Hans Hansen Bergen is the progenitor of this family. He married Sarah Jorise
Rapelje, said to be the first white child born of Christian parents in New
Netherland.
Quickly descending this tree we have:
Michael Hansen Bergen (1646-1732) m. Femmetje Theunise Denyse
Hans Michaelse Bergen (1689-1731) m. Rachel Benson
(1689-1752)
Hans Bergen (1721-1786) m.
Catryntie DeHart (1726-1795)
Tunis J.
Bergen (1759-1826) m. Ann Vanderveer
John Tunis Bergen (1786-1855) m. Margaret McCleod & Maria F. McCleod *
Tunis John Bergen (1810-1870) m. Katherine Lott (1814-1859) (2nd wife)
John Lott Bergen (1835-1880) m. Anna Lott (1841-1916)
John Lott Bergen (1877-1916) m. Caroline VanSinderen Wyckoff (1882-1964)
Married 1910
* Story has it that Margaret & Maria were daughters of Donald McLeod &
Ann Masterton. Donald was a British officer garrisoned at the Masterton home during
the Revolutionary War. He and Ann fell in love, but her parents did not approve. He
resigned his commission from the army and they eloped to Nova Scotia. On having a
child, they returned and all was forgiven. Now to maintain the drama, after Margaret
McLeod died, John Tunis Bergen wanted to marry the sister, Maria. Since this was frowned on
by the family, THEY eloped till they had a child and returned.
(Who needs soap operas, just do your genealogy.)
This is a link to scanned images of a small volume I have, titled 'The
Bergen Family'.
I don't have many identified photos of the Bergens.<sigh> But I do have a
few of Anna Lott, 1841-1916. She married John Lott Bergen,
1835-1880, who served in the Civil War. I don't have all the details yet, but from
what I gather, he served about a year, was home for a while, then went back. He
served as Adjutant to Gen. Philip S. Crooke, as I have his discharge papers with a
personal note of thanks written by the General. (See below) (I also have one of his pistols and
canteen). I have to find it again, but I read somewhere that he and the General were
actually next door neighbors on Bergen Island and that a Bergen married a daughter of the
General.
Here they are on their honeymoon in Florida in 1910.
This is a list of wedding
presents they received and who gave them.
John Lott Bergen & Caroline Wyckoff had
two children:
Anna Lott Bergen (1911-1990) (my
Mother)
John Lott Bergen (living)
John Lott Bergen & Caroline VanSinderen
Wyckoff family
Here is a photo of the Bergen Homestead on Bergen Island.
Haven't located this on a modern
day map yet. I do know it is no longer an island due to land fill, somewhere along
the shore of Jamaica Bay.
This is one of the identified Bergen photos, but I haven't placed him in the
family yet.
Civil War - U.S. Army discharge papers of John Lott Bergen, who married Anna
Lott.