Carol Hansen first settled on land at or near Hoffman's Ferry, which he bought of Hendrick Cuyler and Geraldus Cambefort on the north side of the river and of Johannes Luykase [Wyngaart] on the south side, which latter parcel he conveyed to his brother-in-law Jeremi Thickston who married his sister Rachel. His lands on the north side extended from Taquaatsera, or Droybergh kil, the boundary between the Sixth and Seventh flats, westwardly to the lands of the heirs of Philip Groot, i. e., to about Swart's Ferry. In 1712 he purchased a parcel of land at Maalwyck from Joseph Clement, to which he removed and where he died in March, 1737/8.
About the time of his removal to Maalwyck he owned the present court house lot on Union street, 100 feet front and 210 feet deep, which he sold in 1712 to Isaac Van Valkenburgh for 53 pounds ($132.50). (156-4) Oct. 4, 1714, he conveyed to Caleb Beck the lot on the southerly corner of Union and Church streets, bounded easterly by Van Valkenburgh's lot and southerly by Jesaias Swart's lot. (156-5)
Carel Hansen married Lysbet, daughter of Daniel Rinckhout of Albany, and had eight children, — three sons and five daughters.
He was member of the Provincial Assembly for Albany county 1714-1726. (156-6)
The following is a description of the lands owned by Carol Hansen.
First. Cuyler's flat. This parcel of land was granted to Hendrick Cuyler of Albany, in confirmation of a purchase made of the Mohawks Dec. 13, 1686, by license of Governor Dongan, Sept. 2, 1686, and is described as a "piece of land situate mostly on the north side of the Mohawk river, called Adriutha, above Schenectady, opposite Pieter Van de Linde's and a little above the farm of Claes Willemse Van Coppernol, beginning on the north side of the river from a white oak tree that is marked with a wolf, standing on the other [west] side of a small kil or creek [Lewis' creek] on this [east] side of a certain piece of land called Claes Graeven's hoek, with a small island that lies almost over against it, and running up in length above the rift of the river which lies a little above said Claes and that as far as a great water beuken (157-1) or beach which is also marked with the wolf standing just on this side of a small kil or creek [Eva's kil (?)] and from thence over the river on the south side from a great black oak tree which is also marked with the wolf, together with all the small islands or banks that lie within said limits, and so down the river to a young black oak tree growing on the site of an old tree which is marked with the wolf, bear and turtle, the arms of three races of the Maquaas, being on the water side and nigh the limits of Claes Willemse aforesaid. which said land contains three small flats or plains on the north side of the river, whereof the piece called Claes Graeven's Hoek is one, and one small flat or plain on the south side of the river; the low land being about 40 acres and the woodland and upland thereunto adjoining fifty acres." (157-2)
After Cuyler's death, Anna his widow and Johannes his eldest son and heir, sold this land on May 1, 1699 to Carol Hansen for 180 pounds ($450).
It was then described as a "piece of land mostly on the north side of the river called Adriucha, opposite Pieter Van Olinda's and a little above the farm of heirs of Claes Willemse Van Coppernol now in tenure and occupation of Philip Philipse de more," etc., as in the above mentioned patent. (157-3) Carol Hansen held this land until the 1st March, 1716/7 when he sold that portion lying on the south side of the river to Harme and Sander Philipse for 100 pounds ($250). (157-4)
That part of Cuyler's patent lying on the north side of the river and west of Lewis' creek came into possession of the Groots, perhaps by purchase of Toll and is still partly owned by that family.
Second. Cambefort's flat. This parcel of land was purchased of the Indians by Cambefort probably before Cuyler obtained his patent; it extends from Kanquarreyonne [Towereune] up the river to Lewis' creek, the easterly bounds of Cuyler's patent. March 8, 1694, Cambefort contracted to sell this land to Carel Hanse. The patent to Cambefort was not granted until 22 April, 1703; the farm is therein described as "20 acres of land near Schenectady on the north side of the river, beginning from a place called by the Indians Kaquarayoone, and the westerly bounds of the patent granted to Schenectady, — running thence up westward along the river to the limits [Lewis' creek] of land of Carel Hanse formerly belonging to Henry Cuyler deceased." On the 18th May, 1717, Cambefort gave a formal conveyance of said land to Toll. (158-1)
Third. The Seventh flat. The westerly half of the Seventh flat, and adjacent uplands, were conveyed to Carel Hanse, Oct. 13, 1684, by the trustees of Schenectady, whilst the easterly half was taken up by Reyer Schermerhorn, who, on the 8th of June, 1705, conveyed his moiety to his son Jan. Toll, by deed dated 18th Sept., 1720, conveyed his half to hia son-in-law, Johannes Van Eps, for the sum of 150 pounds ($375), describing it as "a piece of land on the north side of the Mohawk, bounded west by the widow of Philip Groot [Lewis' creek] called Towarjoenny, south by said river east by land of heirs of Reyer Schermerhorn and north by the commons," — in all about 50 acres. (158-2)
Carel Hanse, therefore, at one time owned all the land along the north bank of the Mohawk from Verf kil on the east, to Eva's kil at Crane's village on the west.
Fourth. Maalwyck. On the 17th March, 1711/2, Joseph Clement, stepson of Benjamin Roberts, sold to Carel Hanse, the easterly half of his farm at Maalwyck, together with the uppermost half of Bent's island. In 1735, the trustees of Schenectady conveyed to Toll an additional parcel of land of 170 acres. (158-3) This farm is still owned by descendants of Carel Hanse. (158-4)
Notes
(156-4) Deeds, V, 153.
(156-5) Deeds, V, 343.
(156-6) The Indians gave him the name of Kingego which signifies a fish, because of his swimming for his life to escape imprisonment. — Dr. Toll's Narrative.
(157-1) [Beuke = a beach tree. — M'M.]
(157-2) Council Min., V, 171; Patents, 1370.
(157-3) Deeds, V, 70; Toll Papers.
(157-4) Deeds, V, 357, 358; VI, 9.
(158-1) Patents, 1577; Deeds, V, 71; Toll Papers.
(158-2) Deeds, V, 69, 70, 494; VI, 145; Toll Papers.
(158-3) Groote Schuldt-boek; Church Papers.