JACOB VAN RIPER
(1765—1835)

Jacob, a member of the fifth generation of the Van Riper family
on American soil was the second son of Richard (Dirck) and Elizabet
Meek (Elizabeth Mead) Van Riper. Jacob was born on the “Old Van-
Riper place” in Upper Preakness, New Jersey, January 2, 1765. When
he was about twenty-five years of age, he married Marietje (Mary)
Vreeland on December 19,1789.

We interrupt Jacob’s history at this point to recite a few facts
about some of Jacob’s brothers and sisters. Uriah, Jacob’s older brother
was born March 26, 1763 and on February 12, 1786 married Mary
(Polly) Berdan. Uriah settled on the farm occupied by the Andrew P
Hopper family, which was originally Berdan territory. Uriah’s daughter,
Elizabeth, married Peter DeWitt, son of the Rev. P. DeWitt of Ponds.
Uriah J. Van Riper, grandson of the first Uriah, was the father of Mary
Anna, Mrs. Andrew P. Hopper and of Sarah Elizabeth, Mrs. C. H.
Post of Lower Preakness. Richard, Jacob’s younger brother, was born
March 4, 1777 and he married Elizabeth Van Orden. Their oldest daughter
Martha married Peter Perrine, the latter couple were the parents of Rachel,
Mrs. Andrew H. Van Riper of Preakness. Their son, Richard Van Riper
Perrine was a lieutenant in the Union Army during the Civil War.

Now to continue with the history of our Jacob. Jacob and his wife
Elizabeth, lived in Preakness for about thirteen years after their marriage.
During that time, Jacob bought a tract of twenty-two acres on Singack
brook from Roel of Van Houten and Annaatje, his wife of Preakness
for 200 pounds New York money.The land was pobably mill property
which Jacob wished to improve further, as on October 28, 1791 he
mortgaged the premises for 160 pounds New York money to his father
and Michael Vreeland, his father-in-law (see Bergen County Transcribed
Deeds A 592).

The children of Jacob and Marietje (Vreeland) Van Riper were:
1. Gerritje, b. November 27, 1793, died in infancy.
2. Gerretye, b. April 25, 1797
3. Elizabet, b. August 31, 1799
4. Richard, b. October 11, 1790
5. Henry, b. subsequent to 1815
The first four children were born in Preakness, New Jersey and
the last one, Henry, in New York City.

About the year 1802, when Jacob was 37 years old, he and his
family moved to New York City, where he became engaged in the trucking
business. His livery stable was located in the Leonard Avenue-Hudson
Street area, on the west side of Lower Manhattan within easy access of
the Hudson (North) River wharves and docks.

Jacob’s place of residence was on Provost Street (now Franklin
Street). He continued to live in that neighborhood until his death in 1835.
A sketch made about 1820 showed a view of Provost Street near West
Broadway. The street was lined on both sides with houses built of rough
stone and mostly two stories high, including a basement and an attic
lighted by dormer windows. A stoop with railings led to the first floor
entrance, while access to the basement floor was provided by a walkway
at ground level. Flagstones were used for the sidewalks and the street
appeared to paved with cobblestones.

Drawings of street scenes of the early 1800’s in New York City
showed the typical rig used by carmen (truckmen) for transporting goods.
It consisted of a two-wheeled horse-drawn cart with a platform in front.
The carmen (truckmen) generally wore the uniform of their trade, a white
canvas smock and they usually drove the carts standing with one foot on
the platform and the other on a shaft.

When about twenty-four years old, Richard joined his father, Jacob,
in the trucking business, but by the year 1820, Richard was operating in
the area of Cherry Street along the eastside of Lower Manhattan. Jacob
continued trucking on the westside of Manhattan until his death on
October 13, 1835 at the age of seventy years. At the time of his death,
Jacob was living at 161 Franklin Street on the westside of Lower
Manhattan. Jacob’s body was first buried in a New York cemetery and on
April 4, 1868 his Body was removed from New York to the family plot,
Lot 11766, Sec. 74, in the Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.

Jacob’s will, dated June 29, 1835, gave all of his estate to his wife,
Mary, except that the sum of $100 was to be given, subject to his wife’s
consent, to each of Jacob’s sons — Richard and Henry. The $100 was
not to be paid to “my son Henry until he arrived at the age of twenty-one
years and then on condition that he demeans himself as a moral and good
person which is to be determined by my Executors”. The will further
provided that “in case of marriage or death of my wife then my personal
estate to be divided equally among my children”. The Executors named
in the will were Jacob’s wife, Mary, and Jacob’s son, Richard. The
witnesses to the will were Rensselaer TenBroeck, 162 Franklin Street,
New York; John S. Rutan, 156 Franklin Street, New York and Stephen
G. Terhum, 73 Sullivan Street, New York.

Jacob’s widow, Mary died about the year 1858 and at the time
of her death she resided at 161 Franklin Street in Lower Manhattan, New
York City. Her place of burial is not known.

Mary, Jacob’s widow, was the daughter of Michael Hartman Vreeland
and his first wife, Gerritje Vreeland. Michael had four children by his
first marriage and four children by his second marriage to Lena Vreeland.
He lived in a stone house in Paterson, New Jersey between the Boulevard
and the Passaic River. In that house his children were born and there he
died in May, 1804. He had a tannery on the brook running through his
lands. He was a substantial land-owner and a man of means. In his will
(dated January 14, 1804) he described himself as of Wesel in Essex
County, New Jersey. His surviving wife, Lena, and his eight children
shared in his estate. To Mary Van Riper, he left two silver table spoons
which had belonged to her deceased mother, Gerritje. The will further
provided that his son, Hartman, was to pay Mary, wife of Jacob Van Riper,
$100 seven years after the death or remarriage of his wife, Lena Vreeland.
The will also bequeathed to one of his sons, a negro man, Sam, and to a
daughter, Jane, a little negro wench named Jealles, aged about two
months and to his three youngest sons, a little negro boy, Harry, aged
seven years, and lastly to his son, Nicholas, a bay colt.