Beeks line: Pieter Jansen Slot 1639-1688 ish

 I'm always intrigued when I find ancestors who were in New York (New Amsterdam) when it was still a Dutch colony (before 1664).  Some of my earliest memories of "history" involved the "purchase" of Manhattan Island for beads and wampum in about 1624, and the stories of Peter Stuyvesant.  Of course, those stories are either not true or only partially true, but they intrigued me in grade school, and learning the truth intrigues me now.  So when I find there are ancestors who were actually there during the early years, my int4erest kicks into gear.  So it is with Pieter Jansen (or Jensen) Slot (Slodt, Sloat).

Pieter was born in Amsterdam, Noord Holland, The Netherlands, about 1639 to Jan Pieterson and Aetje Jans Slot.  The Slot family may have been from the Schieswig-Holstein area of Germany originally, but by the time our Pieter was born the family was somewhat settled in Amsterdam.  It's likely, therefore, that our Pieter was bi-lingual, speaking both his parents language and that of the locals.  He may or may not have picked up a working knowledge of English, also, as he was still a young teenager in 1653 when he arrived with his parents in New Amsterdam, on Manhattan Island.  The family apparently settled first in Haarlem, which was more Dutch and less cosmopolitan than New Amsterdam itself, at the time.  His father was prominent there as a magistrate and official, so the family was well respected.  

The Slots may have gone back and forth between Fort Amsterdam and their home in those early years, as there were frequent raids from native Americans who were not happy with the amount of settlement that was going on.  More than one tribe had been using the land, probably for centuries, and they did not understand the concept of the purchase of the island in the same way that the Dutch (and English) understood it.  There may have been years the crops were not gathered in, they may have lost farm animals to the Indians, and they may all have slept with one eye open.  

Nevertheless, Pieter matured and married Marretje Jacobse Van Winkle, daughter of Jacob Wallingse and Tryntje Jacobse Van Winkel on January 2, 1661 at New Amsterdam.  He was a cadet in the New Harlem Militia in 1663, and probably before and after that.  Pieter was a builder by trade and this may explain why he made several moves during his lifetime.  There is record of a land deed in his name in 1664, and he also acquired land in what is now Bergen County, New Jersey (just across the Hudson River).  He appears to have lived in either Bergen County or on Manhattan Island his whole adult life, but there were several moves between those locations.  

Pieter and Marretje had seven children, although some sites list only 5.  I've been unable to trace the children so perhaps there were a couple of early deaths, which would have been sad but not unusual for the times.  Other than his military service, we don't know of civic duties he performed, but by his trade alone he helped build and form this country.  

I have not found an exact date of death for Pieter.  It was sometime between early 1688 and late 1691, but I can't be more specific than that.  His widow married Jean Demarest, who is also a Beeks ancestor, and Pieter's son Jacob married Maria Demarest, daughter of Jean.  

For anyone interested in this part of our history, I highly recommend the book "The Island at the Center of the World" by Russell Shorto.  You'll learn a lot more of this fascinating part of our history than the few sentences that were in grade school history books, and that may not even be there any more!

The line of descent is:

Pieter Jansen Slot-Marretje Van Winkle

Jacobus Slot-Maria Demarest

Benjamin Slot-Sara Demarest

William Slot/Lock-Elizabeth Teague

Sally Lock-Jeremiah Folsom

Leah Folsom-Darlington Aldridge

Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their descendants