The Fulkerson Family Pages
Commentary authored by Bob Fulkerson, from his site Fulkerson.org, with edits, added info, and added links in 2015 and 2017.
Forerunner to Trump: Dirck's Expansive NYC Real Estate Holdings
According to NYHM (New York Historical Manuscripts), Dirck obtained a loan, possibly to buy his own house, in May of 1638:
Promisory note of Dirck Holgersen to Director Kieft
Before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary of New Netherland, appeared Dirck Holgersen, Noorman, to me well known, who freely and deliberately acknowledged that he was indebted to the Hon. Mr. Willem Kieft, director here in New Netherland for the General Chartered West India Company, in the sum of seven hundred and twenty guilders, payable in three installments; the first instalment of fl. 300 Dirck Holgersen shall be bound to pay on the fairday of Amsterdam 1638; the second instalment of fl. 300 in like manner on the fairday of Amsterdam 1639; and the third and last instalment of fl. 120 on the fairday of Amsterdam anno 1640. He hereby promises to pay the aforesaid money honestly and honorably into the hands of the Hon Mr. Kieft, or his successor, free of costs and charges, without any gainsay, submitting to that end his person and property, real and personal, present and future, without any exception, to the control of all courts, judges and justices under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Court of Halland, and to all other courts, judges and justices, without any exception. In testimony and token of the honest truth, I have subscribed this with my own hand. Thus done in For Amsterdam in New Netherland, this first of May Ao. 1638. "This is the X mark of Dirck Holgertsen Noorman." [Footnote: "fairday of Amsterdam" – Sept. 22.]
From 1638 - the date of the above promissory note - to 1645, Dirck owned the large house at 125 Pearl Street. It was about a block south of Wall Street. He also leased a nearby farm property from the Dutch West India Company. The details of the agreement let us know how Dirck would spend much of his next six years:
NYHM: May 18, 1639, lease from Director Kieft to Dirck Holgersen of a farm and stock on halves:
Before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary in New Netherland, appeared the honorable, prudent Mr. Willem Kieft, director general in the New Netherland on the part of the General Chartered West India Company, of the first part, and Dirck Holgersen, Noorman, of the second part, and acknowledged that they had amicably agreed and contracted in presence of the undersigned witnesses in manner as follows:
The Hon. Director Willem Kieft delivers to Dirck Holgersz aforesaid the following animals belonging to Messrs. the directors of the West India Company, to wit, three cows, two of which are dry and one with calf, one heifer, one bull calf, one mare of [ ] years, one mare of two years, and one stallion, the receipt of all the which animals from the hands aforesaid Dirck Holgersen acknowledges, and he shall have the use of the above mentioned cattle for six consecutive years, beginning [ ] and ending [ ].
For each cow, Dirck Holgersen shall annually pay to the honorable director aforesaid, or to the Company’s agent, thirty pounds of butter. Also, at the expiration of the six years, animals to the same number and in as good condition as those now delivered shall first be set aside for the Company and then the parties shall divide half and half the remaining cattle which by God’s blessing shall be bred from the aforesaid animals.
Likewise, Dirck Holgersen aforesaid shall be bound during the above mentioned six years to deliver to the Company one half of the grain which he with God’s blessing shall raise on his farm, with the express promise that he shall cultivate it, or have it [162] cultivated diligently and industriously, without attending exclusively to the increase of the cattle, in order that the Company may annually receive a good quantity of grain.
The honorable director aforesaid promises that during the term of the lease, if diligence be used in the cultivation of the land, there shall be given to the above named Dirck Holgersen for the maintenance of servants fifty Carolus guilders a year.
For all of which the parties bind their persons and estates, movable and immovable, present and future, without any exceptions, under submission to all lords, courts, judges and justices, all in good faith. In testimony and token of the truth two copies of the same tenor are made hereof and subscribed by the parties. Done in Fort Amsterdam, this 18th of May 1639, in New Netherland.
Dirck's house on Pearl Street was on a quarter-acre and had a garden and apple trees. He sold the house in 1645. The deed states he took six of the apple trees when he moved.
NYHM: Sept. 22, probably 1645, contract of sale of a house and lot on Manhattan island from Dirck Volckertsen to Govert Aertsen:
Before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, [s]ecretary of New Netherland, appeared Dirck Volckertsen, an inhabitant here, who in the presence of the undersigned witnesses acknowledges that he has sold to Govert Aertsen, who also acknowledges that he has bought, the house and lot belonging to him, Dirck Volckertsz, standing and situated on the island of Manhatans, where the lot of Dirck Cornelisen adjoins on the west side and that of Jan Damen on the east side, and that as large or as small as the house and lot lied within the fences, with all that is fastened by earth and nail on condition that the vendor shall be at liberty to remove six apple trees of his choice and carry them where he pleases. Also, all of the produce of the garden shall remain at the disposal of the vendor, but the purchaser may have what he needs of the vegetables for himself and his partner and a good friend at the time of the Amsterdam fair [22 September] and not before. For which house and lot the above mentioned Govert Aertsen promises to pay the sum of three hundred and twenty-five guilders down at the Amsterdam fair next, when the delivery shall be made. Which being done, the vendor promises said house and lot with a proper deed, free from any claims or demands which might be made by any one in the world, all exactly as the purchaser himself [obtained the lot by] patent. In witness and token of the truth, this is signed by the respective parties to the knowledge of the undersigned witnesses, the Amsterdam in New Netherland.
In 1648 Sergeant Daniel Litschoe purchased the site and converted the house into a tavern. The site of this tavern appears on the 1660 map of the city; however, Litschoe traded it in 1653 for "the Jansen house" just north of the City Wall. This house may have been the old Vigne home, since Jan Jansen Damen had just died, so Adrienne Cuvelier Vigne - Dirck's mother-in-law and Jan's widow - may have spent her last three years of life in Dirck's old house on Pearl Street.
In 1691, Captain Kidd and his new wife, the former Mrs. Sarah Oort, moved into a large house on Pearl Street, half a block south of Dirck's old house.
Dirck's leased farm was near brother-in-law Cornelis Van Tienhoven's "plantation" at Smits Vly (translation: Smith's Flat), northeast of Wall Street. On August 4, 1649, Van Tienhoven sold property on the 250 block of Pearl Street to Dirck and their other brother-in-law, Abraham Ver Planck.
The lots were about a half-acre each, extending along Pearl Street on the East River to some high ground at the rear, between Maiden Lane on the south and what is now Fulton Street on the north. (Maiden Lane, which still exists, was presumably named after the three maidens whose family originally owned the land: Christina, Maria and Rachel VIGNE.) [Innes]
NYHM: Aug. 7, 1649, deed from Cornelis van Tienhoven to Dirck Volckertsen of a lot in the Smith’s valley, on Manhattan Island:
This day, date underwritten, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary here, conveys to Dirck Volckerssen a lot of his land situated in the Smits valley, on the island of Manhatans, by virtue of the patent granted to him by the honorable director general and council; in width on the south side, at the strand, seven [128] rods and six feet; in width in the rear, on the north side, seven rods and nine feet; in length on the east side, sixteen rods and nine feet; in length on the west side, sixteen rods and six and one-half feet, and that in true and full ownership, provided that he, Dirck Volckerssen, or whoever obtains his right, shall be subject to whatever the lord may hereafter claim. Which said Cornelis van Tienhoven hereby relinquishes the ownership of the said lot, of the dimensions aforesaid, conveying the same to the above named Dirck Volckerssen, or whoever may obtain his right, in true ownership, without retaining any claim of ownership thereof, but relinquishing the same henceforth and forever. He, Cornelis van Tienhoven, therefore promises to hold this conveyance firm, binding and inviolable, under submission [of his person and property] as by law provided. Without fraud or deceit this is signed by the grantor and witnesses, the 7th of August Ao. 1649, New Amsterdam, New Netherland.
Dirck subdivided his lot into smaller properties, and during the next five years sold most of the lots, with or without a house. The deeds are recorded. Hage Bruynsen the Swede bought a lot from him in November 1653 and built his own house. (In February 1654 Dirck sued Bruynsen to pay for the property.)
Dirck built himself a house in 1649 at 259 Pearl Street. In 1651 he sold it to Roeloff Teunissen - a Swede from Goteborg who was employed by the Dutch West India Company as captain of the ship "Emperor Charles" - after building himself another new house. Roeloff used the house until 1657 when he sold it to Jan Hendricks Steelman. [These are also shown on the 1660 map.]
Sept. 19, 1651, deed from Dirck Holgersen to Roelof Teunissen of a house and lot in the Smith’s valley on Manhattan Island:
On this day, the 19th of September of the year one thousand six hundred and fifty-one, before me, Jacob Kip, clerk appointed here by the honorable director general and council of New Netherland, appeared Dirck Volckertsen, burgher and resident here, who in the presence of the undersigned witnesses declared that he transferred and conveyed, as he hereby does by virtue of the deed executed to him, the grantor, under date of August 4, 1649, by Cornelis Tienhoven, by virtue of his patent, to and for the behoof of Roelof Teunissen from Gottenborgh, at present skipper of the small ship Keyser Karel, his certain house and lot, standing and lying on the island of Manhatans, in the Smits valley, on the East river, between the lot of Abraham Verplanck and the portion which the grantor reserves, being in width on the south side, on the road, three and one half rods and three feet; in the rear, against the land of Cornelis van Tienhoven, on the north side, three and one half rods and four and a half feet; in length, on the west side, sixteen rods, six and a half feet, and on the east side sixteen rods, nine feet, and this in true and free ownership. He, the grantor, declares that according to the written agreement he was fully satisfied and paid the purchase money before the execution hereof; he therefore puts the aforesaid Roelof Teunisen in his stead and real and actual possession of the aforesaid house and lot and relinquishes all further claim and ownership for the behoof aforesaid from now on forever, expect that the aforesaid Roelof Teunisen or he who may [308] acquires his title remains subject to whatever the lords and patrons may claim, as mentioned in all patents. He, Dirck Holgersen, promises to hold this his deed and conveyance firm, binding and irrevocable and to observe and fulfil the same, all under submission [of his person and property] according to law. In testimony whereof the original hereof in the record is signed by the grantor and cedent, together with Jacob Jansz Huys and Bartel Jansz, both invited hereto as witnesses. Done as above, in New Amsterdam in New Netherland. This is the X mark of Dirck Holgersen, made by himself Jacob Jansen Huys Bartel Jansen Acknowledged before me, Jacob Kip, Clerk" [Here, Dirck’s name is spelled both Volckersen and Holgersen.]
Dirck still owned land at Smit's Vly on 15 Sep 1659, when New Amsterdam courts recorded: Jan Hendricksz Stelman acknowledges to owe Walewyn Van der Veen, as attorney for Adriaen Blommaert, 65 guilders Holland money, for passage money in his ship "Hoop" in 1657. Mortgages his house and lot North of the bank of the East River, to the East Abram Verplanck, to the South said road, to the West Dirck the Noorman's, to the North Tienhoven's farm.[Holland Society Year Book, 1900, p. 169]
Grandfather Dirck's ownership of "fourth class" land appeared on a 1674 list of properties "on Present W.S. Pearl St bet Franklin & Wall Sts": Noorman, Derrick, Estimated Worth: not recorded, Smith's Valley.
Neighboring properties were owned by Abraham Verplanck ($3,000), Jan Vinje ($2,500) and Christopher Ellsworth ($1,000). Dirck and Abraham later owned other lots on Manhattan through their wives' inheritance, which was substantial: their mother-in-law Adrienne Cuvelier (Vigne) and her husband Jan Jansen Damen owned Manhattan from Pine Street north to Maiden Lane, and from the East River to the Hudson River, encompassing most of the Wall Street financial district and the World Trade Center. Fortunately, the property is still in the family and we are all filthy rich. Okay, so we're not filthy rich. At least we have some great stories to tell.
The address at 259 Pearl Street was the site of a business in the 19th Century: "A.L. Halsted and Sons, Importers and Dealers in English, German and American Hardware, Cutlery &c" which billed itself as "the only exclusively cash hardware store in the United States." Its advertising reminded customers that it was directly across the street from the United States Hotel.
Smits Vly was on the NE edge of New York's financial district. Now, imagine yourself visiting New York in 1882. You're standing on Pearl Street, south of the Fulton Street intersection, on the west side of the street. You'd possibly be standing on Dirck's old front yard. Just a few feet away you will see Dirck's great great great great great great nephew busily at work. He is constructing the Pearl Street Station, the world's first electric power plant, which will soon light lower Manhattan with his new invention, the incandescent light bulb. That nephew is Thomas Alva Edison.
This painting depicts Captain Kidd in New York Harbor. Kidd and his wife Sarah would move into a home just south of Dirck's old house at Pearl St. about ten years after Dirck's death.
The Fulkerson and Vigne families from which we descend owned about one half of the ground which can be seen in this photo, including the site of the Twin Towers which were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attack.
View of lower Manhattan and the financial district. Properties our Fulkerson and Vigne families owned are marked or outlined in RED. The World Trade Center site is near the top, within the red outline, bounded by Liberty Street,West Street, Barclay Street and Church Street.
Pearl St. intersecting Wall St. at the
east gate of The Wall, about 1700
Site of Dirck's first house on Pearl
Street, one block south of Wall Street
Smit's Vly in 2002
Click here to read about the Household of Dirck Holgerson de Noorman and Christine Vigne.
