by looking4ancestors
When I spend time reading various genealogy blogs, I always check out the comments others leave. I was delightfully surprised by a comment I read at Olive Tree Genealogy Blog today. Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Austin Family left a comment mentioning he was descended from Cornelis Antonissen Van Slyke and his wife, Ots-Toch. They were his 11th great-grandparents.
Well guess what?
Cornelis Antonissen Van Slyke and his wife, Ots-Toch are my 10th great-grandparents. Furthermore, Thomas and I are related to Lorine McGinnis Schulze of Olive Tree Genealogy as she is also descended from Cornelis and Ots-Toch. Lorine has written a book, The Van Slyke Family in America: A Genealogy of Cornelise Antonissen Van Slyke, 1604-1676 and his Mohawk Wife Ots-Toch, including the story of Jacques Hertel, 1603-1651, Father of Ots-Tock and Interpreter to Samuel de Champlain. This excellent publication is very well researched and sourced. And I'm sure you remember how I feel about sources!
Now, I knew I was distantly related to Lorine for a while. And I have been enjoying Thomas' blogs for a while. Little did I know that these two genealogists whom I greatly respect were related to me! WILD! You know I'm loving this, right?
It is very possible, dear reader, you may also be related. The Van Slyke family is huge! I am descended from Cornelise Antonissen Van Slyke and Ots-Toch as follows:
Their son, Jacques Cornelisse Van Slyke was married to Grietje Ryckman. (Huge family, too!)
Their son, Cornelis Van Slyke was married to Claartje Jans Bradt.
Their daughter, Maria Van Slyke was married to Johannes Ryckman.
Their son, Johanne Ryckman UE is my Loyalist ancestor.
There you have it. It IS a small world, after all.
