422 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

“Heard Jeromus Remsen’s mother say, that there was only a small creek between Nutton Island and the shoar, and that a squab carried her Sister over it in a tub ; that that sister was the first born in this country.1

“Says that George Bergen’s half-sister2 lived at Bevois place on rent, and had a mind to buy Maratie’s Ex. place but was disappointed, and complaining of it with tears said it was her brother Jacob Hanse Bergen and brother Michael that were the cause of Jorey’s buying it and disappointing her.

“Joost Van Brunt, aged 77 years and upwards, born and lived at New Utrecht, says when be was about nine years old, when the Dutch came to take New York, he came with his father, mother and brothers in a wagon down the hollow near Tommeties, and they said that the other side of the hollow was Fred Lubbertse's land. Says that a great deal of the land is wash’t away against Nutten Island, and it went farther out than now, but can’t say how mutch. Remember to have seen meadow before Sebring’s house, but how far out he knows not; has seen the fences at Bergen’s and does not remember to have seen them otherwise than as now. That lie was an arbitrator about dividing the land between Sebring and Bergen about 14 or 15 years ago, and that there was no pretence that lands in question were part or that they claimed any right there.

“Jerome Remsen, aged 77 years, was born about Brookland, and lived all his days there. Knew Frederick Lubbertse lived where Hans Bergen now—but had little acquaintance with him—remembers about 55 years ago, that Jacob Hans Bergen, father of Lessor, lived at Lubbertse's place, that be came to this depon’t to get a pr. of shoes made, that then he told the depon’t he bad been at York with Maratie Gerretse to ask if she would sell her place, and that she bad said she would, and said that he was going to his brother George Hansen, at Flatbush, to get him to buy it; that George Hansen bought it soon after and lived there; that he was there a long time before the date of the deed; that deed was only given at last paym’t;3 that the year depon’t was married, which was 1688, the said Joris

1 Jeromus Remsen’s mother was Jannetie, dau. of Joris Jansen do Rapalie; her Suter Sarah, who m. successively, Hans Hansen Bergen and Tunis Gysbert Bogaert, was the eldest child of Joris Jansen de Rapalie, and reputed to be the first born of Europeans in the country, in which respect the testimony of the witness agrees with what is generally admitted. According to this witness, Sarah was the one carried over in a tub.

2 This half-sister, was one of Sarah do Rapalie's children, by Bogaart, her second husband.

3 The deed is dated Sept. 18th, 1698.