Normanskill site farmed by Albert and Arent
Albert and Arent Andriessen (Bratt/Bradt) and their families were early settlers in New Netherland when the colony still belonged to the Netherlands. Like many of the other settlers, they were not Dutch. According to the preponderance of evidence and long-time consensus, the brothers came originally from the vicinity of Fredrikstad, Norway.
In April of 1637, Albert and his family arrived in Rensselaerswyck, the large, New Netherland estate of the Amsterdam merchant, Kiliaen van Rensselaer. By all appearances, Albert's brother Arent came on the same ship. Albert operated several sawmills on the Normanskill (Norwegian's Creek). The Dutch referred to Norwegians as Normans, because they came from the far north. Arent was a tobacco planter and a farmer and sometimes participated in the fur trade. His family was one of the original fifteen families to settle Schenectady in 1661.
We can only guess how the Bratt surname originated. Hereditary family names were not used by the Dutch or the Norwegians at that time. When England took over and New Netherland became New York, that soon began to change.
In those days, it was common for Norwegians to use the name of their ancestral farm as a kind of family name. "Bratt" can mean "steep" in Norwegian and it's found in many place names all over Scandinavia. (Most of today's Norwegian Bratt's took their names in the late 1800s and are not related to us.)
Another possibility is the old Bratt family that originated in Bergen on the west coast of Norway. This family came to prominence in the Middle Ages, but no one has ever discovered any documents that tie us to them. It could be more than a coincidence that Fredrikstad is located on the Glomma River, which has its headwaters in Oppland. Oppland is the home county of one branch of these Bratts, and according to Wikipedia, the Glomma "has historically been Norway's leading log-floating river." Did the Oppland Bratts send some of the family members down to Fredrikstad to operate a sawmill or to function as their agent in the lumber trade? It's an interesting question.
There is also a well-documented Bratt family from Brattfors (Bratt Falls) in Sweden. Located 100 miles from Fredrikstad, it was the site of a water-powered iron foundry as early as 1540. Perhaps in time, DNA testing will give us some clues to our Scandinavian cousins.
To the best of our knowledge, Albert never used the spelling "Bradt;" he signed his name Brat or Bratt. Bradt become more common because the Dutch customarily insert a silent "d." Other spellings usually came about later as some branches of the family moved West.
Over the years, numerous spelling changes have occurred. Almost all Bradt's and most Brott's are descended from the two Bratt brothers. Many Bratt's, Vanderzee's, Brodt's, Broat's, Van Brott's, and Van Bradt's and some Brad's and Bradd's are also direct descendants. These are not the only spellings.
Another line, the Vanderzees, descended from Albert's son, Storm, who was born during a storm on the sea crossing to America. "Van der Zee" means "from the sea" in Dutch. Storm was baptized in Ilfracombe, England, after contrary winds and a damaging storm forced their ship to put in for repairs and to resupply.
Over 95% of the Bradt cousins descend through female lines. It's no exaggeration to say that we would not have a Bradt Family Society without them. Today, hundreds of thousands of people in Canada and the United States descend from the two Bradt brothers.
In April of 1637, Albert and his family arrived in Rensselaerswyck, the large, New Netherland estate of the Amsterdam merchant, Kiliaen van Rensselaer. By all appearances, Albert's brother Arent came on the same ship. Albert operated several sawmills on the Normanskill (Norwegian's Creek). The Dutch referred to Norwegians as Normans, because they came from the far north. Arent was a tobacco planter and a farmer and sometimes participated in the fur trade. His family was one of the original fifteen families to settle Schenectady in 1661.
We can only guess how the Bratt surname originated. Hereditary family names were not used by the Dutch or the Norwegians at that time. When England took over and New Netherland became New York, that soon began to change.
In those days, it was common for Norwegians to use the name of their ancestral farm as a kind of family name. "Bratt" can mean "steep" in Norwegian and it's found in many place names all over Scandinavia. (Most of today's Norwegian Bratt's took their names in the late 1800s and are not related to us.)
Another possibility is the old Bratt family that originated in Bergen on the west coast of Norway. This family came to prominence in the Middle Ages, but no one has ever discovered any documents that tie us to them. It could be more than a coincidence that Fredrikstad is located on the Glomma River, which has its headwaters in Oppland. Oppland is the home county of one branch of these Bratts, and according to Wikipedia, the Glomma "has historically been Norway's leading log-floating river." Did the Oppland Bratts send some of the family members down to Fredrikstad to operate a sawmill or to function as their agent in the lumber trade? It's an interesting question.
There is also a well-documented Bratt family from Brattfors (Bratt Falls) in Sweden. Located 100 miles from Fredrikstad, it was the site of a water-powered iron foundry as early as 1540. Perhaps in time, DNA testing will give us some clues to our Scandinavian cousins.
To the best of our knowledge, Albert never used the spelling "Bradt;" he signed his name Brat or Bratt. Bradt become more common because the Dutch customarily insert a silent "d." Other spellings usually came about later as some branches of the family moved West.
Over the years, numerous spelling changes have occurred. Almost all Bradt's and most Brott's are descended from the two Bratt brothers. Many Bratt's, Vanderzee's, Brodt's, Broat's, Van Brott's, and Van Bradt's and some Brad's and Bradd's are also direct descendants. These are not the only spellings.
Another line, the Vanderzees, descended from Albert's son, Storm, who was born during a storm on the sea crossing to America. "Van der Zee" means "from the sea" in Dutch. Storm was baptized in Ilfracombe, England, after contrary winds and a damaging storm forced their ship to put in for repairs and to resupply.
Over 95% of the Bradt cousins descend through female lines. It's no exaggeration to say that we would not have a Bradt Family Society without them. Today, hundreds of thousands of people in Canada and the United States descend from the two Bradt brothers.
We encourage those with lineage questions or contributions to contact our Genealogist, Laurie M. Grimes.
For those with non-lineage historical questions, (for example, to learn about the role of the Bradt Family in North American history) contact our Archivist and current President, Daniel P. Bradt.
We are currently looking for someone to take over this webpage. Please contact our president at [email protected] for further information.
For those with non-lineage historical questions, (for example, to learn about the role of the Bradt Family in North American history) contact our Archivist and current President, Daniel P. Bradt.
We are currently looking for someone to take over this webpage. Please contact our president at [email protected] for further information.
| TO CONTACT THE OFFICERS OF THE BRADT FAMILY SOCIETY |
|
|---|---|
| PRESIDENT: | Daniel P. Bradt: [email protected] |
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY, SECRETARY-TREASURER: |
Anne Holzinger: [email protected] |
| To subscribe to the "Bradt Family News" or to join the Bradt Family Society (BFS), fill out the membership form (see "MEMBERSHIP" in the menu) and send it to Anne. That's it. No need to contact the editor unless you want to submit an article to the News. Thank you. | |
| NEWSLETTER (The Bradt Family News (BFN)) EDITOR: |
Marie Emerson: [email protected] |
| HISTORIAN / ARCHIVIST: | Daniel P. Bradt: [email protected] |
| GENEALOGIST / LINEAGE EXPERT and Administrator of the Bradt DNA Project: |
Laurie M. Grimes: [email protected] |
| VICE-PRESIDENTS: | Vacant |
| RECORDING SECRETARY: | Vacant |
| BFS WEBSITE WEBMASTER: | Open - training provided |
| ORGANIZER AND CHARTER MEMBER: | Ken Bradt: [email protected] |
Artist's Conception of Albert Bradt's Sawmill on Normanskill Creek (Albany, New York)
—Pen and ink drawing by Leonard Tantillo
THE NORMANSKILL GALLERY
Site of the Bradt Sawmill on the Normanskill. The Hudson River is beyond Castle Island to the far right, Albany (not shown) is 2 miles to the north.
NOTE: The first manager of this mill was Dutch, so the Scandinavian appearance depicted here is unlikely, but the depiction of the mill's location is almost certainly correct. Albert took over the operation of the mill in about 1646.
The Normanskill Falls in Analectic Magazine, February 1819. Indexed as "Norman's Creek Falls."
Looking southeast. The hill in the center is in the foreground of the following images.
"A Distant View of Albany" by William Hart, picturing the Normanskill in 1848
"View of Albany Near Kenwood" by George Henry Boughton in 1854, with the Normanskill in the foreground
"Albany, from Kenwood" about 1873. This image comes from "Picturesque America," edited by William Cullen Bryant. Construction on the railroad ran from 1851 to 1863. Open the image in a new tab for the full-size view.
Detail of "Albany, from Kenwood" showing the lower Normanskill in the center left. The Bradt farm was between the rail fence in the lower left and the railroad train in the upper left.
The Norman's farm on the Normanskill, a colorized detail of "Albany, from Kenwood." The Bradt farm included most of the farmland in this etching, all except the untilled field in the center right, and the pumpkin patch in the foreground.
The rapids, usually called "falls," of the Normanskill. Postcard, about 1910
The Normanskill taken about 1941 by J. J. Vrooman
The falls in 2018 — from a YouTube video
"Valley Lands" by James McDougal Hart, 1867. Believed to be Castle Island Creek below the Normanskill, near Bethlehem.
