Wilhelmus and Moses Hasbrouck Family Papers (1753-1879)

Finding Aid Completed by Eric Roth, January 12, 1999 (last updated March 2024)

Inclusive Dates: 1753-1879
Volume: 0.25 cu. ft.
Collection ID: MSS.028
Language: English, Dutch
Acquisition: The papers were donated to HHS by Mildred Trautwein in September 1963, and were formerly known as the Trautwein Collection.
Access and Use: Unrestricted. Request for permission to publish materials from these records should be discussed with the Archivist/Librarian of HHS.
Preferred Citation: [Author/title/date], Wilhelmus and Moses Hasbrouck Family Papers, Historic Huguenot Street, New Paltz, NY.
Digital Access: Digitized in 2022, hosted online at New York Heritage (also see links in Box/Folder listing below)

Biographical Note 

Wilhelmus Hasbrouck (E-540) was born on February 2, 1775 to Jacob I. Hasbrouck and Sarah DuBois in Stone Ridge, New York. On November 9, 1798 he married Agetta Freer of New Paltz (1779-1834), daughter of Jonathan Freer and Margrietje Deyo. Between 1799 and 1812, Wilhelmus and Agetta had seven children: Margaret, Sarah, Maria, Jacob, Moses, Elisabeth and Aaron.

Wilhelmus' second son, Moses Hasbrouck (F-979), was born on March 12, 1807 and baptized at New Paltz. On September 1, 1856 he married Sarah Maria Freer (1817-1856), daughter of Hugo and Elizabeth Freer, and had two children: Sarah M. (b. 1854) and Jane E. (b. 1856). Moses later married second Lana C. Sax (1823-1866) and third, Mary M. Perkins (1836-1875). Moses Hasbrouck died on September 12, 1886 and is buried in Saugerties, New York.

Collection Description 

The papers primarily reflect the real estate and economic transactions of Wilhelmus Hasbrouck, Moses Hasbrouck, and Sarah M. (Freer) Hasbrouck, Johannes Freer, and Simon Deyo in the towns of New Paltz, Hurley and Saugerties in Ulster County, New York. Records include receipts, deeds, mortgages, notes, bonds, wills, family records, maps, and photographs from the Freer, Hasbrouck and Deyo families of New Paltz, New York. Other names include Samuel Bevier, Johannes Blanshan, Almond Canfield, Moses Cantine, John B. Davis, Jacob DeWitt, Henrick Deyo, Johannes Deyo, Philip Deyo, Frederick de Zeng, Stephen Eckert, Roelof and Ezekiel Elting, Wilhelmus Emerick, Hugo Freer, David Freer, Joseph Gashiere, Abram Hasbrouck, Jacob Hasbrouck, Hans Kierstead, Peter LeFevre, Mary Leggett, Petrus Ostrander, William Peters, John E. Schoonmaker, Zacharius Slater, Garrit Van Keuren, George Wirtz, and Moses Yoeman.

Of note are several receipts of Johannis Freer in the Dutch language (1754-1775); receipt for the sale of a slave (1787); a document certifying that Moses Freer has received standard equipment for his duty with Captain Brown's Light Company of Foot, dubbed the "Ulster Greys" (1833); will of Johannes Freer (1796) and a letter to Nicholas Sickles from William Cantine concerning a boundary dispute between Wilhelmus Hasbrouck and "Judge Hasbrouck" (1843). Also of particular interest are marriage certificates and family records of the Deyo, Freer and Hasbrouck families in the late nineteenth century, one of which includes photographs of Simon R. Deyo and Sarah M. Hasbrouck, who were married in 1877 at the Reformed Church of the Clove in High Falls. One document celebrating the birth of Elizabeth Hasbrouck in 1785 is somewhat unusual in that it contains a very decorative picture of birds and flowers in several colors.

Throughout the collection, the papers are incomprehensive and inconsistent. The majority of the papers date from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, although the collection is most comprehensive from 1753-1797. An item list with summaries of each document is also available upon request. The papers are arranged by type and thereunder by date. The papers are generally in fair to good condition, but some of the deeds show signs of damage such as tearing and foxing, and several of the marriage certificates and family records are quite dirty. The collection also contains the family Bible of Wilhelmus Hasbrouck (Bible #71), originally owned by Johannis Freer, which forms part of the Huguenot Historical Society Bible Collection. This Bible includes family records of the Wilhelmus Hasbrouck family. Transcriptions of the family records are available.

Folder/Item List 

View digitized collection on New York Heritage (or use folder links below)

Box 1

001.001 (folder) Estate and Legal Papers (1756, 1790 -1877)
001.002 (folder) Receipts (1754-1875 and undated)
001.003 (folder) Memorabilia (1785-1879) - Marriage certificates and Family records - oversize
001.004 (folder) Estate and Legal Papers (1753-1867) - oversize