Esther (or Hester) Tourneur, daughter of Daniel & Jacqueline Tourneur, was born in New Harlem (modern day Harlem, New York) in 1662. Her father was one of the original settlers of New Harlem. He held many important titles, performed many important public services, and was a large land holder.
The subject of this article is the land Daniel Tourneur purchased in or soon after 1667, called the Hoorn's Hook patent. Because of a dispute the land was involved with, Tourneur "was given instead eighty-one acres on the Main, bordering on what the Indians called Mannepies Creek. This grant, through the marriage of Esther Tourneur to Frederick De Voe, became vested in the De Voe ancestor, who was afterward owner of the adjoining tract known as De Voe's Point."
Esther and Frederick Deveaux (or De Voe) had a daughter named Rachel Deveaux, who was born on May 1, 1678. She married Johannes Dyckman in 1702, and they had at least two sons: Cornelis Dyckman, named after Johannes's father, and Frederick Dyckman, named after Rachel's father.
Following is a closeup of the "land of the De Voes", described in the above illustration as follows: "On the right is historic McCoomb's Dam Bridge, crossing the salt marshes covered by Harlem in her early days, and touching the land of the De Voes, the descendants of Esther* Tourneur." (*Also known as Hester).
Although this photograph is old, it was probably taken around the time the book was published in 1903. Certainly the land had already seen quite a number of changes since the Tourneur and Deveaux families lived there.
This interactive Google Map virtually places you on Harlem River Drive, in the approximate area this photo was taken, facing what is now called "Macomb's Dam Bridge". The De Voe's land (Deveaux) was in this vicinity. Across the bridge is the famous Yankee's Stadium.
Click here to learn more about Esther (or Hester) Tourneur, daughter of Daniel Tourneur, who married Frederick Deveaux (or De Voe).
Sources:
New Harlem past and present; the story of an amazing civic wrong, now at last to be righted, by Carl H. Pierce, W.P. Toler, and H.D. Nutting, 1903, p. 50.
Google Maps