Hans Hansen Bergen was born before 1619.

He was a ship carpenter by trade, a native of Bergen, Norway, he moved to Holland and from there came to New Netherland in 1633.

Married Sarah Jorise Rapalje, daughter of Joris Janszen Rapalje and Catalyna Trico, at New Amsterdam in 1639.

On 29 July 1641, Cornelis Jacobsen Stille deeded to Lambert Huybertsen Mol a house and plantation next to Hans Hansen (Bergen) on Long Island.

Witnessed the baptism of Machtelt Michiels, daughter of Michiel Pauluszen van der Voort and Marritje Jorise Rapalje, on 19 January 1642 at Reformed Dutch Church, New Amsterdam, sponsors Pieter Loockermans, Hans Noorman, Catharina Trico. (The child's given name is believed to be in error for Machtelt).

Witnessed the baptism of Eytie Laurens, daughter of Laurens Pieterszen and Annette Pieters, on 1 June 1642 at Reformed Dutch Church, New Amsterdam, (sponsors Hans Hansen Noorman, Gysbert Corneliszen, Cornelis Willemszen, Christina Vynen).

Witnessed the baptism of Jeronimus Joriszen Rapalje, son of Joris Janszen Rapalje and Catalyna Trico, on 28 June 1643 at Reformed Dutch Church, New Amsterdam, (sponsors Hans Hanszen, Rem Janszen, Jannetje Rappalje).

Witnessed the baptism of Pieter Pieterszen Van Nest, son of Pieter Pieterszen van Nest and Judith Jorise Rapalje, on 12 October 1653 at Reformed Dutch Church, New Amsterdam, (sponsors Joris Janszen Rapalje, Hans Hanszen, Catalyn Hieronymus).

Children by Sarah Jorise Rapalje:

1. Anneken Hanse b. 22 Jul 1640, d. ca. 1669

2. Brecktje Hanse b. 27 Jul 1642

3. Jan Hansen b. 17 Apr 1644, d. before 9 Apr 1730

4. Michiel Hansen b. 4 Nov 1646, d. ca. 1732

5. Joris Hansen b. 18 Jul 1649, d. before 30 Sep 1731

6. Marritje Hanse b. 8 Oct 1651

7. Jacob Hansen b. 21 Sep 1653

Hans Hansen Bergen died before 30 May 1654.

Bio includes data from The Brouwer Genealogy Database.

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∼HANS. HANSEN BERGEN resided for some years in New Amsterdam (now New York), where he owned and probably occupied a lot on the present Pearl street, butting against the fort, lying between the lots of Jan Snedeker, and that of Joris (Jansen) Rapalie, of one rod and two feet in breadth in front, one rod and nine feet in rear, with an average length of nine rods and five feet, Dutch measure.

HANS HANSEN BERGEN, the common ancestor of the Bergen family of Long Island, New Jersey and their vicinity, was a native of Bergen in Norway, a ship-carpenter by trade, and removed from thence to Holland. From Holland he emigrated, in 1633, to New Amsterdam, now New York, probably arriving at Fort Amsterdam in April of that year with Wouter Van Twiller, the second Director General, in one of the vessels of the fleet, consisting of the West India Company's ships, the Salt Mountain, (de Zoutberg,), of twenty guns, commanded by Juriaen Blanck, the Carvel St. Martyn, and the Hope, which vessels accompanied the Salt Mountain in her voyage from the fatherland.

In the early colonial and other records, his name appears in various forms, his surname or patronymic, Bergen, derived from the place of his nativity, being generally omitted, as was the custom among the Hollanders and other Northern European nations in those days, and is the custom among some of them at the present time, and that of his father, Hans, in the form of "Hansen", or "Hansz", representing the son of Hans, being generally added with other appendages referring to the land of his birth.

Bergen Beach

Named after the descendants of Hans Hansen Bergen, a Dutch settler of the 17th century. In close proximity to the Mill Basin area are the communities of Bergen Beach and Mill Island, where the urban gives way to the suburban. Large homes, with lush lawns sit upon vast waterfront properties This suburban retreat, within the confines of the city, began in the early 1960s and lives on today where opulence abounds.

Part of a artice by Beverly Downing called "I DO"

Some wedding customs in New Amsterdam abt 1639

Sarah and Hans

"Banns" (public announcements) were posted for three lecture days before the wedding could proceed. The reading of the banns made known the intentions of a couple and helped to ensure that there were no legal impediments to the proposed marriage. In New Amsterdam in 1639, on three consecutive days, the banns were read for Sarah Rapaije and Hans Bergen. In Dutch tradition, guests at the wedding of the 14-year-old girl, said to be the first white Christian female born in New Amsterdam, were given silver wedding medallions commemorating the event.

When Sarah's family agreed to the proposed wedding, a blood signing of the marriage contract was the first official step. Before the signing ceremony, the father-in-law of the bride-to-be publicly acknowledged the betrothal by presenting her with a gift called a chatelaine. Made of silver, leather, or filigree, it was worn like a belt around the waist and various articles hung from the silver chains — a pair of scissors, a knife in a leather sheath, a needle case, a silver bound pincushion and a scent-ball.

In the medieval periods, bearing witness to a marriage involved greater responsibility than it does today.

Sarah and Hans then chose their attendants (or "playmates"). The bridesmaids helped to plan the festivities and decorated special baskets for the bride and groom with garlands of greenery and flowers. In the groom's basket was a pipe, so highly prized that it was kept in a special place until the silver wedding anniversary. In the bride's basket was a set of lace collar and cuffs, the bride's handmade gift to the groom.

The day after the wedding, the bride received a "morning gift" from her husband, usually jewelry, furs or something for the house. This item became the exclusive property of the wife. The new couple was given "morning gifts" by both sets of parents who made sure that the "after-fun" was kept up for at least three weeks following the wedding!

He was known as "Hans De Noorman" or "Hans Van Noorman" ("Norman" = North Man) and its variants on certain documents, referring apparently to his homeland of Norway. The Bergen genealogy also found several references which identified him as the son of "Hans Boore", which may or may not reflect an ancestral surname, perhaps an occupational name for a carpenter who can bore holes in wood.

Hans had very little, if any, formal education. His degree of literacy is questionable, because nothing has been found in his own writing, although he had testified as a witness in many court cases, where his verbal statements have been recorded by the meticulous Dutch wigged Magistrates of early New Amsterdam. As the owner of a tap-house, he was witness to many altercations and disputes. He signed documents with his "sign", which was the letter "H", laid on its side.

Evidently, he was a large, strong man, with a pleasant disposition, and liked to sing. The court records seem to show that he was a popular and highly trusted witness to many common disputes, many of which he could resolve by virtue of his bearing. Skilled as a carpenter, he would have been popular in the early colonial environment.

References:

The Bergen Family - or the descendants of Hans Hansen Bergen ..., by Teunis G. Bergen, pub. by Joel Munsell, Albany, 1876. This link provides a download of the First Generation section of this comprehensive volume.

See online, The Ancestors of Maria Vanderveer.

Genealogies of New Jersey Families- - from the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, Vol. 1, p, 62-71, by Joseph R. Klett, pub. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.

Somerset County Historical Quarterly Vol. VI-1917 p. 211-213, Ed. by A. Van Doren Honeyman, pub. by the Somerset County Historical Society.

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