jacob, since 1656. He was in New Amsterdam in 1655 and married to Catherina Brassert, who on 3 Oct 1655, baptised their daughter Elizabeth in the Reformed Church of New Amsterdam. In 1660, he was a Sergeant stationed at Ft Altena, previously known as the Swedish fort Ft Christina, located in what is now known as the Wilmington, Delaware area. During that year he requested that he be discharged so that he might return to The Netherlands. However, on 8 April 1661, Gov Stuyvesant granted him a lot located near Ft Altena. In 1684, Jacob was awarded another land grant near the Brandywine Village settlement (Wilmington,Del). Later he acquired a land patent to an island and the family ran a ferry from this area for some years. In 1683, Cornelius and Jacob, assuming this to be the brothers and Jacob's sons, took the Oath of Allegiance to the English Crown. Some lines of this family use the VANDIVER spelling today.

m. ~1655 to Catherina Jans Brassert, born in Sweden ,bur. 9 Feb 1720

They had the following known children.

From the records of the "Baptisms at the Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam (1639-1730)"

03 Oct 1655; Jacob Van der Veer, Catharina Brassert; Elisabeth; Jan Adamszen-Metselaer, Marritie Swaens
21 Jan 1657; Jacob Van der Veer, Catharina Jans; Hendrick; Christiaen Niesen, Hillegond Joris

  There has been speculations that Jacob Vanderveer is related to the Van Der Veers of Long Island and Somerset, NJ, however, I have found no supporting evidence to indicate that there was any connection between the two families in America at least prior to the 1850's.


Michael Paulus Vandervoort b.~1615 d. Sep 1692

  He was born in Dermont, Flanders, Holland about 1615 and died Sep 1692 in Talbot County, Maryland.

On Aug 26, 1640, he married Marritje Joris Rapelje b. 11 MAR 1626/27 in New Amsterdam, daughter of Joris Janszen Rapalje and Catalina Jeronimus Trico.

They had the following children:

Michael is believed to arrived in New Amsterdam prior to 1640 and sold most of his New York holdings in 1658 & 1659 , moving to Maryland in 1660. Several of the descendents of this family are believed to have began using Vandervour, Vanderveer, and Vandiver

Michael Paul Vandervoort's wife Marritje Joris Rapeltje was grandaunt to Femmetje Bergen, wife of Jan Cornelius Vanderveer

Cornelius Janszen Van Der Veer b. 1622 or ~1642 d. bef 22 Feb 1703
   aka Cornelius de Seeuw, Cornelius de Zeeuw, Cornelius Dominicus

  He is believed to have departed Amsterdam and arrived in America on Feb 17, 1659 on the ship De Otter , taking up residence in Midwout, what is now Flatbush, NY. On 13 Jun 1661 Cornelius was one of six persons who petitioned Gov Stuyvesant for a patent of land, who authorized a survey. In Feb 1678 he purchased a farm in Flatbush for about 2600 guilders. In 1683 The Assement Roll of Midwout lists him as having 100 acres. This land became known as the 26th and 32nd ward of Brooklyn and was owned by his descendents until 1906. The Vanderveer Park addition was the last remaining section of the original property and is located near Brooklyn College. He and his son-in-law Daniel Polhemus, erected a grist mill on Fresh Kill in Flatbush, later known as Vanderveer Mills, which came into the hands of his son Dominicus, and later his grandson Cornelius. He died in Feb, 1703 in Flatbush, NY. Most descendants of this line favors the VANDERVEER spelling, with a line in Kentucky and Indiana using VANDIVIER. There is also some minor branches of the Kentucky Vandiviers that uses the VANDIVER spelling.

  In 1672, he married Tryntje De Manderville b.1654 in Guildeland, Holland, daughter of Gillis De Manderville and Eltje Hendrickson. She died in Flatbush, NY. She arrived the America in 1659 with her parents. Different records refer to her father leaving Holland 12 Feb 1659 on the ship De Trouw ( Faith) or arriving on Apr 1659 on the Moesman (The Market Gardener). A ship listing of the Moesman in Apr 1659 show Gillis Mandeville as a passenger.

They had the following children:


Origins of Cornelius Janszen Van Der Veer

  The origins of Cornelius Van der Veer has been disputed for some time, one version based on the book "The Van Der Veer Family in the Netherlands" by Louis P. DeBoer - Published 1913 and work by John J. Van Der Veer in 1912, which indicates that Cornelius came from Allkmaar, Holland, The Netherlands. While DeBoer's book is a good match for the movements of the Dutch people during the colonial period, the connection to the Van Borsselen family is probably optimistic. Curious is that the village of Borssele is just a few miles from Kloetinge where the second opinion indicates he's from.
  The second opinion is that he was called Cornelius Jansz Dominicus based on a document from Dordrecht, The Netherlands dated 20 Jun 1706. This document states that Dominicus Domincussen Van Der Veer of Midwout, New York is to recover monies owed his father Cornelius Dominicus from a brother named Jacob Dominicus living near the city of Goes. Clearly within this document it refers to Cornelius Van Der Veer's family in New York and lists him as using the name Cornelius Dominicus and Cornelius Leeuw. Cornelius used the name Cornelius De Seeuw on several occasions in New York, but the use of Leeuw is somewhat of a question since that translates to Cornelius Lion and Cornelius Seeuw translates to Cornelius of Zeeland. S & Z are used interchangeably in Dutch documents, which explains the translation disparity. Zeeland is a providence in southern part of the Netherlands, containing the villages of Veere, Kloetinge, Goes, Wemeldinge, and Borssele, all of which have been associated with the Van Der Veer and Dominicus names. From other unconfirmed references I have recently found, Cornelius Dominicus of Kloetinge, did have a brother Jacob Dominucus of whom was selling land on Cornelius Dominicus's behalf. In several land transactions dated 19 May 1957, 22 Jun 1657, 15 Feb 1658, and 22 Mar 1658, Jacob is taking care the property of Cornelis who is listed as out of the country and in one reference to a land transaction dated 15 Feb 1658 in Wemeldinge, it refers to Cornelius being out to the county and his property heavily in debt. This may have prompted him to leave for Niew Amsterdam to seek his fortune. I have yet to find a record to indicate where Cornelius Dominicus left for or where Cornelis was between 19 May 1657 and until his arrival in New Amsterdam in Feb 1659. There was an article in the Albany Times Union written in 1935, referring to Cornelius in which he and his brother ? were enroute to America, when they became shipwrecked and was rescued by a Spanish ship. They were held for ransom, and were returned to Holland upon their release. Based on the info I have, having a brother with him is not supported, but if Cornelius was held for some time, it would explain his absence between 1657 and 1659. Veere was a major shipping port at that time and is approx 25 miles away from Kloetinge and therefore quite possible that Cornelius Dominicus adopted Van Der Veer in favor of Dominicus in Niew Amsterdam. He may also be related to Maryn Adriansz van der Veere, an early Niew Amsterdam settler of some notoriety who appears to have ties to the Dominicus family in the Wemeldinge area.


Dominicus Family Genealogy   
Excerpt of Genealogie de Heren van Borselen, door A.W.E. Dek, Zaltbommel, 1979   

Passenger list of the ship De Otter landing 17 Feb 1659 from Amsterdam to Nieuw Amsterdam

  Captain Cornelius Reyers Van Der Beets

  Carel de Beauvois, from Leyden, wife and three children, 3, 6, and 8 years old
  Marten Warnarts Stoltin, from Swoll
  Cornelius Jansen Van Der Veer, farmer
  Jan Luycas, shoemaker, from Oldenzeel, wife and young child
  Roeloff Dircxsz, from Sweden
  Sweris Dircxsz, from Sweden

  ref: Year Book of The Holland Society of New York 1902

About this site and database

  This site originally started a web site for my immediate family. However in the course of researching my family, other family lines of the same name began to confuse the picture. To alleviate this I began entering the other family lines. As a unexpected side benefit, folks began sending and exchanging info containing much more than I could ever find on my own. Consequently, this site is the work of hundreds of people, both researchers and just the curious. While I can take credit or blame for maintaining the site, all of you that have taken the time to send me the details and corrections, deserve all the credit.

   The database on this site contains just about any reference to Van Der Veer variations I have ran across, related to my immediate line or not. I enter nearly all except for obviously singular living people with no known ancestral ties. Much of this info has been be derived from email that has been sent to me, monitoring the various discussion groups, and by searching the internet. Data on individuals born after 1900 who have not obviously passed on, has been purged of details prior to posting on the web.

  This database does include diverging families branches of the Long Island VanDerVeers who descend from Cornelius Janszen Dominicus VanDerVeer, of which my family descends. When possible, these diverging families are taken back to their emigrant ancestors and to living individuals whose ancestors married into the Long Island VanDerVeers.

  The information that I list here is based on collection of many sources and consensus of information and consistent reasonable dating, not necessarily on actual physical evidence, please bear that in mine. Much of this information is old, passed down in records that are subject to interpretation. Bad hand writing, deterioration of papers, wishful thinking, and sometimes intentional misleading information muddles the picture. With enough pieces though, the truth of the picture will form itself. If you have something to contribute, a related web page you would like linked, or a feature you would like included, please contact me.

Many thanks to all of you that have sent me the immense volume of email, files, and corrections.

Best Regards
Steve Vandiver
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