Sarah Rapalje   [1625-1685]

Sarah Rapalje was the first white female child born in New Netherland. She was born in Albany on July 9, 1625, and died in New Amsterdam, then New York, in 1685. During her life time, she had two husbands and bore 15 children. The first child, Anneken Hansen Bergen, was baptized on July 20, 1640, eleven days after Sarah had turned 15. Sarah bore her fifteenth child, Gysbert Teunissen Bogaert, in 1668, when Sarah was 43 years old.

Sarah’s parents were Joris Jansen Rapalje [1604-1662] and Catalyntje Trico [1605-1689]. Sarah’s parents had come over from Holland to New Netherland on the first ship to bring the first immigrants to New Netherland in 1624. The ship was the “Eendracht”, also known by its translated name of “Unity’ or “Concord”. The “Eendracht” had sailed from Amsterdam, Holland on January 25, 1624, arriving in New Netherland in March 1624. The Rapalje family had been deposited at Fort Orange, in what would eventually become Beverwyck, and later Albany, New York. Sarah’s parents, Joris and Catalyntje had been married in Amsterdam, Holland, just prior to their departure for the new world, on January 21, 1624.

The other ship which brought the second shipment of immigrants to the new world was the”Nieu Nederlandt”. The “Nieu Nederlandt” departed Amsterdam, Holland in April 1624, and arrived in New Netherland in June 1624. The “Nieu Nederland”, as had the “Eendracht”, also dropped its passengers off at several different locations, such as New Amsterdam, Fort Orange and Connecticut. Many eventually ended up in New Amsterdam were most of the early commercial activities took place. Sarah’s parents also moved to New Amsterdam, and it is there that Sarah lived most of her life.

Sarah married at a very young age, probably even for that time period. She was only 14 years old, in 1639, when she married Hans Hansen Bergen. We do not know how old Hans was, but we do know that he passed away in 1654, only 15 years following their marriage. At that time Sarah was only 29 years old, and already had borne 8 children. Of the eight children, seven survived into adulthood, and marriage records are available for them. Only one, the youngest one, probably died at a young age. The names of Sarah’s children are: Anneke Hansen Bergen who was baptized on July 22, 1640; Breckje Hansen Bergen, baptized on July 27, 1642; Jan Hansen Bergen, baptized on April 17, 1644; Michael Hansen Bergen, baptized on November 4, 1646; Joris Hansen Bergen, baptized on July 18, 1649; Maritje Hansen Bergen, baptized on October 8, 1651; Jacob Hansen Bergen, baptized on September 21, 1653; and Catalyn Hansen Bergen, baptized on November 30, 1653. Catalyn, a twin to Jacob, apparently died at a young age.

Probably about a year after Sarah’s husband, Hans Hansen Bergen, passed away, Sarah married Teunis Gysbertsen Bogaert. Sarah and Teunis would have seven children, six of whom survived into adulthood, again an amazing number for that time period. The couple’s children were: Aertje Teunisen Bogaert, baptized on December 19, 1655; Catalyntje Teunisen Bogaert, baptized on December 16, 1657; Neeltje Teunisen Bogaert, baptized on February 22, 1660; Neeltje died at a young age; Aaltje Teunisen Bogaert, baptized on November 13, 1661; Annetje Teunisen Bogaert, baptized on August 23, 1665; Neeltje Teunisen Bogaert, also baptized on August 23, 1665; Neeltje and Annetje were twins; and finally number 15, Gysbert Teunisen Bogaert, baptized on December 5, 1668. So during a period of 28 years Sarah bore 15 children. Since there were two sets of twins, she had a birth on average every two years during the 28 year period.

Sarah did not live a long life. Clearly, the work involved in rearing such a large family must have taken its toll on her. She passed away in 1685, during her 60th year. Her mother, Catalyntje Trico actually outlived her oldest daughter Sarah. Catalyntje passed away in 1689, at age 84, four years following Sarah’s death. It has been estimated that Sarah Rapalje’s offspring numbers at least a million descendants. One of the more famous descendants is Humphrey Bogart, the actor.

 

 

 

REFERENCES

Fulkerson branch descended from Sara Rapalje, http://www.fulkerson.org/1-janvig.html

Pedigree of Sarah Rapalje 1625-1685, http://www.concentric.net/~pvb/GEN/sarap.html

VanderfordFamily.com, New York Vanderfords, http://vanderfordfamily.com/html/newyork.htm

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