In 1660 another family came to America from Holland and settled in the vicinity of present day Bergen County, New Jersey. They too adopted the name of Van Wagenen and spent several generations in New Jersey. In the early 1840′s members of this family embraced the Mormon faith and in 1845 began their migration to Nauvoo, Winter Quarters, and finally Salt Lake City.
These familys for the most part adopted the spellings of Van Wagenen and Van Wagoner only, although there are a few instances where the spelling of Van Wagner was used.
Further information may be found at a website hosted by Jack and Sharen Simmons at “Jackandsharensimmons.com” where you may obtain specific information about members of these families. Free downloads are also available from their website.
Archive for the ‘GENERAL’ Category
ANOTHER FRAUD: You may also receive an email or other solicitation from various websites or business enterprises which will tell you that for a sum of money they will send you an “Authentic” Coat-of-Arms for your family name. In some instances this may be true (some people really are related to William the Conqueror), but in the case of the Van Wagenen families (by any spelling), it too is a fraud. The Van Wagenen family came to America from Holland because they had nothing to lose and everything to gain. They were for the most part very poor and certainly had no royal blood coursing through their veins. As a matter of fact, our Netherlands ancestors didn’t even have a last name. It was not until thirty years after they arrived in America (about 1660), that they adopted the name of “Wageningen” after the town in Holland from which they had immigrated. And a number of years after that before they added the “Van” which in old-Dutch meant “of” or “from”, hence: Carl of Wageningen (or) Carl Van Wagenen.
RICHARD WHITMORE VAN WAGENEN of Washington, DC, and CARL VAN WAGENEN. We are standing by the Petrus Van Wagenen house in Creek Locks (Bloomington), New York, which is about 4 miles south of the City of Kingston. I regret to announce that Dick died on May 9th, 2003, and his wife Jean died on November 30th, 2002. I shall miss them both.
Here is another example of a Van Wagner family who doesn’t belong to our Holland-Dutch families.
In this instance the Van Wagner’s are of German-Palentine descent. THE VAN WAGNER FAMILIES OF SALTFLEET, ONTARIO, CANADA (2001) Dr. Henrich Van Wagner, d 1790, m. Annatje “Hannah” Lampman, b 4/5/1765 Loonenburg, Greene County, NY, d 12/6/1831. He was a surgeon in a Hessian Regiment in the Revolutionary War. She m 2nd to William P. Houghtaling and moved to the Town of Bethlehem near Albany, NY. Note: The Lampman’s were German Palentines who arrived in America and Columbia County, NY in 1710. There is a Lampman Museum on Route 9 near Coxsackie, Greene County, NY which has records of these families. Dr. Henrich Van Wagner m. Hannah Lampman (2001) 3001) HENRY VAN WAGNER, b 5/23/1788 Albany, NY, d 5/1875, m 1811 to EDITH SPOHN b 1793, d 1837. He settled in a log cabin at Salt Fleet in 1811. He was a millwright and modeled old mills and surveyed sites for new mills. The Town of Waterdown was supposedly named by him. She was the granddaughter of Captain Henry Spohn. He m 2nd to MRS. MARY MONTROSE, b 1802 in Vermont, residing at Long Point on Lake Erie. They are buried together at Hamilton Cemetery, Hamilton, Ontario. In 1851c at Saltfleet, Wentworth County, Ontario, Henry was age 64 (at next birthday), wife Mary age 49 (at next birthday). (3002) ALBURTUS VAN WAGNER, b 1/31/1789 Albany, son of Hendrik Van Wagner and Annatje Dandmen, m. 1/13/1816 RDC Helderberg, New Salem, Albany County, to CORNELIA SLINGERLAND. (LDS RECORDS). Henry Van Wagner m. Edith Spohn (3001) (4001) PETER SPOHN VAN WAGNER, b 7/5/1818 Saltfleet, Ontario, Canada, d Sunday, 12/2/1906, m. 1846 to ELIZA JANE PETTIT CARPENTER, b 8/26/1824, bp 8/15/1825 St. Andrew’s, Grimsby, Ontario, daughter of Elias Pettit & Abigail Pew of Saltfleet, buried in Hamilton Cemetery, Hamilton, Ontario. He learned the millwright trade from his father but later became a school teacher at Hamilton and Dundas and resided at Saltfleet on the shore of Lake Erie. Peter is believed to be the first of his family to come to America, leaving from Scholbronn (Schillbrunno), and arriving in New England on 9/19/1749 aboard the ship Patience. Peter’s obituary in a Hamilton biography is as follows: Peter Spohn Van Wagner, one of the oldest residents of this district, passed to his rest at his home in Saltfleet township Sunday morning, at the ripe age of 89 years, and by his death there is removed one of the few remaining links which binds this period and the early history of Hamilton and district. For nearly his entire life Mr. Van Wagner resided in the district, and in the earlier years of the city’s history, played no unimportant part, for he manifested a deep interest in the educational, industrial, political and social life of the city, which he saw grow from a small village. Mr. Van Wagner was the eldest son of Henry Van Wagner, who, in the early years of the 19th century, left Albany, N.Y. and settled in Saltfleet township. Deceased was born in the township on July 15, 1818 within a mile of where he resided for many years of his life. On the completion of his education, he learned the millwrights trade with his father, who erected many of the saw and grist mills in this neighborhood. Later in life he learned the trade of carriage builder with his brother-in-law, Clark Hamilton. In his earlier years he taught school in Hamilton and Dundas, and spent some time traveling in the northwestern states, having also spent some time in Chicago, when that city was only a village. In politics he was a Reformer of the old school, and in his younger days took an active interest in local political affairs, but was always opposed to the extreme radical views of the party, although he was a strong advocate of the reforms demanded by William Lyon Mackenzie. He served in the Third Gore regiment as an orderly room clerk during the rebellion of 1837-8. He was possibly the oldest Justice of the Peace in Ontario, having been appointed in 1842. In that capacity he sat in the hearing of many notable criminal cases, among them the Townsend Gang. He was a acknowledged local historian, and frequently wrote for the Hamilton press under the nom de plume of Hans. For many years he kept a daily record of local events, and was frequently appealed to for local early history. In his middle life he was a successful scientific farmer and took great interest in new agricultural implements. He was himself an inventor of no mean ability, and although some of his inventions are today in common use, he never received any financial reward for his inventive ability. Deceased was a faithful member of the Anglican church. In 1846 he married Miss Eliza Jane Pettit Carpenter who predeceased him 16 years ago. He is survived by one son, Lieut. Col. Van Wagner, and three daughters, Mrs. J.V. Spohn, Saltfleet; Mrs. C.B. Hamilton, Toronto; and Miss Edith Van Wagner at home; also one brother C.T. Van Wagner of Saltfleet, and a sister, Mrs. Pettit of Detroit. Van Wagner’s Beach, part of the lake-front in Confederation Park, takes it’s name from Peter Spohn Van Wagner since he once owned that land. (4002) DOROTHY VAN WAGNER, b 9/17/1821, m 1st to _____ REDMAN and 2nd to ROBERT HOPKIN of Hamilton, Ontario. No further information. (4003) HANNA VAN WAGNER, b ca1823, m 9/1836 Saltfleet, Gore Township, Hamilton, Ontario, to WILLIAM F. CLARKE, b 1810-1814 in NY, d 11/1895 Clark County, Wisconsin. They are buried in Rock County, Wisconsin. This family left Canada ca1845 and resided in Rock County, Wisconsin until 1880 when they went to live with a daughter in Clark County, Wisconsin. (4004) CHARLES TOWNSEND VAN WAGNER, b 3/27/1825, d 5/8/1910 Saltfleet, m 1846 to CAROLINE GALBRAITH, b 12/28/1821, d 8/5/1898 Saltfleet, buried Stoney Creek, NY. His obituary was carried on 5/10/1910 in the Hamilton Times as follows: All the pioneer settlers of Saltfleet have long gone to their rest, and for years back their sons, one by one, have dropped off until few are left. The latest land mark of the early days of our country to be removed, one who after a long and quiet career, has gone to his rest, is Charles Townsend Van Wagner, the second son and last surviving child of the late Henry Van Wagner and his wife Edith Spohn, and grandson of Henry Van Wagner, a surgeon in a Mexican Regiment at the time of the American revolution. He was born at Stoney Creek March 27th, 1825 on the farm on which he spent the greater portion of his life. In early life he farmed for a short time in Wisconsin. Then he engaged in a number of mercantile enterprises. For a number of years he was in the jewelry business in Grimsby. Afterwards he purchased and shipped staves to Stoney Creek, purchased grain for the Stoney Creek warehouses, and with his brother John L., for many years purchased and cut lumber at their watermill in Stoney Creek, which at one time did the largest lumber business in the vicinity of Hamilton. Later in life he lived quietly in the farm. In his younger days he was a very strong man and took a great interest in athletic and other sports. Before Hamilton had a club he was a keen yachtsman and sailed boats that were more than racing machines. He made many trips over the lower and upper lakes, and was acquainted with many of the sailing masters fifty years ago. He was a close student of natural phenomena, of the changes of wind and weather, etc., and for a great number of years took meteorological observations at Stoney Creek. He was a member of the National Geographic Society, Washington, and authority on the habits of the native fauna. He was a active and ardent supporter of Liberal principles, but ever ready to give credit to either political party for all their good acts. Born in 1885 he had lived in the reign of five sovereigns; George W., William IV., Victoria, Edward VII, and George V. Born when the clearings of the township were small and scattered, he had seen the forests replaced by orchards. He had witnessed an immigration of people of distant lands to partake of the benefits that he and his neighbors had opened up. He had seen men settling in the country and children growing up who knew him not, and who did not know the long past of the country as he did. He had seen the first train on the Great Western Railway; the first steamboat on Lake Ontario; the first post office in the township; the use of the telegraph, the telephone, electric car, electric lights, and the first mower, the first reaper, the first binder, the old stationary separator in his barn succeeded by steam threshers, and all the wonderful inventions of 80 years that are in general use. In 1846 he married Caroline Galbraith, sister of D.B. Galbraith of Hamilton and G.B. Galbraith of Stoney Creek who predeceased him. He leaves two daughters, Mrs. J.H. McNeilly and Mrs. Walter Denne, both of Stoney Creek. In disposition, he saw the sunny side of life and although his old comrades have gone long before him he will still be pleasantly remembered by younger people, for whom he always had a pleasant word. (4005) JOHN LAMPMAN VAN WAGNER, b 10/21/1828, d 2/17/1897 Saltfleet, Wentworth County, m. ELIZABETH TALANT SECORD, b 9/9/1835, d 7/4/1893 Saltfleet, daughter of Elijah Matthew Talant and Mary Rennet Rosseaux of Salt Fleet. (4006) MARY VAN WAGNER, b 5/11/1830, m 2/25/1852 to HENRY HUTT. They had a son named James Hutt. (4007) EDITH VAN WAGNER, b 6/16/1833, m 5/31/1853 to JONATHAN HAMILTON PETTIT, b 4/1/1830 Saltfleet, son of Jonathan Isaac Pettit and Margaret Henry. In 1851c at Saltfleet she was age 19 with her parents and siblings. They removed to Detroit, Michigan. Alburtus Van Wagner m. Cornelia Slingerland (3002) (4010) GARRET VAN WAGNER (in 1887-88 Syracuse Directory residing at 110 Seymour Street, had: (1) ALBERT VAN WAGNER, b 11/23/1848 Cicero, NY, m 1872 to LUCINA S. MOSES, daughter of Nathan Moses of Kirkville. In 1920c he was enumerated as Albert, she as “Allie M”, resided at 101 or 102 East Avenue, Syracuse, age 70 and 76. They had: (1) LEGRAND O. VAN WAGNER, b ca1876, m. LUELLA LAPHAM, b ca1883. In 1920c at 115 E. Bissel Street, Syracuse, he was age 44, a clerk in steel mill, she age 37, with son William 9, and her brother-in-law John Lapham, 52, widowed, a tinsmith in hardward store, and his daughter Olive Lapham, age 15. In 1933 Legrand was a salesman, residing 200 Kirk Avenue, Syracuse (per 1933 Syracuse Directory). Also residing at 200 Kirk Ave was (1) WILLIAM A. VAN WAGNER, projectionist, b 7/2/1910, d 12/10/1977 Syracuse, married to ANNA M. _______, b 3/30/1910, d 2/8/1998 Cortland, NY. In 1933 directory they were residing at 215 Matty Avenue, Syracuse (or unidentified) William A. Van Wagner, b ca1880, m. Dora ______, a musician, residing 828 Tallman, Syracuse. In 1920c at 339 Tallman Street, he was enumerated as a hotel musician, with JOSIE (?) P. VAN WAGNER, b ca1891, age 29 in census. (In 1920c residing at 534 Tallman Avenue were SETH A. VAN WAGNER, age 71, (1849), and ELIZABETH C. ________, age 64, (1856) (apparently William’s parents or at least closely related). Also, at 911 Westcott Street, Syracuse in 1920c were John J. Van Wagner, age 83 (1837) who reported to census taker that his parents were born in Holland. His wife ADA A. _________, age 61, and Mary Ried, age 60, roomer. At 103 Green St, Syracuse were: ROBERT J. VAN WAGNER, 45 (1875), LILLIAN, 44 (1876), born NY, and aunt Jane E. Treet 65. He owned a drug store.
