Jean (John) "Petit" à Baignoux, also known as John Petit, John Benew, Jan Binjou, Jean Abignou, Jean Bejonge, Klyn Jan, Little John, etc., is thought to have come to the New Netherland colony from the area of Ba(i)gnoux, Côte d'Or, Bourgogne, France. He is referred to as a Huguenot and was born, say, 1645.
Jean joined the Reformed Dutch Church of New York on 12 Apr. 1665. He was licensed to marry Elizabeth, daughter of Ralph Hall [sic], on 6 Dec. 1670. However, his wife is called Anna Hoede/Hoedt in and after 1673. It appears that these references relate to the same woman, i.e., that the wife he married in 1670 and with whom he had daughters Anna and Maritie baptized in 1673 and 1680, respectively, was named Anna Elizabeth Hoedt.
In 1677, a tract of thirty acres was surveyed, patented and confirmed to him on the southeast side of Manhattan Island. In 1683, he sold his farm on Hoorn's Hook to Isaac Deschamps.
Jean/John's first wife died in 1679 or 1680, most likely in or after childbirth. His betrothal to marry (second) Jannetje Stevens was announced 11 Apr. 1680 at the Reformed Dutch Church of New York. They had a son Benjamin baptized in 1685.
James Riker's work, The Revised History of Harlem (1904), p. 381, describes the tragic death of Jean Baignoux and his son:
"... sailing a coasting vessel, he met with disaster. Abraham Gouverneur, writing from Boston, October 12, 1692, relates 'the sad mischance of Little John [Klyn Jan] and his son,' who bound thence for New York, 'were cast away on Nantucket Shoals, and both drowned.'"
It is not known whether the bodies were recovered. They are shown here as (tentatively) having been lost at sea.
Jean's daughter baptized as "Anna" on 8 Dec. 1673, in the Reformed Dutch Church of New York, is thought to be the same as Elizabeth Benue (d. 1760), wife of Judge Henry Freeman (d. 1763) of Whitewood Hall, Woodbridge Twp., Middlesex Co., NJ. According to family tradition, Elizabeth was from a Huguenot family. Her age at death (she was in "her 87th year") fits well with the 1673 baptism. It is thought that her full name was probably Ann Elizabeth, as she gave her first daughter this name in 1696. Double given names were not uncommon in French and Dutch families, though rare in English families at that time.
The death of Jean Baignoux's first wife in 1679/80 (when Elizabeth Benew Freeman would have been about 6 years of age), and then his and his son's--apparently 11-year-old Benjamin's--drowning in 1692 (when Elizabeth would have been about 18), are thought to be the reason for the following epitaph on Elizabeth's gravestone (see Find A Grave memorial 11050741):
Her days began with Trouble here,
Our life is but a Span,
And Cruel Death is always near,
So frail a thing is Man.
Jean Baignoux's untimely death might also be the source of the Freeman family tradition that Henry Freeman's father had drowned when Henry was a minor. In other words, the story of the tragic loss of one grandfather of the 13 Freeman children might have been eventually passed down in the family as relating to the other grandfather.
For more information about Jean Baignoux and his family, see Doug Wilson's website:
http://dougwilson.com/family/reports/fam492.html
Also consult Patty Barthell Myers' work, Ancestors and Descendants of Lewis Ross Freeman ... (1995), p. 8.
--Joseph R. Klett
Jean joined the Reformed Dutch Church of New York on 12 Apr. 1665. He was licensed to marry Elizabeth, daughter of Ralph Hall [sic], on 6 Dec. 1670. However, his wife is called Anna Hoede/Hoedt in and after 1673. It appears that these references relate to the same woman, i.e., that the wife he married in 1670 and with whom he had daughters Anna and Maritie baptized in 1673 and 1680, respectively, was named Anna Elizabeth Hoedt.
In 1677, a tract of thirty acres was surveyed, patented and confirmed to him on the southeast side of Manhattan Island. In 1683, he sold his farm on Hoorn's Hook to Isaac Deschamps.
Jean/John's first wife died in 1679 or 1680, most likely in or after childbirth. His betrothal to marry (second) Jannetje Stevens was announced 11 Apr. 1680 at the Reformed Dutch Church of New York. They had a son Benjamin baptized in 1685.
James Riker's work, The Revised History of Harlem (1904), p. 381, describes the tragic death of Jean Baignoux and his son:
"... sailing a coasting vessel, he met with disaster. Abraham Gouverneur, writing from Boston, October 12, 1692, relates 'the sad mischance of Little John [Klyn Jan] and his son,' who bound thence for New York, 'were cast away on Nantucket Shoals, and both drowned.'"
It is not known whether the bodies were recovered. They are shown here as (tentatively) having been lost at sea.
Jean's daughter baptized as "Anna" on 8 Dec. 1673, in the Reformed Dutch Church of New York, is thought to be the same as Elizabeth Benue (d. 1760), wife of Judge Henry Freeman (d. 1763) of Whitewood Hall, Woodbridge Twp., Middlesex Co., NJ. According to family tradition, Elizabeth was from a Huguenot family. Her age at death (she was in "her 87th year") fits well with the 1673 baptism. It is thought that her full name was probably Ann Elizabeth, as she gave her first daughter this name in 1696. Double given names were not uncommon in French and Dutch families, though rare in English families at that time.
The death of Jean Baignoux's first wife in 1679/80 (when Elizabeth Benew Freeman would have been about 6 years of age), and then his and his son's--apparently 11-year-old Benjamin's--drowning in 1692 (when Elizabeth would have been about 18), are thought to be the reason for the following epitaph on Elizabeth's gravestone (see Find A Grave memorial 11050741):
Her days began with Trouble here,
Our life is but a Span,
And Cruel Death is always near,
So frail a thing is Man.
Jean Baignoux's untimely death might also be the source of the Freeman family tradition that Henry Freeman's father had drowned when Henry was a minor. In other words, the story of the tragic loss of one grandfather of the 13 Freeman children might have been eventually passed down in the family as relating to the other grandfather.
For more information about Jean Baignoux and his family, see Doug Wilson's website:
http://dougwilson.com/family/reports/fam492.html
Also consult Patty Barthell Myers' work, Ancestors and Descendants of Lewis Ross Freeman ... (1995), p. 8.
--Joseph R. Klett
Jean (John) "Petit" à Baignoux, also known as John Petit, John Benew, Jan Binjou, Jean Abignou, Jean Bejonge, Klyn Jan, Little John, etc., is thought to have come to the New Netherland colony from the area of Ba(i)gnoux, Côte d'Or, Bourgogne, France. He is referred to as a Huguenot and was born, say, 1645.
Jean joined the Reformed Dutch Church of New York on 12 Apr. 1665. He was licensed to marry Elizabeth, daughter of Ralph Hall [sic], on 6 Dec. 1670. However, his wife is called Anna Hoede/Hoedt in and after 1673. It appears that these references relate to the same woman, i.e., that the wife he married in 1670 and with whom he had daughters Anna and Maritie baptized in 1673 and 1680, respectively, was named Anna Elizabeth Hoedt.
In 1677, a tract of thirty acres was surveyed, patented and confirmed to him on the southeast side of Manhattan Island. In 1683, he sold his farm on Hoorn's Hook to Isaac Deschamps.
Jean/John's first wife died in 1679 or 1680, most likely in or after childbirth. His betrothal to marry (second) Jannetje Stevens was announced 11 Apr. 1680 at the Reformed Dutch Church of New York. They had a son Benjamin baptized in 1685.
James Riker's work, The Revised History of Harlem (1904), p. 381, describes the tragic death of Jean Baignoux and his son:
"... sailing a coasting vessel, he met with disaster. Abraham Gouverneur, writing from Boston, October 12, 1692, relates 'the sad mischance of Little John [Klyn Jan] and his son,' who bound thence for New York, 'were cast away on Nantucket Shoals, and both drowned.'"
It is not known whether the bodies were recovered. They are shown here as (tentatively) having been lost at sea.
Jean's daughter baptized as "Anna" on 8 Dec. 1673, in the Reformed Dutch Church of New York, is thought to be the same as Elizabeth Benue (d. 1760), wife of Judge Henry Freeman (d. 1763) of Whitewood Hall, Woodbridge Twp., Middlesex Co., NJ. According to family tradition, Elizabeth was from a Huguenot family. Her age at death (she was in "her 87th year") fits well with the 1673 baptism. It is thought that her full name was probably Ann Elizabeth, as she gave her first daughter this name in 1696. Double given names were not uncommon in French and Dutch families, though rare in English families at that time.
The death of Jean Baignoux's first wife in 1679/80 (when Elizabeth Benew Freeman would have been about 6 years of age), and then his and his son's--apparently 11-year-old Benjamin's--drowning in 1692 (when Elizabeth would have been about 18), are thought to be the reason for the following epitaph on Elizabeth's gravestone (see Find A Grave memorial 11050741):
Her days began with Trouble here,
Our life is but a Span,
And Cruel Death is always near,
So frail a thing is Man.
Jean Baignoux's untimely death might also be the source of the Freeman family tradition that Henry Freeman's father had drowned when Henry was a minor. In other words, the story of the tragic loss of one grandfather of the 13 Freeman children might have been eventually passed down in the family as relating to the other grandfather.
For more information about Jean Baignoux and his family, see Doug Wilson's website:
http://dougwilson.com/family/reports/fam492.html
Also consult Patty Barthell Myers' work, Ancestors and Descendants of Lewis Ross Freeman ... (1995), p. 8.
--Joseph R. Klett
Jean joined the Reformed Dutch Church of New York on 12 Apr. 1665. He was licensed to marry Elizabeth, daughter of Ralph Hall [sic], on 6 Dec. 1670. However, his wife is called Anna Hoede/Hoedt in and after 1673. It appears that these references relate to the same woman, i.e., that the wife he married in 1670 and with whom he had daughters Anna and Maritie baptized in 1673 and 1680, respectively, was named Anna Elizabeth Hoedt.
In 1677, a tract of thirty acres was surveyed, patented and confirmed to him on the southeast side of Manhattan Island. In 1683, he sold his farm on Hoorn's Hook to Isaac Deschamps.
Jean/John's first wife died in 1679 or 1680, most likely in or after childbirth. His betrothal to marry (second) Jannetje Stevens was announced 11 Apr. 1680 at the Reformed Dutch Church of New York. They had a son Benjamin baptized in 1685.
James Riker's work, The Revised History of Harlem (1904), p. 381, describes the tragic death of Jean Baignoux and his son:
"... sailing a coasting vessel, he met with disaster. Abraham Gouverneur, writing from Boston, October 12, 1692, relates 'the sad mischance of Little John [Klyn Jan] and his son,' who bound thence for New York, 'were cast away on Nantucket Shoals, and both drowned.'"
It is not known whether the bodies were recovered. They are shown here as (tentatively) having been lost at sea.
Jean's daughter baptized as "Anna" on 8 Dec. 1673, in the Reformed Dutch Church of New York, is thought to be the same as Elizabeth Benue (d. 1760), wife of Judge Henry Freeman (d. 1763) of Whitewood Hall, Woodbridge Twp., Middlesex Co., NJ. According to family tradition, Elizabeth was from a Huguenot family. Her age at death (she was in "her 87th year") fits well with the 1673 baptism. It is thought that her full name was probably Ann Elizabeth, as she gave her first daughter this name in 1696. Double given names were not uncommon in French and Dutch families, though rare in English families at that time.
The death of Jean Baignoux's first wife in 1679/80 (when Elizabeth Benew Freeman would have been about 6 years of age), and then his and his son's--apparently 11-year-old Benjamin's--drowning in 1692 (when Elizabeth would have been about 18), are thought to be the reason for the following epitaph on Elizabeth's gravestone (see Find A Grave memorial 11050741):
Her days began with Trouble here,
Our life is but a Span,
And Cruel Death is always near,
So frail a thing is Man.
Jean Baignoux's untimely death might also be the source of the Freeman family tradition that Henry Freeman's father had drowned when Henry was a minor. In other words, the story of the tragic loss of one grandfather of the 13 Freeman children might have been eventually passed down in the family as relating to the other grandfather.
For more information about Jean Baignoux and his family, see Doug Wilson's website:
http://dougwilson.com/family/reports/fam492.html
Also consult Patty Barthell Myers' work, Ancestors and Descendants of Lewis Ross Freeman ... (1995), p. 8.
--Joseph R. Klett
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