Jan Joosten VAN METEREN

                   "His [Jan Joosten's] only recorded son, Joost Jans, said in his marriage record to be 'j.m. of Metern, born in Gelderland, resid. in Mormur (Marbletown) married, December 12, 1682, Sara Du Bois, of New Paltz (KgM: No. 56). They became the ancestors of many well-known poeple, including the celebrated Van Matre brothers who were pioneers of the Shanandoah Valley of Virginia."

The banns of their marriage were read 18 Nov 1682.

"on December 12, 1682, she [Sara Du Bois] married, at New Paltz, Joost Jansen Van Meteren, who was then living with his parents at Marbletown. The couple had at least four children, two girls and two boys, the oldest of whom, Jan, was baptised on October 14, 1683, and the youngest, Hendrick, on September 1, 1695. It is quite probable that there was another son, Isaac Van Meteren, who, on June 9, 1719, qualified as administrator of the estate of Hendrick Mulliner of Salem County, N.J., and whose bondsmen were John and Henry Van Metere."

"His son Joost, who, on May 27, 1697, had surveyed for him 'a tract of stoney woodland, lying within the bounds of Marbletown, in Ulster County' "

"Issue of Joost Jan and Sara (du Bois) Van Metren: Jan. b. 1683; Rebekka, b. 1686; and Lysbeth, b. 1689. . . In the record of the baptism of Joost Jan's children, his name, as one of the parents, is written as: Joost Jans, Joosten J. Van Meteren, and Jooste Jansen; while that of his wife: Sara du Bois - remains unchanged."

"Jan Joosten and his wife Macyken Hendrickse, were sponsors to Joost Jan's first child: Jan, along with Jacob du Bois, the next older brother of Joost Jan's wife Sara. . . After the birth of Lysbeth in 1689, Joost Jans' name seems to have dropped from the record; it reappears again along with his wife Sara's at the baptism of Rebecca (Van Meteren) Elten's child Zara, 6th Febr., 1715, when they were sponsors. . . It is possible that this Joost Jans came to be known later as John Van Meter, of Berkeley county, Va., the Indian trader who first trod the Valley of Virginia with the Delaware Indians between 1724-1730; and who, according to various writers, as well as by tradition, was credited with being so well pleased with that country, that upon his return to New York in 1725, 'he settled his boys there.' "

"It was in 1714 that John and Isaac Van Metre, Jacob and Sarah du Bois (the sister of Jacob du Bois and probably the wife of John Van Metre,) came to Salem, N.J, from Ulster County, N.Y., and took possession of 1600 acres of land located on Alloway's Creek, which they had purchased of Daniel Coxe of Burlington, N.J., agent of the West Jersey Proprietors. In 1716, John and Isaac Van Meter, and Sara du Bois sold their portion of the above tract (i.e. 1200 acres) to Jacob du Bois, who remaining settled at Pilesgrove. . . John Van Meter and Sara du Bois, after the sale of the above land disappear from our view as far as New Jersey is concerned; they probably returned to New York - temporarily at least, and went out with one of the family groups migrating to other parts."

"Joost Jans Van Meteren's (born 1660) died 1700-05 the eldest son of Jan Joosten Van Meteren) early life, aside from his adventures, while yet a small boy, with the Indians in 1663, has not been revealed, but may be assumed to have been pretty much the same as that of other youths, until the time of his engagement to marry was published in the banns of the Reformed Dutch Church at Kingston, on the 18th of November, 1682, and which was followed by his marriage announcement in this wise: 'Jooste, Jans, J.M. of Meteren, born in Gelderland, residing in Mormer (Marbletown) and Sara du Bois, J.D. of Kingston, residing in the Nieuw-Pals (New Paltz) married in the Pals, 12 December, 1682.' "

"Joost Janse of Meteren (John Van Metre of New York) son of Jan Joosten V. and Macyken H., was b. cir. 1656, Gelderland, Holland. After coming to America with his parents, he lived in Ulster Co., N.Y. (Mormur r Marlboro) and Salem Co., N.J. on Raritan R. He m. 12 Dec. 1682 Sara du Bois, who was batpised 14 Sept. 1664, dau. of Louis du Bois and Catherine Blanchan."

"The absence of disappearance of John Van Metre after 1706 is rather mysterious. Records of this period show that John Van Metre of Salem Co., N.J. was commissioned to be coroner of Salem Co., N.J. 17 Mar. 1713 and reappointed 21 Jan. 1715; and his name appears in a list of transfers, including the selling off, by John Van Metre of his title and interest in Salem lands in advance of going to Maryland, where he appears 25 Mar. 1730 in Prince George's Co., Md. When a child he had been captured by Indians and knew their ways. For these reasons, Smyth identified the Indian trader, Joost Janse of Meteren as John Van Metre of New York. It is believed that he was with the Cayugas in 1725 and also accompanied the Delaware Indians to the Southern hunting grounds to trade or war with the Catawbas in the Carolinas in 1732. They passed up the Southern branch of the Potomac; here he cast longing eyes beyond the river, and is thought to have reocmmended to his sons, John and Isaac, their migrating to the valley of Virginia. Ample and various accounts of these trips have been given by a number of writers of border history. he died cir. 1732"  [Confused Jooste Jansen with his son Jan Jansen?]

All of the above quotes with sources are from:
Barbara Fleming
barbpretz@aol.com
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~barbpretz
3245 Chadbourne Road
Shaker Heights, OH 44120

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He is listed with the "Hiddereheld" Knighthood Rolls.

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Joost VanMeter immigrated on April 12, 1662 with his parents on the
ship, De Vos.
On June 10, 1683, Minnisink Indians attacked and burned the villages
of Hurley and Kingston taking severak women and
chilren hostage. The mother of Sarah ubois and her 3 older
chilren, the two children of Mathew Blanchen, Junior and
young Josst Jansen Van Meteren and his mother were taken hostage.
Captain Martin Krieger and a group of soldiers from
New Amsterdam rescued 23 hostages after 10 weeks of captivity.
Sarah's father, Louis DuBois, was believed to have
been part of the rescue party.
Joost is said to have been fastinated with the American Indians and
later dealt quite well with them, gaining their assistance
in exploring the wilderness. He americanized his name to John
VanMetre. He explored the Valley of the South Branch of the
Potomac where he urged his sons to settle. His oldest and
youngest sons, John and Isaac, obtained 1730 grants for
40,000 acres in Berkeley County, Virginia from Governor Gooch of
Virginia.

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Joost Janse was elected an Elder of the Church in 1667. During the trouble in Wiltwyck during that year, caused by the offensiveness of the soldiers of the English garrison, he with three other citizens acted as mediators in the dispute and were able to conciliate the inhabitants, thus preventing violence to lives and property. Will was dated 13 June 1706 and he died at Salem County, New Jersey. "The first instance of his purchase of land appears in a record which reads 'Jan Joosten had from Governor Lovelace a deed for a lot, dated 20 March 1671, in Marbletown' and 'on 11 October 1671 received confirmation of his 30 acre lot in Marbletown.' "He was selected on 6 January 1673 as one of the four magistrates of Hurley and Marbletown to supervise the merging of the village of Nieuw Dorp into those of Hurley and Marbletown under the English rule. The other magistrates were: Jan Broerson, Louis DuBois, and Roelof Hendrickson. Notwithstanding the change of government Jan was continued in that civil office until the return of Dutch supremacy in 1675, when Governor Colve reappointed him to serve for another term. "He was named Justice of Peace for Esopus, and was present at the Court of Assizes in New York from 4 to 6 October 1682.

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http://www.sonic.net/~prouty/prouty/b315.htm#P907

Joost Janse VAN METEREN874,875 was born about 1656 in Holland, Gelderland. He died prob. bef 1706. An interesting romance was that of Jooste Janse Van Meteren and Sara du Bois, who as children were co-captives of the Minnisink Indians, then grew up and were married.
Jooste Janse had as adventurous and interesting life, a large part of which was spent dealing with the Indians. He was known as "Indian Trader John." It was when he was held captive by the Indians that he learned of and was tascinated by their ways. He was a restless man, an Indian trader, and an explorer in the Shenandoah Valley.
Jooste Janse resided for a time in Salem, New Jersey. He was granted 835 acres in Somerset County by Governor Hamilton in 1700. He later moved to Maryland. In 1727 Jooste Janse was the advisor in Germanna, Spottsylvania Co., for the Governor. He also equipped the Delaware Indians at his own expense and explored down south in Virginia. He urged his sons to go south to get some of that good farmland. His sons, John and Isaac, had grants for 40,000 acres but sold half of it to Jooste Hite.
Quoting from the 'Shenandoah Valley Pioneers', "No friendly tribes dare go west of the Blue Ridge from the lowlands in Virginia, nor come from the north and cross the Cohongortuga into the forbidden country on hunting forays, knowing full well that such savage tribes as the Shawnees would either exterminate them or be exterminated. John (Jan Joosten) Van Metre is the only white person of whom there is any well-founded evidence that he entered the forbidden country prior to 1725. Van Metre accompanied the Delawares through the lower valley in quest of big game; they met the Catawabas coming from the south. Both tribes disputed the right of entry; a terrific battle occurred, and the Delawares suffered a crushing loss. Van Metre barely escaped. The whole tribe would have been annihilated had it not been for the return of the Shawnees from their annual hunt on the south branch of the Potomac. Thery overwhelmed the Catawabas. John Van Metre's traditional hlistory of the battles and his venture have been carefully preserved and handed down through succeeding generations. Van Metre saw no white people."


Anecdote (Ross) : New Pfaltz,, New York; Joost Janse, son of Jan Joosten and Macyken Hendrickson, was born probably in Europe, about 1656. He married, at New Pfaltz, NY, 12 Dec 1682, Sarah Dubois, daughter of Louis Dubois, who was baptized 14 Sep 1664. Their children were: Jan (John), baptized 14 Oct 1683, he settled somewhere on the Raritan River, in Somerset county, New Jersey, thence removed to Maryland, settling near the Monacacy river. 8 Nov 1726, he received a grant of land in Frederick county, at the mouth of Metre's run, which empties into the Monocacy, and here, it is said, the battle of Monocacy Junction was fought in the Civil War. The settlement of the valley of Virginia may be said to have begun with the granting of an immense area in what was then Spotsylvania county, by Governor Gooch and his council at Williamsburg, Virginia, 17 Jun 1730, to John (Jan) and Isaac Van Metre. From these brothers (perhaps also from Hendrix), the Virginia Van Meters (Van Matres, etc.) are probably descended. He is supposed to have married 1st, Sarah Bodine or Berdine, 2nd Margaret Miller Mollenauer. Other children of Joost Janse are: Rebekka, baptized 26 Apr 1686, married Sep 1704 to Cornelis Eling; Lysbeth, baptized 3 Mar 1689; Isaac, born c1692. He removed to New Jersey. Married 1st, it is supposed, Catalina, widow of Molenaer Hendrickse, 2nd c 1725, Annetje Wyncoop; Hendrix, baptized 1 Sep 1695. He removed to New Jersey. Joost Janse VAN METEREN and Sara DU BOIS were married on 12 Dec 1682 in USA, New York, Ulster Co., New Paltz.763

874. Unknown., A Story of a Van Matre Family. p. 5-7.
875. A genealogy of the Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre family : from civil, military, church, and family records and documents, p. 13.
763. Smyth, Samuel Gordon, A genealogy of the Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre family : from civil, military, church, and family records and documents (Lancaster, Pa.: New Era Print Co., 1909, 480 pgs.), p. 14.