My Westfall Family History
I have gathered the following information about Westfall family history from various sources some of which may or may not be true. Much of the information came from a book about the Westfalls researched by Ruby Genevieve (Lentz) Wilmore, the daughter of my father's half sister Grace (Westfall) Lentz, and from internet sources. Several book sources for her information that Ruby Genevieve (Lentz) Wilmore mentioned in her book were "Early Immigrants to New Netherlands" and "Settlers Of Rensselaerswyck" by A. J. F. Van Laer, and articles of research written by William J. Coulter. She worked for over 10 years to research the information for her book, and traveled to many states gathering information from records from courthouses, census records, National Archives, passenger lists, libraries, graveyards, churches (in particular she mentions the "Dutch Reformed Church of New Netherlands"), family Bibles, and Westfall families and relatives.
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The Westfall name is reportedly derived from Westphalia, a region of western Germany. In ancient times the Westfall's were a tribe of related families who lived on the western plains of Germany. The name means literally, people of the western fields or plains.
The Westfall family Coat of Arms
is a black shield outlined in a wide band of gold
with a silver horse rampant on a field of black. The
crest is a white horse issuing.
Reportedly in
1500's two brothers, Von Westphals, took part in a
rebellion against the Catholic Prince in their
district and they fled first to Prussia and later to
Holland to escape reprisal. They were perhaps the
parents or grandparents of Jurian Westfall my first
recorded Westfall ancestor in America. It may or it
may not be true, but there were many other
Protestants--followers of Martin Luther who did take
part in riots and many were put to death, and there
was a great emigration at the time of the religious
troubles.
Several years ago (2004) I received the following information from Douglas Westfall, a Westfall historian. Douglas lives in California, and His email address is Paragon@SpecialBooks.com --- The following material is from a forthcoming book Douglas has written on the Dutch Colony in NY entitled "Colony, to Become America" and it is to be released sometime in the future. Douglas's book site URL address is http://www.specialbooks.com -- Douglas traveled to Luyderdorp and found the following historical information regarding Jurian Westfall who came to America in 1642. Jurian's grandfather was Jurian Westphalen (1560) [Westphalia, PR] + ? (?) [Westphalia, PR], and Jurian's father was Nicholas Van Westphalen (1594) [Westphalia, PR] + ? (1600) [Westphalia, PR]. Jurian's name originally was Juriaen Van Westphalen (1629) [Luyderdorp, NL] married Marritje Hansen (1636) [Nordstrand, PR].
Here is a list of the ship's passengers on which Jurian arrived in America. The ship's name was the Den Houttuyn: it left Texel Holland 6 June 1642 -and arrived New Amsterdam 11 August 1642--De [Domine] Johanned Megapolensis, Machtelt Willems, his wife, Hillegont, Dirrick, Jan and Samuel, their children. Abraham Staes, surgeon, his servant, Evert Pels, beer brewer, his wife, his servant Cornelis Lambertsen van doorn. Hendrick Albertsz van Londen, 29 years old, Geertruijt Dries [Andries] van Doesburch, his wife, 23 years old, hendrick dries [Andries], 21 years old, her brother. Jochim Kettelheun, Johan Helms van Barlt, Johan Carstensen van Barlt, Juriaen Bestvael van Luijderdorp--> (Jurian Westfall-my ancestor who was 13 years old at the time) , Claes Jansen van Waelwijck, Paulus Jansen van Geertruijdenbergh, Hans vos van Badens, Juriaen Pauwelsen van Sleswyck.-- This is copied exactly as Kiliaen van Rensselaer wrote the names in a memo to Domine Johannes Megapolensis dated 3 June 1642.
(DUTCH WORDS)-- Juriaen was granted 32 1/2 morgans (~70 acres) of land September of 1654. On August 17, 1759 Juriaen and twelve others petioned Peter Stuyvesant to establish a church at Wiltwijck. Juriaen signed with a three pronged fork or trident mark. Juriaen now lives by a small kil, under express conditions and reservation, etc. Sjoerd Oosterhof, Woubrugge, Netherlands. Juriaen is indeed a dutch name. In those days the "e" behind an "a" simply meant a double "a". This name is therefore now "Juriaan" and I do have some friends & relatives with exactly that name. It is not as common as "Hans" but nevertheless widely used. Morgen equals the english word "morning." A morgen is a measurement of land that could be ploughed within the time of one morning. In our area (near Lieden) it was 8716 square meters. This word is not used anymore in the current Dutch language. Wiltwijck means a district or quarter of Wilt. A "wijck" is therefore a part of a village or city. Kil is indeed a stream of water, normally deeper vs the other streams that are within the vicinity. This word is not used anymore either.
Perhaps some information about the
early colonial history of New York would be helpful.
This information I found from my computer's Compton
Encyclopedia--In 1609 or 1610 Henry Hudson who
explored the New York area around the Hudson River
named for him, claimed the area for the Dutch. The
first permanent Dutch settlement was at Fort Orange
(later Albany) in 1624.In 1626 New Amsterdam (New
York City) was founded on Manhatten Island. It was
purchased from the Carnarsie Indians for 60 guilders
(24 dollars) by Peter Minuit with mostly
trinkets.That same year 30 houses were built there.
The British King Charles II considered the Dutch
settlements a military threat and a haven for
smugglers. The King's brother Duke of York captured
the Dutch colony in 1664 and it continued under rule
of the English government until the Revolutionary
War.
My first recorded Westfall ancestor Jurian Westfall
(Juriaen Van Westphalen) arrived by ship from Holland in New Amsterdam August 4, 1642. He then went up the Hudson River 135 miles arriving at Fort Orange (later Albany) New York on
August 11, 1642. He arrived as an indentured servant
to killiaen Van Reassalaer. He was placed in the home of Michael Jansen. In the book "Settlers Of Rensselaerswyck" by A. J. F. Van Laer, Jurian Van Westfall is mentioned as living with the family of Michael Jansen. Jurian moved south of Albany to
Esopus (later Kingston) New York with his friend and
fellow indentured servant Evert Pels in about 1653. He was granted 32 morgan (70 acres) of land Sept. of
1654. He married Marretge Jansen that same year. On
Aug. 17, 1659 Jurian and 12 others petitioned Peter
Stuyvesant to establish a chuch at Wiltwyck (Esopus
was briefly named Wiltwyck and later after British
rule called Kingston}. Jurian signed with a three
pronged fork of trident mark. The church was
established. Numerous records regarding Jurian and
his descendants are available in records of the then
Dutch Reformed Church of New York.
I found the
following information in a book "American Nomads"
written by Emily Stowell whose ancestor Jacob
Kuykendall married Sara Westfall daughter of
Johannes. The Esopus Indians lived near Wiltwyck and
for a number of years they were peaceful, but in 1663
they burned and looted the town. There were 12 men, 2
children, and 4 women killed, and 6 women and 7
children taken prisoner. Jurian and his family
escaped harm at the time, but later in 1667 or 1668
Jurian was killed by Indians who were at war with the
Esopus Indians while he was guiding a troop of
British soldiers.
Rymerick's husband Thomas Quick was killed by the Irequois Indians during a raid in 1696 as were other members of the family. There is a marker on state road 209 that marks the spot of the massacre of the Westfall family. Rymerick was Jurian's daughter. In 1696 Jurian's son Johannes (my direct ancestor} and 18 others including his brothers Symen, Nicholas, and his widowed sister Rymerick Quick bought land from the Minsi Indians along the Delaware River near the New York/New Jersey line. The land lies principally in Deerpark Township, Orange County, New York. The peaceful Minsi Indians were one of the three tribes of the Lenni Lenape people. About 1699 Johannes and his family moved to what was called the Minisink settlement. They were among the first white people to live in the area. Johannes oldest son Jurian and his friend Jacob Kuykendall hunted and trapped with the Minsi Indians as youths, and later traded with them. Jurian married Jacob's sister Styntje Kuykendall and Jacob married Jurian's sister Sara (Zara) westfall. They raised their families and farmed there in the Minisink Valley along the Delaware River at peace with the Indians for many years. Jurian had the first apple orchard in the area, and Jacob established the first trading post.
Three of Jurian's sisters married into the Dutch Kuykendall family. Jurian's parents Johannes {son of Jurian the emigrant} and Marretje kool Westfall had 13 children--Jurian, Marretje, Rebecka, Jannetje, Zara, Jacob, Abel, Nicholas, Klaartjen, Rymerick, Helena, Rachel, and John. Jacob and Abel were my line of ancestry. In 1717 Jacob married Margaret De Duyster and they had a daughter Elizabeth. Abel married Anna Bogaert and they had a son Cornelius. In about 1747 Cornelius and Elizabeth were married. They were cousins.
At about this time Cornelius and his wife Elizabeth moved away from the Delaware River to the Virginia Territory near the south branch of the Potomac River near the present day town of Romney. Cornelius's father Abel had migrated there in 1743 with his nephew Jacob and son John, and was granted 400 acres in Augusta County, Virginia in 1748. In 1754 Hampshire County, Virginia was created from Augusta and Frederic Counties, and Romney became the Hampshire County seat in 1762, and later in 1863 became a part of West Virginia when that state was admitted to the union.
John Wesley and Sarah (Vannoy) Westfall's sons Abel and Cornelius also served in the Revolutionary war. Cornelius was a Lieutenant in his brother Captain Abel Westfall's Company, the 8th Virginia Regiment, and was at Valley Forge in 1777 and 1778. Abraham Westfall was also a Captain in the Revolutionary War. He fought under Washington and Lafayette at the battles of Grand Creek, Bunker Hill (where he was wounded), Stony Point, Brandywine, Trenton and Bloody Run. He was the son of Petrus and Arientje (Rosencrans) Westfall.
In about 1754 to 1760 there were the French and Indian Wars, and even friendly Indians like the Minsi joined with the French against the settlers all throughout the colonies. Every small community built their own fort to protect themselves from the marauding Indian attacks. There was a Westfall fort along the New York/New Jersey line. There was also a Westfall Fort, stockade fort which was erected by Jacob Westfall in 1774, located on the southern border of the site of Beverly, Randolph County, Virginia (now West Virginia) near mouth of Files Creek. Scene of an Indian attack in 1782. Jacob was the son of Jurian and Styntje (Kuykendall) Westfall. Jacob migrated to the wilderness of Virginia in 1743 with his Uncle Abel and cousin John.
David Tygart (or Taggart) and Robert Files (or Foyle) were the first settlers in present-day Randolph County. They arrived in 1753 (or 1754). Files built his cabin near Beverly and Tygart's cabin was constructed two miles to the north. The Tygart River and Valley are named in honor of David Tygart and Files Creek is named for Robert Files. That winter, Indians attacked the Files' cabin and killed him, his wife, and five of his six children. One of his sons was not in the cabin at the time of the attack and escaped. He ran to Tygart's cabin to warn him of the Indians' presence. They then left the county for good, moving east into Pendleton County. Eighteen years passed before the next settlers arrived in Randolph County. In 1772, several families moved to the area, including the Hadden, Conley, Whiteman, Warwick, Nelson, Westfall, Riffle, and Stalnaker families.
Two small forts were constructed in present-day Randolph County during Lord Dunmore's War in 1774. Fort Westfall was constructed at Beverly and Fort Currence near Huttonsville. Other small stockade forts were soon constructed. Jacob's son George Westfall later also had a fort in the area. The area's settlers gathered in the forts whenever Indians were known to be in the area. Isolated incidents between the settlers and Indians continued for many years. The bloodiest incidents occurred in April and May 1791 when an Indian raiding party killed about a dozen settlers in the county. Among those killed were Joseph Kinnan and three of his five children. They were killed on May 11, 1791. His wife was taken captive, and was not released until the Indians' defeat at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. A few days after the Kinnans were killed, the Indian raiding party killed Frank Riffle and William Currence. It is believed that they were the last settlers killed by Indians in Randolph County.
My great grandfather Emanuel Westfall was
killed while plowing during the Civil War in 1863. I
don't know the circumstances. He may have been killed
by some kind of military action. The Civil War was
raging in Virginia at the time, and the state was
divided by warring factions. In 1861 West Virginia
had split off to become a separate state. It entered
the Union in 1863.
After my great grandfather's death his wife Hannah Kelley Westfall moved with her 2 sons (my grandfather Jasper who was only 6 and his one year old brother Emanuel Jr.) to Bloomington, IL. She may have had relatives in the area. In 1878 at the age of 21 my grandfather Jasper Mifflin Westfall married his first wife Mary Jane Shannon. That same year they moved with her parents accompanying to near Coyville, Kansas. It was near the Oklahoma line. While in Kansas my grandfather was said to have taken part in a cattle drive over the Chisholm trail.
In
about 1886 my grandfather and his family returned to
his birth state of West Virginia. He traveled all the
way with oxen pulling the wagon. He had many
relatives in the area. He lived near Reedyville (now
Reedy) W. Virginia in Roane County. Two of his
uncles lived there and an aunt Merinda sister to his
father.
In 1893 my grandfather divorced his
first wife and married my grandmother Frances
McCaulley. He and his first wife had 6
daughters--Stella,Mamie,Grace,Nora, Eva, And Marietta
who died a few months after birth. My grandfather
moved to near Fieldon, IL in 1893 shortly after his
marriage to his new wife. In 1899 he bought the farm
where my father was raised and where I was born and
raised south of Fieldon, IL.
I don't have much information about the family of my grandmother Frances (McCaulley) Westfall. Both of my grandparents had died before I was born.