i. Peter
Sigfridus Alricks(154)
(155) was born before Oct 3 1666. He died before Mar 28 1716.
ii.
Hermanus Alricks(156)
(157) died in 1707.
iii.
Jacobus Alricks(158) was born before
Sep 10 1671.
432 iv.
Wessel Alricks.864. Pieter Alricks
(152)(108)
was born about 1635 in Nykerck, Groningen, Netherlands. He died in 1697
in probably New Castle, Delaware. Pieter Alrichs was one of the earliest settlers
in what is now the state of Delaware. The city of Amsterdam took over the little
colony established by the Dutch West India Company on the shores of the Delaware
River in the late 1650's. It is the only instance of a European city having its
own colony in the new world. They named it New Amstel, after a suburb of Amsterdam,
and appointed Jacob Alrichs as the first city director. Alrichs, a wealthy man
from an "influential and aristocratic" Dutch family, was the uncle
of Pieter Alrichs, the founder of the Alrichs family in this country. Nothing
is known of Pieter's early life, but he was well-educated, speaking and writing
English as well as Dutch. He also learned the language of the local Indians well
enough to communicate and negotiate with them, an ability that would prove very
useful and remunerative to him.
He first appears in the historical record on a deed buying land from the Indians
signed on June 7th, 1659. His uncle was childless and he may have inherited from
him when the uncle died that year. Certainly, he always appeared to have plenty
of money. In 1660 he was appointed to command a small fort on the Hoerekill (literally
Whore's Creek) with the rank of ensign. The following year he was sent to negotiate
a commercial treaty with the English colony of Maryland and did so successfully.
Later he travelled with the governor of New Amstel to the Netherlands to negotiate
with Amsterdam for more support, which was granted.
Soon he was in charge of all trading with the Indians (principally for furs)
and received a commission of twenty-five per cent on all trade with them. He
brought over ten employees from the Netherlands to work the land granted him
by Amsterdam and was described in the document as a "free merchant and commissioner
for the City of Amsterdam on the South River," as the Dutch called the Delaware.
He soon had a flourishing plantation and built a boat large enough to carry cargo
to New Amsterdam.
In 1664, the English attacked and took over the Dutch colonies in North America
and Alrichs moved temporarily to the now renamed New York City after most of
his property was seized as the spoils of war by the new English governor. Here
he married Maria Wessell, whose family had settled in New Amsterdam from Utrecht.
He took an oath of allegiance to the new English government and was soon flourishing
once again, and eight slaves belonging to him that had been seized were returned.
In August 1672 he was named "Bayliff and Principal Civill Magistrate at
New Castle . . . for the year ensuing."
The following July, the Dutch retook the colony and appointed Alrichs as Chief
Magistrate after he swore allegiance to the Dutch. When the colony once more,
and now finally, returned to English rule the next year, the new English governor,
Sir Edmund Andros, did not reappoint Alrichs, but he was back in the good graces
of the English government by September, 1677, when he was appointed a justice.
When William Penn became the proprietor of Pennsylvania, which then included
Delaware, Alrichs was among those who officially greeted him in New Castle on
October 27th, 1682, and he promptly swore allegiance to Penn's government. He
was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly the following year and the year after
that to the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania. He last attended a council meeting
in Philadelphia on May 13th, 1697, and died shortly thereafter.
Alrichs, while always willing to serve whatever government happened to be in
power, was obviously a very able man, one whose talents were indispensable. Among
his numerous possessions at his death were eighteen slaves.
He was married to Maria Wessell on Feb 9 1664 in New York City.
865. Maria Wessell
(153) was born in probably Utrecht, the Netherlands. Children were:
i. Peter
Sigfridus Alricks(154)
(155) was born before Oct 3 1666. He died before Mar 28 1716.
ii.
Hermanus Alricks(156)
(157) died in 1707.
iii.
Jacobus Alricks(158) was born before
Sep 10 1671.
432 iv.
Wessel Alricks.
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