Plan of Former House at Ellerslie

5.—Ditto, pg. 38. 6.—Dutchess County Clerk's Office deeds Liber 5. pg. 159. 7.—The History of Rhinebeck by Edward M. Smith, pg. 38. 8.—Dutchess County Clerk's Office Deed Liber 19, pg. 280. 9.—This subsequently became Ellerslie. 10.—Subsequently the residence of Miss Jones. 11.—History of Rhinebeck by Edward M. Smith, pg. 39. 12.—Dutchess County Clerk's Office, Liber 26 of Deeds, page 46. 13.—Idem Liber 17, page 233. 14.—Idem Liber 39, page 65. 15.—Idem Liber 99, page 547. 16.—Idem Liber 141, page 451. 17.--Idem Liber 178, page 221. 18.—Dutchess County Clerk's Office Deeds Liber 199, pg. 448.

46

ELLERSLIE

Gerrit Aertsen4 married Clara, daughter of Evart Pels. He had received lot three on the partition of the lands bought of the Indians by him and his partners in 1686. In his will dated December 17, 1715 and proved March 9, 1723 he mentioned his eight children and the son of his oldest son Aert, who was then dead, and divided his property among them. His children assumed the family name Van Wagenen, probably adopting it because their grandfather came from Wageningen in Gelderland, Holland. His oldest son, Aart Van Wagenen,5 received this property and sold it to Hendrick Heermans6 who had married his sister Annetje. He had married Aaltje Elting on October 26, 1695 and died before his father.

Hendrick Heermans in his will7 dated March 23, 1750, called it "my 'Bowery" and left it to his wife for life and then to his son, also named Hendrick Heermans, who had married Sarah, daughter of Evert Van Wagenen7a on October 16, 1736. This will also valued the property as being worth £266. Seven acres had, however, been taken out of its and acquired by Goosen Van Wagenen.

By 1789 lot three had passed to Jacob Kip,9 baptised December 5, 1742, son of Jacob Kip and his wife Claratje, daughter of Evert Van Wagenen and Marytje Van Heyningen his wife; probably because of his marriage with Clartjen, baptised October 27, 1745, daughter of the younger Hendrick Heermance. Jacobus Kip was dead by 1795. Sarah and Clartjen the two daughters and only children of Jacob Kip and Clartjen Heermance, his wife, married the brothers Andrew and Gerrit Kip. Major Andrew Kip" and Sarah his wife received the part of lot three afterward known as Ellerslie.

About these successive Van Wagenen, Heermance and Kip owners little is now known. They seem to have lived on the land and had their support from it. To them fell the severe and toilsome task of turning the ground from forest into fields, of building the farm buildings and fences and clearing the stumps and stones enough to cultivate and get a living for 47