Johannes Victorse POOTMAN

1645 - 1690  (45 years)

• Name	Johannes Victorse POOTMAN  [1]
  Birth	1645	Aalburg, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands   [2]
  Gender	Male
  Immigration	1661	New York City, New York County, New York, USA   [1]
  Death	9 Feb 1689/90	Schenectady, Albany County, New York   [3]
  	Cause: Slain by French and Indians. Scalp taken.
  Notes	See Genealogy of David Putman and His Descendants, Showing HIs Descent from Johannes Pootman (Putman) Born in 1645, the Earlist Ancestor that we have any REcord of; Also His Family REcord and Early Descendants. 1645-1916. Compiled by His (David's) Great Grandson George W. PUtman. From the above: "Jonannes Pootman was born in 1645. IN 1661, being sixteen years old, was apprenticed to P.H. Brower of Albany, N.Y., for three years, signing his name to the papers in a clear beautiful hand, from which we infrer, that he was well educated, an uncommon thing in those days. He was then living in Albany, N.Y. He moved to Schenectady in 1662, being one of its first settlers. He married Cornelia Bratt, a daughter of Arent Andres Bratt, the vice-governor of Renselaerwyck, one of the prominent families of the state." "Jan was orphan master, deacon of the church, hired the minister, and was justice of the peace, under the Leyster administration, those being the most prominent positions in Schenectady in those days. On February 8th, 1690, he and his weife were killed at Schenectady in that awful Indian massacre of that date, which is recorded in American history. In 1715, the followiing children were living: Marite, married Stephen Bedent, Aaron, Victor, David, Cornelius and Catalyntje, who married Cornelius Post." "It is believed that he came from one of the prominent and noble families of Holland, and investigations have been made or attempted to prove it, but with what results, is unrecorded. He owned considerable land in Schenectady, a part of which was sold later by one of his sons to Union College." See Thomas Burke's book on the Mohawk Frontier: The Dutch Community of Schenectady, NY 1661-1710 On 9 February 1690, 114 Canadians and 96 Indians burned Schenectady, N.Y. N.Y. losses: 60 killed, 27 captured. French losses: 1 French and 1 Indian killed during attack, 17 French and 4 Indians killed by pursuing N.Y. militia. More lives were lost at Schenectady than at any other massacre in the French and Indian Wars. From <http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/documents/documents_p2.cfm?doc=238>: Gilder Lehrman Document Number: GLC 3107 Title: The Schenectady Massacre Author: Robert Livingston Year: 1689/90 Type of document: journal Quotation: "As to the causes of this war...jealousy arising from the trading of our people...seems to be the principal one" Annotation: Robert Livingston (1654-1728) offers a vivid account of an attack by the French and their Indian allies on the Dutch and English settlement at Schenectady in New York on February 8 and 9, 1690. The attack came in retaliation for a series of devastating Iroquois raids on Canada, which had essentially stopped the French fur trade for two years. The raid was an attempt to punish the English for supplying arms and ammunition to the Iroquois and to bolster the morale of the French Canadians and western tribes with an easy victory since the Iroquois were impossible to defeat. Approximately 60 people were killed in the raid on Schenectady (including 10 women and 12 children) and between 80 and 90 were taken prisoner. The Schenectady raid was part of a three-pronged French attack on isolated northern and western settlements. The two other prongs of the attack were at Salmon Falls, New Hampshire, where 30 were killed and 54 prisoners were tortured to death and Fort Loyal (today, Portland, Maine), where the inhabitants were killed or taken prisoner. Overall, the raids convey a strong impression of cruelty on the part of the French and their allies and carelessness and greediness on the part of the English and Dutch. Full Text: This sad story should not pass from our memory but remain engraved on it and we should grieve over our sins rather than bewail our loss, for it is clearly shown that when the measure of our iniquities is full, we are cut down and almost exterminated, of which the present smoking ruins of houses and barns bear ample witness before the eyes of our few remaining people. As to the causes of this bloody war, which they pretend originated with us, jealousy arising from the trading of our people...seems to be the principal one, for the Indians, that is to say, the Five Nations, were very friendly disposed toward us. The French begrudged us this and therefore made every effort to make them hostile to us.... The French...invited several Indians to come into the[ir]...fort to be entertained...but they met with a different reception, for as soon as they entered the fort they were bound securely and carried off to Cubeck [Quebec], to the number of 60.... Having at once assembled an army, [the French]...marched against the Indians...with the intention of destroying them, but this failed. The Indians were so embittered by this that like madmen they fell upon the French farmers, murdering and burning to revenge this breach of faith, so that many suffered great loss and damage. Showing themselves greatly perturbed about this and holding us responsible for it...they [the French] found and cruelly murdered the Dutch, saying: "The Dutch are urging you to fight against us, therefore we shall excuse you".... The bloodthirsty people [the French and their Indian allies], then, to accomplish their evil purpose, according to their own statement made the journey from Canada to this place in 11 days.... They divided themselves into three troops and after they had everything well spied out and found that the gates were open and that nowhere there was any sentinel on duty and that on account of the heavy snow which had fallen the day before no one had been in the woods by whom they could have been detected, the full wrath of God was poured out over us. Having posted three or four men before every house, they attacked simultaneously at the signal of a gun. They first set fire to the house of Adam Vroman, who when he offered resistance was shot through the hand. After several shots had been fired, his wife, hoping to find an opportunity to get away, opened the back door, whereupon she was immediately shot dead and devoured by the flames.... His eldest daughter...had her mother's child on her arm.... Asked...whether the child was heavy...she said yes, whereupon [one of the invaders]...took the child form her and taking it by the legs dashed its head against the sill of the house, so that the brains scattered over the bystanders.... The women and children fled mostly into the woods, almost naked and there many froze to death.... Oh, we poor, miserable people, how we were scattered during that dreadful night, the husband being separated from his wife and the children from both, one hiding for 2 or 3 days in the woods and in swampy and marshy land, where God in His mercy nevertheless did not forget them.... The rest, then, who escaped the bloody sword, were condemned to be prisoners, but here again God's guiding hand clearly appears, for many sorrowful women and children and some old men, seeing this dreadful journey ahead of them, which meant practically death, doubtless offered up their prayers to God, who from the depths of their woe granted them delivery.... Considering that the old men and children and also the women would be a hindrance to them in their flight, they [the French and their allies] discharged them from their place of confinement to the great joy of all.... In all as many as 60 people have been murdered by these fiends and 40 houses and 22 barns, all filled with cattle, have been almost completely destroyed. A BALLAD, by Walter Wilie "In which is set forth the horrid cruellties practised by the French and Indians on the night of the 8th of last February. The which I did compose last night, in the space of one hour, and am now writing the morning of Fryday, June 12, 1690. W.W." God prosper long our King and Queen, Our lives safeties all, A sad misfortune once there did Schenectady befall. From forth the woods of Canada The Frenchmen tooke their way The people of Schenectady To captivate and slay. They march'd for two twenty dais All thro' the deepest snow And on dismal Winter Night They strucke the Cruel Blow. The lightsome sun that rules the Day Had gone down in the West; And eke the drowsy Villagers Had sought and found their reste. They thought They were in Safetie all, And dreampt not of the Foe; But att Midnight They all awoke, In Wonderment Woe. For They were in their pleasant Beddies, And soundelie sleeping, when Each door was sudden open broke By six or seven Men. The Men and Women, Younge Olde, And eke the Girls and Boys, All started up in great Affright, Att the alarming Noise. They then were murther'd in their Beddes, Without shame or remorse; And soon the Floores and Streets were strew'd With many a bleeding corse. The Village soon began to Blaze Which shew'd the horrid sight-- But, O, I scarce can Beare to Tell The Mis'ries of that Night. They threw the Infants in the Fire, The Men they did not spare; but killed All which they could find Tho' Aged or tho' Fair. O Christe! In the still Midnight air, It sounded dismally, The Women's Prayers and the loud screams Of their great Agony. Methinks as if I hear them now All ringing in my ear; The Shrieks and Groanes and Woefull sighs, They utter'd in their Fear But some ran off to Albany, And told the dolefull Tale; Yett tho' We gave our cheerful aid, It did not much avail. And we were horribly afraid, And shook with Terror, when They told us that the Frenchmen were More than a Thousand Men. The news came on the Sabbath morn Just att the Break of Day, And with a companie of Horse I galloped away But soone We found the French were gone With all their great Booty; And then their Trail We did pursue As was our true Dutye. Our soldiers fell upon their Reare, And killed twenty-five, Our Young Men were so much enrag'd They took scarce One alive. D'Aillebout Then did commande, Which were but Theevish Rogues, Else why did they consent and goe With Bloodye Indian Dogges? And Here I end the long BALLAD The Which you just have redde; I wish that it may stay on earth, Long after I am dead Walter Wilie - Albany, 12th of June, 1690 (Medical):See attached sources. [4]
  Person ID	I21446	Ellingboe
  Last Modified	26 Jan 2011

  
  

  Family ID

  F10631

  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Sources

  [S154] Ancestry.Com, (URL: http://www.ancestry.com), Putnam Family Tree, Mark Putnam owner (Reliability: 3). [S396] Kenneth Scott, Early New Yorkers and Their Ages, (National Genealogical Society Quarterly, vol. 57:4 (Dec. 1969), pp. 274-297.), p. 290 (Reliability: 3). [S154] Ancestry.Com, (URL: http://www.ancestry.com), Kiernan Family Tree, Glovetown owner (Reliability: 3). [S245] Internet Website, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~vanepsgenealogy/schmass.html (Reliability: 3).