Will the Real Wife of Jan Bastiansen Kortrijk Please Stand Up



According to many accounts, Jan Bastiansen Kortrijk was married (circa 1640 - 1645) to Iolanta/Jolant/Jolanta De La Montagne, in Beest, Holland, daughter of Johannes Mousnier De La Montagne (1592 - 1670) and Rachel Monjour de Forrest (1609 - 1643).  Iolanta De La Montagne is said to have been born in 1627 in Belgium (or Leyden, Holland) and (according to one source citing the name as Yolanta de la Montagne) to have died after 1677 in Harlem, New York.  A seemingly authoritative source listing the six children of Rachel de Forrest, includes a "Jolant," who was born in 1627, but who died in Tobago, West Indies, as an infant.   It is known that the family returned from the West Indies to Holland, where two other children were born before they emigrated to America.  Only if "Jolant" did not die, but returned to Holland, could she have married Jan Bastiansen Kortrijk.   Those wishing to pursue the matter should see: "The Montanye Family," edited by Lois Stewart and published by the Society of Descendants of Johannes de la Montagne, 3657 West Nichols, Springfield, MO 65803, August, 1991, as well as this web site.

So who was Jan's wife?  Another line of research suggests it could have been a woman named Annetje Cornelis.  I have found mention of such a woman, born circa 1610, and the name appears numerous times in Dutch baptismal records of the Reformed Dutch Church of New Amsterdam in the years 1647, 1655, 1656, 1659, etc. apparently as a sponsor.  However, I find no connection of this name to Jan Bastiansen Kortrijk and I was initially sceptical of this theory because this woman was using a maiden name in the baptismal records.  We do find a "Annetje Cornelis Kortright," born about 1680, a daughter of Cornelius Van Quackenbush.  A search for her grandparents might be worthwhile.  As always, variant spellings also hinder the search.  The question is further confused by a source that says "Jan Bastieansen married Annetje Cornelis De La Montagne", thereby suggesting that the "two women" may be the same.  It is a shame that confusion reigns at this point, as the Montange line leads to Yolanta's father, Jean Mousier de la Montagne (born 1592 in Saintes,Santonge,France) and possible avenues of interest.

Yet, another source claims that Jan Bastiassen Van Kortryk Louw was married twice, once about 1640 to a Yolanta de La Montagne and then to Annettje Cornelis.  She is said to have been born in 1622 in Leerdan, Holland, and to have married our man in 1644, in Beest, Holland .  But the web page also states:  "It hasn't been proven yet that she is the wife of Jan.  Documentation is needed."

The names of the four children:
Cornelius Jansen Lowe
Hendrick Jansen Lowe
Laurens Jansen Van Kortryk Lowe
Belitie Isabella Janse Van Kortryk Lowe

offer little in the way of guidance, with the possible exception of the first, "Cornelius," who may have gotten is name from his mother's maiden name: Cornelis.

The names of grandchildren, however, and their baptismal records may provide a clue.  I am grateful to "Cousin Jean," a knowledgeable contributor to Internet genealogy sites, who tells me that, with respect to Annetje Cornelis, experts on Dutch colony "L" names theorize that she was the wife of Jan Bastiaensen for two reasons.  One is based on the Dutch naming pattern usually practiced by most Dutch settlers; the other is based on who appeared as godparents at an infant's Baptism.  Reason #1 is supported by the fact that all the daughters of Jan's children Cornelis, Hendrik, Laurens (my ancestor), and Belitje were named "Annetje."  Reason #2 is supported by the finding that a "Annetje Cornelis" appears as a godmother at the baptism of Hendrik Jansen Kortright's first son, Jan Hendriksen, in 1672 in Harlem, Manhattan.  As to why she would use her maiden name, it is reported that, before they adopted the use of their husbands' surnames in the 1700s, all Dutch and Flemish women used their patronymic names as their personal identification.  There were two women named Annetje Cornelis: one who came to Kingston in the 1640s; the other who came to Harlem in 1663.  This is the same year that Jan and his wife came over on the Spotted Cow and so, this theory goes, it was she who was Jan's wife.  If only Jan had made a will, the mystery would be put to rest.

The information on the remainder of this page comes from the gedcom and history prepared by Gordon Courtright (Glcourtr@aol.com) who has generously shared it with his distant cousins:

He migrated on April 16 1663.  He sailed on the Bontiekoo (the spotted cow) from Amsterdam to Harlem with his brother, Michiel.  This was in Abbott's book on the Courtright family.

Notes for JAN-BASTIAN "BASTIAENSEN" VAN KORTRYK: He and his brother Michiel came to New Amsterdam with their families in 1663 on the ship [IT:Bonte Koe [Spotted Cow]:IT], embarking from Rotterdam on 16 April 1663.

Moved to Beest, Holland when a young man and married there.  Beest is several miles north of Leerdam, Holland on the River Linge well within the sight of the Wolfswaert Castle and of the ruins of the Abbey of Marenwaert near the Gelderland border.  His four children were born here.  Jan's brother Michiel or "Chiel" as he was known was married and lived in the "Prince's Land" as it was known, near Schoonrewoerd about two miles north of Leerdam and some of his children were born here, possibly three or four.

The two brothers yielded to the flattering offers held out to colonists by the Dutch West India Company, and with their families, agreed to leave together for that distant land of New Amsterdam in America  Records show that they proceeded to Amsterdam and embarked on April 16, 1663, in the sailing vessel, "Brindle Cow," with Jan Bergen as the Master or Captain of the ship.

In reference to the ship "Brindle Cow", there is some controversy as to that name.  There are manifests present that the ship was called "Spotted Cow." In dictionaries in the hands of this writer and the manifests in hand the ship was called "Spotted Cow."  Brindle in the dictionaries; means "spotted or having dark streaks."  This writer has been told many times by his father and others that the ship was called "Brindle Cow" but when the manifests were found and the ship was called "Spotted Cow" a determination or explanation was in order.  Several other booklets, pamphlets, and other paraphernalia would suggest that the name was truly "Spotted Cow" therefore for the purpose of this genealogical history/tree any reference to the Brindle Cow or Spotted Cow will be synonymous and we must take for granted that one persons "Spotted Cow" is another's "Brindle Cow"!  The cost to Jan Bastiaensen was 204 Florins and 10 Stivers for himself and his family.  The Dutch Florin or Guilder valued at 40 cents and the Stiver at 2 cents.  That cost of passage for his family and himself being, in U. S. currency, $81.80.  Considering the purchasing power of the dollar in those times, had the dollar been present the Master Jan Bergen, was quite well paid.&

The Bastiaensen brothers and their families, after porting (landing), went to Stuyvesants Bouwery (farm), but soon moved to Haarlem (Harlem) which is located at the upper end of Manhattan Island.  The brothers and their families settled in this area and were the progenitors of the entire Courtright family clan in New York and New Jersey and later to spread all over the world.  Eventually, the Van was dropped and about 1674 the name was spelled Kortryk, Kortregt, Kortrecht, Kortright, then Americanized to Cortright and later to mostly Courtright.  This writer, even today receives mail that is spelled; Cortright, Kortright, Cartright, Cartwright, Courtwright along with the correct spelling of Courtright.  On September 19, 1701, Jan Bastiaensen bought from Peter Van Oblienas a tract of land on Sherman Creek (Harlem) which became the well known Kortright farm, which continued in the family till 1786.  Here, Jan, built and lived till very aged, at least his name remained in the tax lists until 1753.

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