He called himself "an Amsterdam boy;" (171-1) by trade he was a surveyor and in 1689 clerk or secretary of the town. In 1670 he bought of Bastiaen De Winter a lot 100 by 200 feet on the south corner of Church and Union streets, where in 1690 he was slain by the French and Indians. (171-2) He also owned Jan De La Ward's great island in the Mohawk. Pieter Bogardus, attorney for his heirs, sold all his real estate in 1699 to Gysbert Marcelis of Albany. The description in the deed mentions Joris' great island in the Mohawk between Claas Graven's Hoek and Scotia and the adjacent small islands except Kruisbessen and Spuyten Duyvel islands; which said island consisting of 15 morgens was bought of Jan De La Warde, also three morgens of land on the north side of the river for a hofstede (171-3) adjoining the land of the widow of Claas Graven. (171-4) On the 23d of June, 1714, Marcelis obtained a patent confirmatory of this purchase, in which the property is described as — "a great island called Joris Aertse's island in the Mohawk river above Schenectady between Scotia and the land called Graven's hoek containing 30 acres with a house lot in the town of Schenectady, having to the north and west the high street [Union and Church], to the east Pieter Van Olinda's lot and to the south the lot of the heirs of David Christophelse, being a corner lot [south corner of Union and Church streets]; — as also all those small islands about the said great island called Joris Aertse's island in the boght or bay between the land aforesaid called Claas Graven's hoek and the said Scotia, excepting only two islands within the said bounds, one whereof, is called Kruisbesse island and the other Spiten divel; — as also six acres of land upon the main on the other side of the river, abutting on the east side of the land called Claes Graven's Hoek in possession of his [Graven's] widow, for a hofstede, or place to build a house and barn and for an orchard and garden." (172-1) As Gysbert Marcelis did not become a resident of Schenectady, it is probable that he sold the home lot on the south corner of Church and Union streets about 1714 to Caleb Beck.
The Great island was sold to Nicholas De Graaf who dying about 1796 left it to his sons Jesse and John. (172-2) Van der Baast also owned a pasture lot on the north side of Front opposite Jefferson street, which he purchased of Symon Volkertse Veeder, 27 Feb., 1670, "in length 75 rods bounded on the west by Gerrit Bancker, north by the river — breadth 15 rods, — east by the common pasture and on the south by the common boswegh" [Front street]. (172-3)
Notes
(171-1) Doc. Hist., XII, 115.
(171-2) Deeds, II, 790.
(171-3) Hofstede = country house, a Farm House and its accompanying garden orchards etc.; a country homestead. — M'M.]
(171-4) Deeds, IV, 140, 264.
(172-1) Patents, 1673.
(172-2) Mortgages, XII, 95.
(172-3) Deeds, II, 795-7, [Boswegh = wood road, road into the woods — M'M.]