
Swits was killed in 1641 (he was the first generation). He was killed is what was know as "Turtle Bay" or Dutch "Spuyten Duvel Creek". I found this in a book published in 1866 and it is located under the picture link on the home page..
Descendants of Claes Cornelisson Switz
1 Claes Cornelisson
Switz 1590 - 1641 +Arientie
2 Cornelisen Switz 1614 - 1655 +Adrianna Trommels
3 Appolina Cornelis Switz 1648 - +Jan Thomaszen 1641 -
4 Thomas Eckerson 1668/69 -+Elizabeth Slingerland
Descendants of Claes Cornelisson Switz
Generation No. 1
1. CLAES CORNELISSON1 SWITZ was born 1590, and died 1641 in Manhattan,
Turtle Bay, NYC. NY. He married ARIENTIE.
Notes for CLAES CORNELISSON SWITZ: From the book, "The Epic of New York City"
by Robb Ellis, page 37, it says One summer day in 1641 a wheelwright, named
Claes Smit(Switz or Swits), was busy in his lonely house on the East River far
above New Amsterdam at what is now West Forty-fifth Street. An Indian appeared
and asked to buy a piece of coarse cloth. When the unsuspecting Dutchman turned
to get it, the redskin seized an ax and killed him. The murderer was the same
Indian who, as a lad of twelve, had seen his uncle killed by Dutchmen near the
Collect. Sixteen years later, a grown man, he got his revenge." In Rikers "The
History of Harlem" page 132 it says, Claes Cornelissen Swits' earlier history
is little known. Captain DeVries in noting the circumstances of his death, styles
him a Duytsman, by which term the Hollanders of that day meant a German. But
his true nationality is clearly indicated by the adjunct to his name, which
when used is commonly written Switz or Switzer , and so we may accept the tradition
held by his descendants that he was a Swiss. He and his family had sojourned
in the Island Of Schouwen, and thence came to Amsterdam, boarding with other
Germans at Peter DeWinters's inn before embarking for this country. He had been
here now some five years being advanced in life, and on a chosen spot at Turtle
Bay on the East River, "had built a small house and set up the trade of a wheelwright."
With a still vigorous manhood, some education and means, and a fair business
tact, Claes Rademaaker or Claes the Wheelmaker, as from his occupation he was
familiarly called proved "a very useful man," given to his enterprises outside
of his regular calling, assisted probably by his sons Cornelis and Adrian as
he was by Alteras at the Otter-spoor. All this made his tragic death some years
later the more regretted. He was killed by an Indian, and, strangely enough,
his son Cornelis, from whom the present Swits family are descended, met with
a similar fate at Harlem, as will be further noted." on page 138 it says, "The
next year, 1641, brought retaliation from the Raritans, who on September 1st,
swept off the settlers upon Staten Island, while Manhattan Island was already
smarting under the first stroke of savage vengeance. A Wickquaskeek who from
boyhood had harbored a grudge against the Dutch, because at the time, three
of Director Minuit's men had slain his uncle and stolen his beavers, could no
longer restrain his thirst for revenge. On a day in midsummer he entered the
house of Claes Swits, at Turtle Bay,"on the road over which the Indians from
Wickquaskeek passed daily." Assuming a friendly air, and being known to Swits,
for whose son he had worked, he was "well received and supplied with food."
Then he wanted to trade some furs for duffels; but while the unsuspecting old
man was bending over the chest in which his cloth was kept, the savage, with
an axe that lay near, struck him upon the neck, when "he fell down dead by the
chest." He then stole all the goods and fled into the forest. This cruel murder,
at their very doors, aroused the authorities, and a yacht was sent to Wickquaskeek,
to demand satisfaction from the sachem. He not only refused, but justified the
act. "He wished twenty Swannekins(i.e.Dutchmen) had been murdered." Because
of the time of year Kieft and his citizens delayed an immediate war to avenge
Swits murder. On page 161 there is reference to Claes son, see Cornelisen Swits
notes.
Child of CLAES SWITZ and
ARIENTIE is:
2. i. CORNELISEN2 SWITZ, b. 1614; d. September 15, 1655, Harlem Property,
NYC, NY.
Generation No. 2
2. CORNELISEN2 SWITZ (CLAES CORNELISSON1) was born 1614, and died September
15, 1655 in Harlem Property, NYC, NY. He married ADRIANNA TROMMELS, daughter
of CORNELIS TROMMELS.
Notes for CORNELISEN SWITZ: In Rikers "History of Harlem" page 161 it says
"Very early one morning, September 15th, 1655, sixty-four canoes of armed savages
landed on the beach at New Amsterdam, and before scarcely anyone had risen,
scattered about the town and began to break into the houses for plunder. All
was alarm and confusion, and to make matters worse, Stuyvesant was absent, having
departed on an expedition to the Delaware a few days before taking with him
most of the garrison. The members of the council finally prevailed with the
chiefs and their people to withdraw from the city, but at evening they returned,
and a skirmish took place between them and the Dutch soldiers, blood flowing
on both sides. The now enraged Indians departed but on that doleful night began
a horrible slaughter of settlers, full fifty of whom fell within three days,
while over a hundred, mostly women and children, were carried into captivity.
Hordes of armed savages, thirsting for blood, swept over these Flats and devastating
their bouweries. Cornelis Claessen Swits, whose father, as we have seen, had
been killed by an Indian, now owned the farm on the Flats originally granted
to Isaac DeForest, but which Swits had purchased from Beeckman, March 10th,
1653, selling the latter in exchange his plantation near Curler's Hook, later
known as Delancey Farms. Since his good vrouw, Adrianna, had lost her father
Cornelis Trommels, of Rengerskerk, a quiet hamlet in the Island of Schouwen,
what changes she had experienced! Left an orphan to the care of a guardian at
Brouwershaven, she had, after other vicissitudes, found a home on these beautiful
but solitary plains, Having since her arrival here inherited some property from
an aunt in Zeelan. She was now the mother of five children between the ages
of three and fifteen years. Swits had built a house, and labored hard upon his
farm from fifty morgen, in clearing the land, etc. hoping by patient industry
to cancel a debt of seven hundred guilders due the West India Company for commodities
advanced to him. ...Both Swits and (his good friend) Teunissen were massacred,
their goods plundered or burned, and their terrified wives and little ones captured
and hurried away to their Indian haunts in the forest.....this scene was enacted
over and over... The Indians had threatened to "root out the Dutch" ...nor did
the they spare the English....In a few days the Indians having glutted their
revenge, and willing to get the captives off their hands, made overtures which
resulted in the ransom, during the month of October...but not the families of
Teunissen and Swits... (it was many months before Adrianna and her children
were released from captivity. Because of their long absence they eventually
lost title to the land they worked so hard for, even though they tried to get
the property back for years up until 1664). On page 168 there is a footnote
and family list on what happened to the descendants of Cornelis Swits.
Child of CORNELISEN SWITZ
and ADRIANNA TROMMELS is:
3. i. APPOLINA CORNELIS3 SWITZ, b. October 25, 1648; d. not known.
Generation No. 3
3. APPOLINA CORNELIS3 SWITZ (CORNELISEN2, CLAES CORNELISSON1) was born
October 25, 1648, and died in not known. She married JAN THOMASZEN November
08, 1665 in Reformed Dutch Ch. NYC Collegiate Ch., son of THOMAS HUGESSON and
SARA BRAUT. He was born 1641 in BP Dec 1, 1644 NY Reformed Dutch Church.
Notes for APPOLINA CORNELIS SWITZ: Last evidence for Apollonia was as baptismal
witness for Antje DeVries, her granddaughter, on July 13, 1713(NYDC 2:368).
Notes for JAN THOMASZEN: Last evidence found for Jan was as a baptismal witness
for Jan and Apolonia Heermans, twin children of his daughter Margariet, on May
2, 1706.
Child of APPOLINA SWITZ
and JAN THOMASZEN is:
i. THOMAS4 ECKERSON, b. January 27, 1668/69, BP at New York Reformed Dutch Church;
d. not known; m. ELIZABETH SLINGERLAND, November 11, 1700, Reformed Dutch N.Y.C.Collegiate
Church.
Notes for THOMAS ECKERSON: There is a page in the Ray Eckerson Genealogy
of 1939 "Eckerson Family" that tells about this Thomas Eckerson. "Thomas Eckerson
was in New York City as a resident as late as October 1704, when he was a constable
in the Bowery Ward. At about that time he owned some thirteen acres and a large
brick house at south east corner of the Bowery and Houston Street. The N.Y.
Census of 1703 shows Thomas Eckerson as being a householder. The children of
Thomas and Elizabeth Slingerland Eckerson were: Jan bp. Sep 27, 1701 Anatia
bp. Dec.16, 1702 Apollinia bp. Nov 22, 1704 Teunis Bp. May 14, 1707 (above children
born in New York) The family may have moved from New York City about 1710. About
1720, or soon after we find them out in the Schoharie Valley. They were among
the first members and officers in the Schoharie Dutch Reformed Church, this
Church having been founded a few years before 1730. (We do not know where this
information was obtained. But maybe in 1939 Ray Eckerson had access to records
that have since perished or have been lost--Kathy Albaum) Joined the Schoharie
Reformed Church on Jan.3, 1730(NYGB 29:243). Last evidence of Thomas and Elizabeth
was as baptismal witnesses for Elisabeth Eckerson, their granddaughter, on Oct.15,
1735 at the Schoharie Dutch Reformed Church.(Scho#45).