Cornelius Van Riper, M.D.- The name of Van
Riper, with its multitudinous orthography (it is spelled
Van Reiper, Van Reyper, Van Ryper, Van Ripen, Van Reypen
and Van Reipen), is derived from the latin word Ripa, whence originated the name of a city on the north bank of the River Nibbs in Jutland, Demark. Jutland was divided into four dioceses, the most southerly of which lying along the German Ocean, was called Ripen. This diocese was 142 miles long and 57 miles wide, and was part of the Cimbria Chersonesus of the ancients, where dwelt the war- like Cimbri, who at one time invaded the Roman Empire. The city of Ripen is situated in latitude 55 degrees 36 min- utes north and longitude 9 degrees 19 minutes east, and, next to Wibourg, is the most ancient city of Jutland. From this port in April, 1663, a vessel named T Bonta Koe (which means The Spotted Cow) sailed for the New Netherlands with eighty-nine passengers, among whom was Jurien Tomassen, who with thirteen others, on March 16, 1684, received a patent for what was then called “Haquequenunck” a name which is still substantially preserved in the title of the pres- ent township of Acquackanonk. This patent extended from the Third River up the Passaic to the Falls, thence to Garret Rock, and along the face of the steep rocks southwesterly to the present county line, thence to the mouth of the Third River. This young man was a native of the city of Ripen, and four years after his arrival married Pryntje Hermans. His death having occurred September 12, 1695, some of his descendants assumed the name of Juriance, now Yeriance and Auryansen; while others took the name of the ancestral town and became Van Ripens, Van Ripers etc. Tomassen received of Guert Coerten by his will, dated February 5, 1671, a par- cel of land lying in and about the town of Bergen, which Coer- ten had purchased of Philip Carteret May 12, 1668. Here he lived and died. Juriaen Tomassen had children- Thomas, Ger- rit Aeltje, Chystyntje, Marietje, Harman, who died in in- fancy, Jan, Harman (2) and Grietje. Of this number Harman was born December 6, 1686, and married, first, Maritje Freder- icks in 1709, and later, Judith Steinments, in 1721. He re- moved to Acquackanonk, and was the parent of thirteen chil- dren, the third son of whom was Abraham, born January 25, 1716, and who married Elizabeth Bradbury. They were the parents of three children- John A., Philip and Mollie. Of this number John A was born February 12, 1753, and married Leah daughter if Abraham and Anne Winne, in 1776. He was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and resided eight in number, one of whom was Abraham, whose birth occured September 15, 1782, and who married Maria Spear, daughter of John and Margaret Spear, in 1804. He repre- sented his district in the Assembly during 1848 and 1849, and for many years served as Freeholder and Justice of the Peace. His death occured in March, 1866. His five children were John A., Abram Winne, Sarah, Eliza and Margaret. Of this number Abram Winne, father of the subject of this sketch, was born June 3, 1815, and on the 27th of October, 1836, married Clarissa, daughter of John and Jane Kip. The Kip family (formerly spelled Kype) are of Holland extraction, Hendrick, the progenitor, having left Amsterdam in 1635. He had three sons- Hendrick, Jacobus and Isaac-who held mu- nicipal offices under Governor Stuyvesant, the second of whom received an extensive grant of land, now embraced in the city of New York. One of these sons is the progenitor of John Kip, above named, who was a man of much business enterprise , and largely engaged with his sons in the grocery and lumber trade. Mr. and Mrs. Abram W. Van Riper had three children -Jane, who died in infancy: Cornelius and Abram Harvey, both the sons being practicing physicians. Cornelius Van Riper was born September 6, 1840, at North Belleville, N.J. ,where were spent the years of his boyhood. He later devoted himself to a thorough course of study at Bloomfield, N. J. ,which enabled him to enter the University of the city of New York ( now New York University) , from which he graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1863, and in 1866 he received the degree of A. M. from the same institu- tion. He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and the Phi Chapter of the Zeta Psi fraternity. Having decide upon a professional career, he chose that of medicine, and soon after entered the office of Dr. Arthur Ward of Belleville. In 1863 he became a student at the college of Physicians and Surgeons of New York (now the Medical Department of Co- lumbia University), and received his diploma from that in- stitution as a practicing physician and surgeon in 1866. He then established himself in practice at Passaic , where he has since resided. He has been for a long period a member of the Passaic County Medical Society, and has been elected at sundry times to the offices of president, vice -president and secretary of that society. The doctor on the 19th day of Sep- tember ,1866, was united in marriage to Miss Adrianna Ter- hune (died December 9, 1893), a daughter of the late Hon. John N. and Sophia Terhune, and the granddaughter of nicho- las and Adrianna Terhune. They have had five children, Carrie and Aimee, both deceased; Arthur Ward, now a prac- ticing physician: John Terhune , now a practicing lawyer, and Cornelia Zabriskie. Dr. Van Riper was one of the founders of the North Reformed Church of Passaic, of which he is a member, and was one of its first deacons. He has ever mani- fested a deep interest in educational projects, and was for several years a member of the Board of Education of the city of his residence. He is in his political preferences a Re- publican, and has always taken a deep interest in local and national politics. When the State Trust and Safe Deposit Company (now People’s Bank and Trust Company) was or- ganized, in 1888, Dr. Van Riper was chosen as its first vice- president, which office he has held ever since. He has been president of the Passaic City Medical Society, and has been a member of the Board of Governors of the Passaic Hos- pital Association since its organization. He is also a member of the visiting staff of the Passaic General Hospital and one of the Board of Directors of the Washington Club of the city of Passaic, a member of the Holland Society of New York city and a director in the North Jersey Title Guarantee
Company. 04/07/200