My Ancestral Line

I am a descendant of Mathys Coenradtsen Houghtaling, born about 1640 in the Zuid [South] - Holland region of the Netherlands, Mathys immigrated to America as a young man, supposedly the Amsterdam Almshouse, sent a number of boys and girls to work for the Dutch West Indies Company and to help populate the "New World". About 1666, Mathys married Maria Marselis (daughter of Cathryn Vandenbergh and Hendrick Marselis), their son, Conrad Mathys Houghtaling (1667 – 1745), married Tryntje Van Slyke (daughter of Baertje Nieffens & William Van Slyke) on 26-Aug-1688, in the DRC (Dutch Reformed Church) of Albany. Tryntje’s paternal grandfather Peter probably immigrated here in May 1634, on the ship "De Endracht", with his brother Cornelius. Tryntje's maternal grandmother was an Mohawk Indian named Ots Toch, daughter of Jacques Hertel and an unknown Indian woman, some researchers believe, to be the daughter of Chief Sachem of the Mohawk Turtle Clan.

In 1699 Conrad pledged his allegiance to the English Crown at Albany. For nearly two centuries his descendants lived on portions of the original 3,500 acres west of Coxsackie that had been granted to his father. “Beers” History of  Greene County, “Vedder” History of  Greene County and the Reverend Delbar Clark (Ye Olden Time 5:12) have written accounts of court disputes over this property that occurred in later years. In 1720 Conrad was listed as "freeholder, Manor of Rensselaerswyck." He died in 1745. All eleven of their children were baptized in the Albany DRC, except Lena who was baptized in the Catskill DRC.

Their son William Houghtaling, born 26-Aug-1688, married Helena Uzile (daughter of Cornelia Damen & Peter Uzile) on 9-Nov-1716 in the DRC of Albany. Helena’s father Peter Uzile was listed as a "nursing child" when his parents, David Usile and Marie Casier emigrated to the New World on the “Gilded Otter” in 1660. Peter had been born 1659 in Mannheim, Germany. Peter was listed as "Peter Uzile from Manheym" when he married Cornelia Damen in 1686, in the Dutch Reformed Church of New York City. Peter then moved to Bushwick near his brother-in-law Michael Parmentier, but both eventually left for Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, where Peter is found living in 1714. Cornelia Damen’s father Jan Cornelise Damen (1638 – 1707), immigrated to America around 1650, from Bunik, Netherlands.

  William Houghtaling & Helena Uzile’s son Peter, born 19-Oct-1718, and baptized in the Albany DRC, and married Anna Becker (daughter of Arriatje Vandercarr & Garrett Becker) also in the DRC of Albany. Anna’s great grandfather Jan Jurianse Becker immigrated to America around 1660, married Maria Adriaens and lived near Albany, NY.

  Peter Houghtaling & Anna Becker had a son William Houghtaling, 1753 – 1834, who married Marytje Bloomingdale on 2-Mar-1773 in the DRC of Albany. It is believed that Willem had a total of 9 children with Marytje and 7 with his second wife Hannah Van Wagner. William was baptized in the DRC of Albany and is buried at Jerusalem Cemetery, Feura Bush in Albany County.

William Houghtaling  & Marytje Bloomingdale had a son Peter Houghtaling (1774 – 1838), who married Sarah Pinkerton (daughter of James Pinkerton) on 26 Jun 1797 in the DRC in Bethlehem. Peter was baptized in the DRC of Albany and died in Sharon, Schoharie County.

  Peter Houghtaling & Sarah Pinkerton had a son, James Houghtaling (1802 – 1892), who married Elizabeth Berger (daughter of Harriet Houghtaling & Conrad Berger) on 13-Mar-1825 in the St. Peter's Lutheran, Church, Sharon, Schoharie County. James was baptized in the DRC of Bethlehem in Albany and he and Elizabeth are buried in the Christians Church Cemetery, Charleston Four Corners, Schoharie County. James was a farmer, possibly a share-cropper, because he is found in Cherry Valley, Otsego County in the 1840 census, in the Minden, Montgomery County census in 1850, back in Cherry Valley in the 1860 census and then in the Charleston, Montgomery County census in 1870 and they had eleven children along the way.

  James Houghtaling & Elizabeth Berger’s son Peter Hotaling (1841 – 1873), lived and worked with his father most of his life, which was cut short after just thirty two years, for yet unknown reasons. Around 1860, Peter married Mary Woodcock and had a son William Henry Hotaling (1861 – 1922), Mary must have died giving birth or shortly thereafter, because on 26 Jul 1863, Peter married Melinda Handy (daughter of Ebenezer Handy) and they had at least three children of their own. Peter & Melinda are found listed with his parents in the 1870 Charleston, Montgomery County Census, but William was now living with another Houghtaling family in Gilboa, Schoharie County, (Philip Houghtaling & Hannah Parsons). Besides being distant cousins, Philip & Hannah's son Philip, was married to Amanda Hogaboom, sister to Emeline, William's maternal grandmother.

            William Henry Hotaling married Lucy Van Valkenburg (1867 – 1957), about 1882 and had seven children. They are found in the 1900 census in Rotterdam, Schenectady County with six of their children Samuel, Frank, Jesse, Florence (Flossie), Lena and Clarence. William died in Sprakers, Montgomery County and is buried in the Sloansville Cemetery in Schoharie County. Lucy's maternal grandmother was believed to be a Mohawk Indian, according to family lore and a sworn statement given in a Civil War Pension dispute, by Lucy's mother Emeline Hogaboom.

  Clarence Hotaling was born in Charleston, Montgomery County, on 13 Oct 1891, and according to his obit, he was a member of the First Methodist Church in Herkimer, where he and Fannie were married, and they eventually settled in Spinnerville, Herkimer County, where at the age of 63, he passed away. Clarence is buried with his wife, Fannie, in the Rural Park Cemetery, Ingham Mills in Herkimer County, NY. Clarence & Fannie had four children Mrs. Arlene Viccarelli, Mrs. Fran Tarbox, Clarence “Cappy” William Jr., and Donald Stewart.

  In 1942, Donald Stewart Hotaling, born in 1925, married Olga Klimacek and had a son Timothy Paul in 1946, but divorced shortly thereafter. Donald then married Edith Louise Williams (daughter of Gertrude Mower & Lewis Robert Williams) on 29 May 1949 at Cornell University, in Ithica, NY. Don & Edith had seven children, Donna who passed away in 1999 of cancer, Don Jr. passed away on 6 Jan 2002 of liver failure, Linda who left us in 1997, a victim of domestic abuse, leaving; Bob, Gail, Karen and Michael (Me) .

- American  Indian Connection -

My ancestry research would not be complete without mentioning my American Indian heritage. To date, I know of at least three of my direct ancestors that were just that: 

One was a Seneca Indian named Kunnigunda, who was married to  Johanne Wilhelm Klein in the late 1700's. Their grand daughter, Mary Klock, married Conrad Mower, who was my maternal grandmothers' paternal grandfather. My sister now has a hand made bead necklace that has been passed down through my mothers' family, which may have belonged to Kunnigunda.
Ots Toch, a Mohawk Indian, who was married to Cornelius Van Slycke, that family's immigrant patriarch, in the early 1600's, they were my (9x) great grandparents. Their grand daughter Tryntje Van Slycke  married Conrad Houghtaling, son of the Houghtaling family patriarch, Mathys Conradtsen Houghtaling. 
And also my paternal great grandfather, William Hotaling's wife, Lucy Van Valkenburg's mother, Emeline Hogaboom, born about 1849 in Schoharie County, NY, married to Alexander Van Valkenburg, Emeline says in a sworn statement to the Civil War Pension Board, that her mother Catherine Shaver, (or possibly Catherine's mother), was a Mohawk Indian, which coincides with family lore, unfortunately the exact details, such as names & dates, have since been forgotten.

If you know anything about any of them or any other Native American Connection to our family, please contact me. 

- Coming Soon -

Biographies on Some of My Other Direct Ancestors: Ahrwister, Allen, Anderton / Anderson, Adriaens, Barents, Becker, Berger, Bloomingdale, Bradt, Brown, Casier, Casperse, Clock / Klock, Conine / Conyn, Converse, Coval, Damen, Davis, D' Ehrmitage, Delmont, Edwards, Faringten, Fonda, Gardiner, Guild / Gile, Hendrix, Hertel, Hogaboom, Holloway / Holley / Holway, Hull, Jacobs, Jans, Johannis, Klauw, Kunnigunda, Lansing, Lookerman, Marselis / Munsells, Martense, Moon, Mott, Mower, Nieffens, Oliver, Ostrander, Parks, Pinkerton, Pipearts, Rees / Reese, Rifenburgh, Robbins / Rollins, Rorich, Scharp, Schneider, Shaver, Schaffer, Silvernagle, Silvernail, Stynmets, Tallamn, Ten Cate, Thurston, Uzile, Van Allstyne, Van Buren, Van Den Burchgraeff, Van Ness, Van Rotmers, Van Slycke, Van Valkenburg, Van Alstyne, Vandenbergh, Vandercarr, Vanderzee , VandeVoort / Devoux, Vrooman, Wessels, Williams, Winslow, Witbeck / Woodbeck, Worden, Worthington, Young,