By 1687 in the record of his daughter Wyntie’s baptism Ryck was still using the patronymic Abrahainszen, but shortly thereafter he and his youngest brother assumed the Lent surname which their descendants continued; the basis for this is considered elsewhere.

Together with his brother Jacob and others he obtained title in 1685 to what became known as Ryck’s Patent: 1800 acres in the northern part of Westchester County. He settled in Tarrytown and was an early member there of the Sleepy Hollow Reformed Dutch Church.

Ryck’s will included a provision expressing his belief that (under the rule of primogeniture) he should have inherited his father’s lands in Newtown, including Riker’s Island, but which his brother Abraham received instead.

The gazebo in the Lent Riker Smith Homestead rear garden looking toward "The Mudroom." Photo by NYCHS during the June 5, 2005 tour given by Marion Smith to benefit the Queens Historical Society. Tour images do not appear in Edgar Alan Nutt's 2004 book and have been added to the web version by NYCHS. Click image to visit the Queens Historical Society web site.

Whether Ryck’s seeming disinheritance (although his cash bequest was 30s while his siblings were each given 25s) was based upon favoritism or upon the fact that he moved out of the area while Abraham remained on the farm and in effect if not in actuality worked for his father, is not apparent.

Daughter Margaret has been the subject of conflicting reports as to the first listed marriage which may be that of another Margaret, the daughter of Ryck’s brother John.

Supporting the latter possibility are the names of the witnesses for the baptism of the granddaughter Sara: Jan and Helena who most likely were the second Margaret’s father and sister, while the present Margaret had no such close relatives.

However there appears to be no clear evidence that Ryck’s brother in fact had a daughter Margaret, leaving the field to the present Margaret whose marriage with Thomas Benson is attested to by Ryck’s will in which he specffica]ly refers to "my daughter Margaret, wife of Thomas Benson."

Cornelius Evertsen (above) and Jacob Binckes (below), whose ships and soldiers harrassed British colonies and commerce in New World in the spring of 1673, regained New Amsterdam for 14-months+ return to Dutch rule. The Manhattan-based commissioners led by Cornelis Steenwyck tried to renew claim over eastern Long Island whose folk had given little heed to such claims during earlier periods of Dutch ascendency. Read a detailed account on Newsday's LI history site. The above caption and images do NOT appear in Edgar Alan Nutt's 2004 book and have been added to the web version by NYCHS. Click images for their web sources and more information.

JOHN (JAN) RYCKEN

Born - 1651.

Died - by March 28, 1723, when his March 30, 1720 will was proved

Married - Nov. 26, 1691, Sarah Schouten, daughter of Jan & Sarah (Jensen) Schouten, & widow of Paulus Paulissen Vanderbeeck whom she married June 13, 1677, & had 7 children. She was born circa 1660; New Castle, Delaware, and died at Gowanus, Brooklyn.

[Son] ABRAHAM.

[Daughters] Grietie, Helena, Elizabeth and Elizabeth.

Grietie - born circa 1693; married May 6, 1714 to Pieter Vosbergen; children induding Sara, baptized Nov. 16, 1715 (witnesses: Jan Ryke, & Helena Ryke). [John may not have had a daughter Margaret or Grietie, and the marriage data may belong to his brother Ryck’s Margaret.]

Helena - born circa 1696; baptized May 24, 1696 (witnesses: Joris Martenszen & Helena Schouten)

Elizabeth - born circa 1697. Baptized Sept. 22, 1697, (witnesses: Gerret Holland & Elisabeth Schoute). Died - prior to Dec. 25, 1698

Elizabeth - born circa 1698. Baptized Dec. 25, 1698 (witnesses: Gerret Holland & Anna Schoute, wife of Johannes Martense).

Jan Abramse Rycken was a private in the Dutch militia during the short-lived restoration of Dutch control over New York, which in the earlier period had been New Amsterdam in New Netherland and which in July of 1673 was renamed New Orange.

He served in the second platoon of Capt. Cornelis Steenwyck’s "Rolle vande Compagne" under Sgt. Cornelis Dirckse vanWestveen. Where Jan actually settled has not been discovered, but since his wife died in Brooklyn he may well have settled there.

There is an undocumented report that a John deRyck, born in 1651 and son of Abraham Rycken, married Margaret Kranckheyt, daughter of Jacobis Kranckheyt.

If this is correct it would doubtless have been John’s first marriage seeing that he was forty when he married Sara; however the record of his marriage with Sara identifies him as “j.m,” i.e., that he was a previously unmarried young man.

View from gazebo looking toward the patio, the Mudroom & back of Lent Riker Smith Homestead. Photo by NYCHS during the June 5, 2005 tour given by Marion Smith to benefit the Queens Historical Society. Tour images do not appear in Edgar Alan Nutt's 2004 book and have been added to the web version by NYCHS. Click image to visit the Queens Historical Society web site.

James Riker reported that Jan’s son Abraham settled in New Jersey’s Essex County and was the ancestor of Rikers in that area.

As discussed in Chapter One, and as noted above regarding Wyntie the supposed daughter of immigrant Abraham, it appears that he was incorrect and that those Rikers instead are descendants of Ryck Hendrickszen’s son Hendrick Rycken and are members of an entirely different Riker family.

The records of two baptisms support the identities of John and Sara.

For the Nov. 8, 1699, baptism of Andries, son of Abraham Ryke and Margaret Buytenhuyse, “Sara Schoute wife of Jan Ryke” was one of the witnesses; Abraham and Jan were brothers; and for the Jan. 18, 1705, baptism of Aetje, daughter of Carel Adriaanse and Maria vanderBeek, again one of the witnesses was “Sara Schoute wife of Jan Ryke;” Maria was a daughter of Sara Schouten by her first husband Paulus vanderBeeck.

ABRAHAM RYCKEN

Born - 1655.

Died - Aug. 20, 1746. in 91st year; buried #125 Riker Cemetery & memorialized on #105 with Guysbert, Abraham, Andrew, & Joseph

Married - January 10, 1682 Grietie, daughter of Jan Gerrits & Tryntie Janse (vanLuyt) vanBuytenhuysen. [See] marriage records of the New Amsterdam R. D. Church . . .

[Sons] ABRAHAM, JOHN, HENDRICK, ANDREW (ANDRIES), JACOB.

[Daughters] Catherine (Tryntie), Margaret (Margrietie), and Mary (Marritie).

Catherine - born 1682; baptism Dec. 11, 1682 witnessed by Abraham deRycke & Tryntie vanBuytenhuysen; married James Blauvelt.

Another view of the Lent Riker Smith Homestead rear garden looking north toward the stockade fence in the far distance, the gazebo left and patio right, seen through plant leaves in side yard. Photo by NYCHS during the June 5, 2005 tour given by Marion Smith to benefit the Queens Historical Society. Tour images do not appear in Edgar Alan Nutt's 2004 book and have been added to the web version by NYCHS. Click image to visit the Queens Historical Society web site.

Margaret - born April 18, 1685; baptized May 3, 1685 (witnesses: Iauens Kolevelt & Janneken Hendricx). Died - Jan. 8, 1775 in 90th yr. Married first May 6, 1705 to Peter Braisted (Brestede); second (after 1724) to Thomas Lynch (or Lince); third (after 1730) to Anthony Duane.

Mary - born 1686; baptized Dec. 19, 1686 (witnesses: Jan Hercxen, Belltje Hercxs). Married first October 31, 1714 to Hasuelt Mattysze vanKeuren of Kingston; second (may have married in 1723 to Otto Tjerks).

Abraham in 1689 inherited his father’s homestead property on Bowery Bay in Newtown plus Riker’s Island. His older brothers had moved away and he had remained in Newtown, no doubt helping his father and eventually running the family farm. At some time after his father’s death he built and lived in the house that much later was the Riker Mansion (named Astoria?), that eventually passed into the Rapalye family and that is discussed in [Part 6].

In the mansion’s yard was a pear tree that near the end of Abraham’s life was featured in a family legend: Abraham had become blind and had not ever seen his great-grandchildren who also lived in the house, and, while sitting under the pear tree musing that, if he could only see them he could die in peace, he suddenly could see again; he hurried into the mansion, saw his great-grandchildren for the first and only time, and then returned to his chair under the pear tree and died. Subsequently the pear tree was thought by some to have special power.

HENDRICK LENT

Born - April 28, 1662. Baptized. Sept. 23, 1662.

Married - circa 1680 Catharina Jans, daughter of Jan Cornelise & Annetje (Alberts) vanTexel. She was born circa 1664 in Midwont, Flatbush (Brooklyn).

[Sons] HENDRICK, ABRAHAM HENDRICKSE, JAN, JACOB, and Albert (born after 1699, died after 1716).

The Sleepy Hollow Dutch Reformed Church (above) congregation was newly formed when Riker/Lent children were baptized within its fold. Listed in the National Park Service Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings, the church -- on Route 9 in northern outskirts of Westchester's Village of Sleepy Hollow, formerly North Tarrytown, formerly Beekmantown -- was constructed around 1697 - 1699 by Frederick Philipse I, Lord of Philipsburg Manor, for his tenants and remained an active church until after the Civil War. The adjacent burial ground includes the grave of Washington Irving, whose writings perpetuated the name of "Sleepy Hollow" for the church and area. Click church image for more. Click cemetery image for more. The images do not appear in Edgar Alan Nutt's 2004 book and were added to the web version by NYCHS.

[Daughters] Margaret (Grietie), Anna (Antje), Cornelia, Aeltje, and Rachel.

Margaret - born circa 1687, Cortland, Westchester Co; baptism March 20. 1692 witnessed by William & Margrietie duPuy; married 1713 to Peter Vosbergen who was born circa 1692 in Ulster Co., NY

Anna - born circa 1689, Cortland; baptism March 13, 1689 witnessed by Jobannes vanVoorst, Aeltje Coleveet; married [in Sleepy Hollow R.D. Church register] April 10, 1706 Carel Davidsen, Philipsburgh, NY, son of Jean & Esther (Vincent) Davids; 8 children.

Cornelia - born 1697; baptism April 21, 1697; Sleepy Hollow Church witnessed by Jan Cornelize vanTexel & wife Antje; married (possibly) March 17, 1733 Cornelius Webber.

Aeltje - born 1699, Cortland; baptism April 24, 1699 Sleepy Hollow Church, witnessed by Jan & Aeltje Hermanse; married Oct. 7, 1721 Matthys deRonde, son of William & Magdalena (Brouwer) deRonde, Sleepy Hollow Church; at least 2 children.

Rachel - born after 1700.

Although he subsequently adopted the Lent surname, as late as 1684 in the record of his son Abraham’s baptism he was Hendrick Rycke.

Within a few years later he moved to Tarrytown where he was an elder in the Sleepy Hollow Reformed Dutch Church and where Catharina was eighty-seventh on the membership list. They were witnesses in six baptisms between 1681 and 1711: for three grandchildren, one nephew, a brother of Catrmna, and a daughter of friends.

There is some question as to whether in fact the above-listed Margaret born circa. 1687, Jacob born 1695, Albert, and Rachel were children of Hendrick and Catherine.