There were two early settlers of this name in Albany county, viz., Andries Hanse Barheit, de Sweedt, dwelling at Kinderhook in 1675, and in 1693, "on ye great flatt neer Coxhachky, next to Pieter Bronck's farm;" — and Jeronimus Hanse Barheit, probably a brother of the former. Johannes Barheit, perhaps the eldest son of the latter, residing in the manor of Rensselaerswyck, in 1720, married Catharina Gilbert of Albany, and among other children had two sons, — Johannes and Hieronimus, born in 1703 and 1709, respectively, who settled in Schenectady, and became the progenitors of the families bearing this name in this vicinity.
Jeronimus married Maria, daughter of Jesse De Graaf, in 1737, and in 1760 purchased of the heirs of Hendrick Hansen, of Albany, a parcel of land lying between John, Jefferson, Front and Pine streets, comprising one and a half morgens. An account of the early ownership of this parcel of land is given in a deed of date 1766: — "Whereas Ryer Schermerhorn [patentee] late of Schenectady, deceased, by deed dated Jan. 3, 1704 did sell to Hendrick Hansen late of Albany deceased, all that certain lot between the roads [Front and Pine Streets], bounded west by a lot heretofore granted to Andries Bratt deceased, East, north and South by the commons [Jefferson, Front and Pine Streets], being in breadth east and west twenty rods and in length north and south sixty-five rods Rhynland measure; — And whereas Hendrick Hansen by will Sept. 2 1723 did devise one half of said lot to his son Nicholas, — and whereas said Nicholas did on the 21st Jan., 1742/3 by deed sell to Hans Hansen his half of said lot; and whereas said Hans Hansen did by deed sell to Gerrit A. Lansing half a morgen of said ground lying on the northwest part of said lot, and whereas said Hans Hansen by his will the 10th March 1756 did direct that his wife Sara should have the possession and income of his whole estate while she remained a widow, and after to his two sons John and Pieter; — and whereas said Sara, John and Pieter did by deed the 11th Feb. 1760 sell to Jeronimus Barhydt one and a half morgens of ground out of said lot bounded as follows, beginning at the northeast corner of said lot by the street [West corner of Front and Jefferson streets], that leads from the town to Jellis Fonda's [Front street], — and runs West along said [Front] street four rods [48 feet], then south with a course parallel to the line of Gerrit A. Lansing's ground there, fifteen rods [180 feet] — then west with a course parallel to said [Front] Street Six rods [72 feet] to the ground of Gerrit A. Lansing then south along the ground of Gerrit A. Lansing to the South East corner of the same, being about seventeen rods [204 ft.], — then west along the same ground of Gerrit A. Lansing ten rods [120 ft.] to the ground formerly belonging to Andries Bratt deceased, then South along the ground of Andries Bratt thirty-two and one-half rods [390 ft.] to the [Pine] street lying on the south part of the said lot, then East along the [Pine] street twenty rods [240 ft.1] — then north with a straight line to the place of beginning Sixty-five rods [780 ft.] Rhynland measure, containing one and a half morgens," &c., &c. This lot, therefore, had a front on Front street of forty-eight feet at Jefferson, extended along the latter street 780 feet to Pine street, and westerly along the same 240 feet, and then north to the lot of Gerrit A. Lansing and John Glen, Jr., whose lots had a front on Front street together of sixteen rods [192 ft]. (89-1)
Notes
(89-1) Deeds, VII, 468.