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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). Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. 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 #HesterTourneur #Deveaux #Harlem #DutchSettlers #dutchsettlement #FrederickDeveaux #RachelDeveaux #FrederickDyckman

In today's world of cell phones equipped with camera and video functionality, it's easy to take for granted how easy it is to record and save our precious memories. How fortunate for our future descendants who may never meet us or hear our voice. If only the pilgrims had cell phones when they crossed the Atlantic. If only the soldiers in the trenches had vlogged the victory over the British during the Revolution. If only someone had recorded a video of our great-great-grandparents dancing at their wedding - or even took a photo! How great would that be! Unfortunately, it is rarely easy to find photographs of ancestors born in or before the nineteenth century, and video was literally unheard of. Surely many of them were never photographed at all, and for the ones who were, it was a rare occasion. They may have had three photos taken in all their life and they could have faded, been lost, destroyed, or worse - unlabeled, leaving us with no idea who is in the photo. Last month I found two photos of my paternal great-grandfather, Percy Daniels, in one of my most exciting finds, and now I have discovered a photo of David Reese, my maternal 5th great-grandfather! He is obviously quite aged in the photo, and therefore it must have been taken in the 1890s or before he died on December 26, 1911. My great-grandfather, John Reese (his great-grandson, shown below), was just 11-months old at the time. The photo of David Reese was shared on Ancestry.com, contributed by user "granteves". I cropped and framed the photo as shown here for the family. Thank you to Grant Eves, for sharing this precious treasure with us! Compare it to the 2002 photo of his great-grandson, John Reese. Do you see a resemblance? #DavidReese #Reese #reese #JohnReese

New York City certainly has seem a dramatic transformation over the past 400 years. Almost nothing from the time my 10th great-grandfather, Daniel Tourneur, lived in Harlem in the 1660s remains, except what is written in the records. From the book, "New Harlem past and present; the story of an amazing civic wrong, now at last to be righted", we read "On lot g stood the house of Daniel Tourneur". The map provided in the book shows us exactly where it was located, and other properties Daniel owned. A detailed view of the same map is shown below, with lot g outlined in red. We can learn more about Daniel's land holdings in 1670, on page 63: This satellite image from Google Maps shows the approximate location of Daniel Tourneur's house in Harlem, possibly in the middle of present day 124th Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue in Harlem. You can also view the location from street level view on Google Maps here. Click on the image to look around or navigate down the street. He also appears to have owned Lot 7 of Upper Horn's Hook, (p. 101-102 of New Harlem Past and Present). Click here to learn more about Daniel Tourneur. Click here to see more about this family. Source: 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 #DanielTourneur #Harlem #NewYork #DutchSettlers #dutchsettlement

Daniel Tourneur was a French Huguenot, born in Amiens, the capital of Picardy, in northern France, on March 20, 1625. He was the son of Etienne Tourneur and Marie Burger. You can "walk" the streets of Amiens on Google Maps to see the city. Click or drag on the image to navigate around the streets: Picardy is a historical region which extends from the suburbs of Paris to the Bay of Somme on the English Channel. The counties of Picardy were Boulogne, Ponthieu, Amiens and Vermandois. In 2016, the regions of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy were merged into a new region called Hauts-de-France, meaning "Upper France". The Picardy region was part of the Frankish Empire as early as the 5th century. The Treaty of Verdun in 843 declared it part of West Francia. In 1477, King Louis XI of France led his army into Picardy, occupying key towns until he controlled the entire region. Picardy is the birthplace of Gothic architecture, containing six of the world's greatest examples of Gothic Cathedrals, including the Amiens Cathedral, the tallest cathedral in France, built between 1220 and 1270. Certainly the Tourneur family were well acquainted with it as it overlooked the River Somme in the city in which Daniel was born. It is a Roman Catholic Church, and likely part of the reason Daniel fled France. According to "New Harlem past and present; the story of an amazing civic wrong, now at last to be righted", page 297-298, "The Tourneurs, it seems have been victims of repeated persecutions in France, and had been driven from home in the fruitful valley of the Somme in the wake of a relentless war." See the Huguenot Society of America's website for information about the events that led to the Huguenot migration to America, including the dreadful day of August 24, 1572, when thousands of Huguenots (French Protestants) celebrating the marriage of Prince Henry Navarre in Paris were slaughtered in a heinous act organized by the Crown and the Church - Catherine de' Medici (widow of Henry II) and Pope Gregory XIII. The Prince, however, responded by leading Huguenot forces to a victory over the Catholic League at the Battle of Ivry in Normandy. After their victory, in 1598, Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes, granting the Huguenots religious freedom. This freedom, however, did not stop the persecution by their predominantly Catholic countrymen. Thousands of Huguenots fled France as a result of that persecution, Daniel Tourneur being one of them. He left France in or before 1650 and went to Leiden, Holland, where he married Jacqueline Paresis. Two years later, they were on their way to America, settling in what is now Harlem, New York. "As a very young man in France he had been drawn into a religious clash when a group of Catholics attacked a Protestant burial service. In the struggle, one man was killed and Tourneur, accused, was obliged to flee to the Protestant center of Leyden. There he married Jacqueline Parisis, sister of a Protestant clergyman. Shortly after the birth of their first son, Daniel Jr., he brought the family to America." (Excerpt from "Jan Dyckman of Harlem and His Descendants"). Thirty-three after Daniel left, in 1685, Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes entirely. The remaining Huguenots in France were forced to renounce their faith and convert to Catholicism. They were not permitted to leave France and those who refused, considered heretics, were hunted down and their property confiscated. Daniel and his family had escaped a wicked and unjust fate, by the grace of God. See Daniel Tourneur's profile page for more details about his life. See the Dykeman page for more on this branch of my family. ------------------------------------------ Sources: Amiens Cathedral article on Wikipedia Somme (department) article on Wikipedia Picardy article on Wikipedia "New Harlem past and present; the story of an amazing civic wrong, now at last to be righted", by by Carl H. Pierce, W.P. Toler, and H.D. Nutting, 1903. "Jan Dyckman of Harlem and His Descendants", by H. Dorothea Romer and Helen B. Hartman, 1981. "Peeps in Picardy", by W. D. Craufurd, W.D. Manton, and E. A. Manton. (Interior of the cathedral, below) #DanielTourneur #Tourneur #France #Huguenot #NewNetherland #French #Amiens #Picardy

When Governor Andros restored the English form of government in New York, the first case brought to the new court at New Harlem was the case of Widow Jacqueline Tourneur vs. Elizabeth Nightengale Disosway. The "old antagonist", Mrs. Disosway, had many times accused and slandered the name of Jacqueline's husband, Daniel Tourneur, claiming he had killed a man in his old home of France. Even though Daniel was deceased, Jacqueline saw the new court as an opportunity to settle the matter, once and for all, and it appeared to end in justice. Mrs. Disosway's apologetic appeal was entered as follows, on January 19, 1675: "The Defendant brought into ye Court her suplicatory peticon, in which was her acknowledgement for her wrong and injury to ye Plaintiff's husband; which ye Court accepted off, conditionally she behaved her selfe well, and pay all costs." But it wasn't over yet. Within three months, Mrs. Disosway repeated the offense and the court grew tired of the case and it was dismissed. Jacqueline and her son, Daniel, Jr., "had suffered so much annoyance from the story that they finally rented their village property and moved over to Montagne's Flat, where the young man had holdings inherited from his father". According to "New Harlem past and present; the story of an amazing civic wrong, now at last to be righted", and other sources, the allegations were false: "The accusation against Tourneur had its foundation in the fact that the elder Tourneur had drawn his sword in self-defense, in company with several of his companions, during a political quarrel in France. In the course of the melee a man was killed. Tourneur, with others, fled. The Disosways had held this taunt over Tourneur's head whenever the Magistrates displeased them." Later, the Tourneurs and Disosways settled their differences and the Disosways moved to Staten Island in 1684. Read more about the circumstances of the melee here. Click here to read more about this branch of my family. 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, 91-92. Google Maps #HesterTourneur #Deveaux #Harlem #DutchSettlers #dutchsettlement #DanielTourneur #JacquelineParesis #JacquelinedeParisis #justice

Daniel Tourneur is listed among the "the pioneers, who first succeeded in planting the seeds of civilization and religion in Harlem". At the signing of the first patent of the Nicholls Charter, Daniel Tourneur was President of the New Harlem Court. The second Nicholls charter was drawn on October 11, 1667, by Richard Nicholls, granting the right to call the town "New Harlem". The first patent omitted the Bronx property. The terms of the patent can be read here: Much information about Daniel Tourneau's life in Harlem is found in "New Harlem past and present; the story of an amazing civic wrong, now at last to be righted". Click here to read it for free at Archive.org. This map shows the location of some of Tourneur's land: Click here to learn more about Daniel Tourneur. Source: "New Harlem past and present; the story of an amazing civic wrong, now at last to be righted", by by Carl H. Pierce, W.P. Toler, and H.D. Nutting, 1903 #DanielTourneur #Harlem #NewYorkCity

At a meeting of the villagers of New Harlem, which took place at 125th and First Avenue, on March 23, 1660, Daniel Tourneur was elected as Corporal to help defend and maintain peace and order in the settlement. No military force was needed, however, since a peace agreement had been made with the local Indians. As the town grew and more settlers arrived, however, problems began to arise to the point where the villagers petitioned the Council of New Netherland for a court of justice. Stuyvesant granted the request, naming Daniel Tourneur, Jan Pietersen, and Pierre Cresson as Commissaries to make judgments on disputes and conflicts among the settlers. From the book "New Harlem past and present", the following was stated: "These Commissaries, afterwards called Magistrates, turned their attention almost immediately to the religious needs of the community." The nearest Church was at Stuyvesant's chapel located at 9th Street and 2nd Avenue, later called St. Mark's Church an eight-mile paddle over the treacherous currents of the East River. The authors continue: "Through the Commissaries, who had the supervision of all such matters, and were all professors of the Reformed religion, this urgent need of a minister was made known to Governor Stuyvesant..." Thus, the Reformed Church of New Harlem was organized. By the end of the year a dominie willing to minister to the people of New Harlem was found and services were being held. Dominie Zyperus, however, was not permitted to administer ordinances, which prevented him from performing marriages. Therefore, "most of the marriages of the day were performed by Dominie Selyns, pastor of Brooklyn church, who used to hold services in Stuyvesant's Chapel". Later, in 1673, Daniel Tourneur also served as Private in New Harlem's first militia. Source: 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. 21-22. Click here to learn more about the life and family of Daniel Tourneur. Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. #DanielTourneur #Harlem #NewYorkCity #NewYork #DutchSettlers #dutchsettlement

Enjoy these scenes and memorabilia from historic Cortland, New York, located smack dab in the middle of the great State of New York. #cortland #reese #daniels #NewYork #leonard #Leonard

Back when record-keeping was done by hand, index cards were of great value. This 3" x 5" card provides us with personal details about Albert Strong of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He was 44 years old when he enlisted in the Civil War at Troy, Pa., on Sept. 27, 1864. He was 5'7" tall with a dark complexion, brown hair, and gray eyes. He served as a Private in Company E, 3rd Regiment, Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery. His discharge was ordered or approved after eight months of service, on May 29, 1865, and he was officially discharged 11 days later, on June 9, 1865. Search the Pennsylvania Civil War Index for your ancestors! Click here! (It's free!) Click here to see more Albert Strong's history and family.. If you can connect or add to Albert's profile on WikiTree, please do! #albertstrong #civilwar #strong

This Charles Decker, born in Elmira, New York, in 1850. About 1916 he moved to Goshen, having lived in Warwick previously. Had a son named James A. Decker who lived in Warwick and another son, Edward Decker, of Waterbury, Connecticut. Charles is buried in Warwick Cemetery. Note: Although there are three other men named Charles Decker buried there, none match these dates. Who was this Charles Decker the son of? Note also, he is not our Charles G. Decker who died in 1909. Click here to see more Deckers in the news. #othercharlesdeckers #otherdeckers

The Lineage of the Decker Family was published in segments in Olde Ulster: an historical and genealogical magazine, in a series of issues from 1906 to 1909: Volume 2 in August 1906 (pages 244-249): Continued in Volume 3 in January 1907 (pages 27-30): Continued in Volume 5 in April 1909 (pages 120-126): Continued in Volume 5 in May 1909 (pages 155-159): Continued in Volume 5 in June 1909 (page 181-183): I have yet to find my connection to this Decker family. My 2nd great-grandfather, Charles Gilbert Decker, was born in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, abt. 1863. He lived in Warwick and Port Jervis, New York, and died in Walden, New York in 1909. His widow, Lydia Decker, lived in Hamburg, Sussex County, New Jersey - all towns associated with this Decker family. For more on my Decker family, see the "Decker" page or for other Deckers possibly related, see the "Other Deckers" page. Join the Decker Genealogy forum! #decker #otherdeckers #genealogy

Quote by Abraham Lincoln: It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. Photo by the late Rev. James I. Dickinson (1927-2003) Click here to see more ! #famousquotes #quotes #motivation #inspirational #JIDPhotos

For those researching the line of James Leonard the Ironworker of Taunton, Massachusetts, don't miss this magnificent work by Brad Leonard. Two volumes detail the first 8 generations of James' descendants. #Leonard #otherleonards #leonard

This past few weeks I have been trying to clean out my computer and sort through all my saved disks and files. I have collected so much valuable information and I created this page to share all my finds with you. I will be posting a lot of links, tips, suggestions, ideas, photos, and more, so be sure to follow and check back soon! #myblog