Pieter and Jacob Adriaense (brothers), were innkeepers in Beverwyck or Colonie Rensselaerswyck. Although the former was one of the early proprietors of Schenectady, it is not known that be ever resided here.
His village lot was the easterly quarter of the block bounded by Union, Washington, State and Church streets; he received a patent for this lot in 1664, and sold it to Helmer Otten, baker, of Albany in 1670 (195-5), who dying soon after, it passed into the possession of Reyer Schermerhorn; the latter having married Otten's widow. The descendants of Catharina Otten, who married Gerrit Symonse Veeder, long afterwards occupied this corner.
Van Woggelum's bouweries No. 4, confirmed to him by patent dated June 5, 1667, were described as "two parcels of land at Schenectady both marked No. 4, — one lying west of Arent Van Curlers from which a line being drawn between No. 3 [between which and No. 3 a line being drawn] south-east by south stretches along [north] till it comes to a killetje bounding No. 1, containing by estimate with the vleylandt thereunto belonging, 14 morgens or 28 acres 164 rods; — the other lying on the hindmost parcel of land near the river, to the east of No. 3, — to the west of No. 6, a line being run on both sides from the river to the small creek [dove-gat], south-west and by west, it is in breadth 56 rods and contains 12 morgens, as granted by Governor Stuyvesant June 16, 1664." (196-1)
On the 13th Aug., 1670, Pieter Adriaense sold the above parcels of land to Helmer Otten together with "a barn and rick lying in Schaenhechtede and a garden in the valley (leeghte)," for thirty-five beaver skins [$112]. (196-2) After the death of the latter about 1685, these lands passed to his daughter and only heir, Catharina, wife of Gerrit Symonse Veeder, and to his widow Ariaentje Arentse Bratt, who subsequently married Reyer Schermerhorn. In the final partition of Otten's estate, Schermerhorn obtained the foremost lot No. 4, and 8 morgens of the hindmost lot; and Gerrit Symonse 4 morgens of the latter lot and a conveyance from Schermerhorn of 8 morgens of lot No. 9.
Foremost lot No. 4 remained in possession of the Schermerhorn family until 1872. The mill right on this farm was confirmed to Schermerhorn in 1688 by patent from Governor Dongan (196-3), and the farms No. 4, by quit-claim from Jan, eldest son of Pieter Van Woglum in 1695. (196-4)
Notes
(195-4) [Soegemakelyk = Oh so easy. — M'M.]
(195-5) Deeds, II, 769.
(196-1) Patents, 478.
(196-2) Deeds, II, 769; III, 108.
(196-3) Patent in the Secretary of State's office of Massachusetts at Boston; also Deeds, V, 287.
(196-4) Schermerhorn Papers.