Teunis Janszentje Covert

Immigrant from Holland 1651 to New Amsterdam/New York

The Covert Surname:
According to the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (see Covert Family History, NY G&B Record), regarding the name in early New York and New Jersey families:

"The derivation of the surname Covert seems to be uncertain; and four Dutchmen (familiar with the origin of names) have furnished no solution. Possibly it came from Coevorden, or Koevorde, a fortified town in the Province of Drenthe, Holland, 23 miles SSE of AAsen. This town-name form has not been seen in connection with Theunis', whose surname is variably recorded as Coevors, Coevers, Converts, Etc; but has been seen in two instances connected with his alleged children. These are:

• (a) in the record of marriage of Aeltje, where she appears as "Aeltje Theunis Van Couverden".[N.Y. Du. Ch. Rec - NYG&B Soc. Coll., 1890, p. 45]; and
• (b) in Snell's Hist. of Hunterdon and Somerset Cos., NJ, p. 561, and Messler's Hist. of Somerset Co., p.34, where the authors say that among the heads of families who came from Long Island to New Jersey was "Jan Hans Coeverden."
  The next nearest form is in the deed from "Abraham Covert" to his brother "Isaac Coverd." In olden times, spelling was very variable."

From Somerset County Genealogical Quarterly; Vol 8; No. 3; September 1991 (See source [W1] below: TEUNIS JANSZEN, the progenitor of the COVERT family of America, did not assume a surname designating his European origins. According to his own testimony, he came to America in 1651. It was not until 10 years later that he began using the last name Coevors.

The research on this family, as it has come to us, indicates that the earliest known ancestor was possibly a Frenchman, Pierre Couvert. The French word "couvert" today means "cover" or "shelter"; as a surname this could refer to some aspect of the family residence.

	Date	Location	Notes	Sources
Birth	estimate ~ 1620	Heemstedt, N Holland
Marriage	~Dec 1645	Swaegh, Province of Noordt Hollandt, Holland	To Barbara Lucas Van Kessel
Death	~1692/98

Ancestry chart segment

     Generation 10             Generation 11                        Generation 12                Generation 13
                                                                                             +-- Pieter (Pierre) Couvert
                                                                                             |   (~1570-????)     
                                                                +-- Jans Pietersen Couvert --+ 
                                                                |   (1599-1670)              |
                           +-- Teunis Janszentje Covert --------+                            +-- Sarah Lucas
                           |   (1625-1697/98)                   |                                   (~1600)
                           |                                    +-- Unknown
 +-- Hans Teunise Covert --+
 |   (1657/58-1719)        |                                    +-- Lucas Van Kessel
 |                         |                                    |
 |                         +-- Barbara Lucas Van Kessel --+
 |                             (1631-????)                      |
 +                                                              +--  Unknown
 |                                                               
 |                          +-- Bourgon Broucard  
 |                          |                                    
 +-- Jannetje Brokaw -------+
     1667 - ????)           |
                            +-- Catherine LeFevre
                      
                    
                                 
Sources: 

Children

(children with Barbara Lucas Van Kessel)

Name	Gender	Date of Birth	Birthplace	Spouse	Notes	Sources
Lucas Covert	M	bap. 24 Feb 1647	Heemstede Holland	m. 27 Aug 1682 to Barbara Sprong bp 27 July 1661 RDC New Amsterdam; d. > 1737; dau. Johannes Spronck & Annetje Sedalers/Sylers.	died betw.9 Apr 1699 & 15 Aug 1704
Jannetje Covert	F	bap.29 Mar 1648	Heemstede Holland	Jan Hansen Bergen OR Titus Syrach deVries m. ~1662
Aechje Covert	F	bp. 19 Sep 1649	Heemstede Holland	m. ~ 1673 or 1678 Dirck Paulszen Hoff, son of Paulus Dircksen & Geirtje Williamse
Sara Covert	F	bp. 20 Apr 1653	New Amsterdam	m. 7 Apr 1680 to Arent Fredrickszen Blom	d. ~1689
Marritje Covert	F	bp. 20 Dec 1654	New Amsterdam	m. 26 Nov 1782 Jean Mesurolle; d. ~1712; son of Jean Meserole & Jenne Carten.
Hans (Jan) Teunnise Covert	M	b. 1657/8	Brooklyn NY	m. Jannetje Brokaw dau. of Bourgon Brouccard & Catherine LeFevre.
Aeltje Covert	F	b. ~1658	Brooklyn NY	m. 18 May 1679 to Willem Post bp 28 June 1652 New Amsterdam; d. ~Apr.1703 Long Island NY; son of Lodewyck Cornelisen Post & Agnieje Bonen
Annetje Covert	F	bp. 28 Aug 1661	Brooklyn NY	m. 16 Aug 1687 Gerret Sprong bp. 2 Sep 1663; son of Johannes Sprong & Annetje Sodelaer	d. ~1698
Maurits Covert	M	bp. 5 Dec 1663	Brooklyn NY	m. 1 Apr 1690 Antie Fontyn bp. 16 July 1662 DRC Flatbush NY; d. ~1726; dau. of Carel Fonteyn & Catherine de Balie	d. ~ 1698 Bushwick NY

Places of Residence

Location	Dates	Notes	Sources
Heemstedt, Holland	b. est. 1620
New Amsterdam/	1651
Bedford Long Island (Brooklyn)

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of original
1	The New York Genealogical and Biological Record, published by the New York Genealogical & Biogrphical Society, 226 West 58th Street, New York. Vol. XXXVII, 1906. Three sections of continued Covert family history begin on pages 117, 197, and 267. See: http://www.archive.org/stream/newyorkgenealogi83newy/newyorkgenealogi83newy_djvu.txt	See complete text at Covert Family History, NY G&B Record
2	Notes of Robert Covert(deceased), Port Charlotte FL, 1996, posted online at: http://www.open.org/rumcd/d0001/g0000014.htm Note: Nov 2008 this site address no longer functional. These notes, copied Jan 2008, were posted as part of a Covert family tree, owner not recorded. Records of Dutch Ref. Ch. of Brooklyn: "Bragon Covert was baptized 29 Mar 1696. Parents were Hans Coevers & Jannitje; witnesses were Ysaac Brokaer & Marritje Coevers. (Hol. Soc. Yr. Bk. 1897, p. 170). The owner of this family tree lists Bragon Covert's mother as Jannetje Brokaw, & her parents as Bourgon Broucard and Catherine LeFevre; Bragon Covert's father as Jan Teunise Covert, & his parents as Tuenis Janssen Covert & Barbara Lucas Van Kessel; maternal grandfather as Lucas Van Kessel.
3	Bassett's Notes on Coverts, ed. by Leslie A. Bryan 1957; copy at MN Hist. Soc. Library, St. Paul MN extracted 2008 by Elizabeth Wilson Williams> Derivation of Covert name; probably French Huguenot Teunis Janse Covert & wife Barbara Lucas immigrated 1651 from Heemstede, North Holland. Their 8 children included Hans (John) Teunnise Covert, born in Brooklyn, married Jannetie/Jannitze Brokaw. Eight children of Hans Teunnise Covert & Jannitze Brokaw included Bragon Covert, bapt. in Brooklyn, m. Anna Slover of Fordham Manor. Their 8 children included Lucas Covert, bapt. at Somerville, married Cornelia Van Zandt.
4	"Covert Ancestry" compiled by Edson Salisbury Jones, contributed by Byron Barnes Horton, Sheffield PA, Edition of 50 copies. Reprinted from the New York Gen. & Biogr. Record,1906, N.Y.; printed by Tobias A. Wright, 1906. Copy at MN Hist. Soc. Library, St. Paul, MN viewed 2008 by Elizabeth Wilson Williams; slim paperback of maybe 20 pages, brittle, pages loose from binding. Extract: Derivation of Covert surname: possibly from Coevorden or Koevorde, fortified town in Province of Drenthe, Holland SSE of Assen. This town-name form has not been seen in connection with: "Theunis, whose surname is variably recorded as Coevors, Coevers, Couverts, etc.; but has been seen in two instances connected with his alleged children. These are (a) in record of marriage of Aeltje, where she appears as "Aeltje Theunis Van Couverden" (N.Y. Du. Ch. Rec. - NYG&B Soc. Co.., 1890, p. 45); and (b) in Snell's Hist of Hunterdon and Somerset Cos., N.J. p. 561, and Messler's Hist. of Somerset Co., p. 34 where the authors say that among the heads of families who came from Long Island to N.J. was "Jan Hans Coeverden." The next nearest form is in the deed from "Abraham Coverd" to his brother "Isaac Coverd." Note that wives of Dutchmen were usually spoken of and recorded by their maiden names." "Bergen's "Early Settlers of Kings Co., N.Y." treats the Covert family the most extensively of any work seen. Of Theunis and his family, he says: Teunis Janse (Covert) emigrated 1651 from Heemstede; m. Barbara Lucas or Janse; Hans Teunise (Covert) m. Jannetje Boka (Bragow). In records of Ref. Du. Ch. of NY before 1660; and Holland Society Year Book 1879 p. 133: wife as Barbara Jans appears only once; wife as Barbara Lucas found several times on the church record; no marriage record found; uncertain that the two women were identical. son Hans/Jan Teunis (Covert) m. Jannetje, dau. of Bragoon Braghar or (Bourgen/Broecord/Broeckaert). Bragon b. 1696 (son of Hans Coevers & Jannetje Coevers) (Hol. Soc. Year-Book 1897) Will of "Jan Kuvers" of Millstone, Somerset Co., NJ dated 2 May 1719 & proved 13 Apr 1723, names wife Jane; sons Tunis (eldest), Bergon and Lucas (youngest); daus. Catherine Bird, Orinchy Courser (baptised "Arientje"); Jane, Marry & Bathseba. Signed "Jan Koevers". Rev. E. T. Corwin's "Historical Discourse on the Occasion of the Centennial Anniversary of the Reformed Dutch Church of Millstone" (NJ) refers to the purchase of 2,000 acres on the banks of Millstone River by "John Covers and John Brocars", p. 25.

DISCLAIMER: USE OF UNDOCUMENTED WEB SOURCES Some of the information on this page was found on websites presented by researchers who have either not listed their sources or employ the circular logic of citing additional undocumented websites. These web site sources are listed separately below, in a table following our standard source table. The attribution number for these web sources is preceded by a "W". We frequently find conflicting information on the web family trees. We offer the un-sourced information on this page as a starting point for further research only, and discourage its inclusion on additional posted websites or in other reproduced material without either further documentation or a disclaimer.

Web Sources - Documentation Not Given

Ref. Num.	Description	Extract
W1	Descendants of Teunis Janzsen Covert at http://www.angelfire.com/ny/chickened/covertfamily.html Or home page:http://www.angelfire.com/ny/chickened/ Per this site, Teunis Janszen (Covert) did not initially use a surname. According to his own testimony, he arrived in America in 1651. Only ten years later he began using the surname Coevors. Of his four known children who were born in Holland, the marriage of only one is of record in America. The betrothal of Lucas Teunisz Coevers, "young man from Heemstede in Holland" is recorded by the Reformed Dutch Church of Flatbush on 6 Aug 1682. A subsequent search of the Heemstede church records produced the baptismal records of Teunis' first four children. The Book of Marriages had this entry: "Teunis Janszen, young man from Lommel, living at Heemstede with Barbara Lucas van Kessel, young dame from Hoorn, living at Amsterdam, were married at Swaegh, a village outside of Hoorn". This entry was made presumably Dec 1645. The Covert family may thus be chronicled as: Teunis Janszen Covert born about 1620 at Lommel, province of Brabandt, Holland; married about Dec 1645 at Swaegh, province of Noordt Hollandt, Holland, to Barbara Lucas Van Kessel, born about 1625 at Hoorn, Province of Noordt Hollandt, Holland, the daughter of Lucas van Kessel. "Covert Genealogy" by Fischer, Covert & Patterson, 1989, has death date for Teunis as about 1692/98 Brooklyn NY; death date for Barbara as after 29 Apr 1700. They emigrated to New Amsterdam in 1651 to Bedford, Long Island where he became a magistrate. This site quotes: W1-A COVERT GENEALOGY; Fischer, Covert, Patterson; 1989; has date of death for Teunis as about 1692/8 Brooklyn NY; date of death for Barbara as after 29 Apr 1700. They emigrated to New Amsterdam in 1651, later to Bedford LI where he became a magistrate. Website W1 lists 9 children of Teunis Janzsen Covert & Barbara Lucas Van Kessel, including: Jan, bp 15 Jan 1651 Heemstede Holland; died before 1720 Millstone NJ; married about 1689 Jannetje Brokaw bp 17 Nov 1667 Mannheim Germany; died about 1722; daughter of Bourgon Brouccard & Catherine LeFevre. Jan left will dated 2 May 1719; proved 13 Apr 1723. Website lists nine generations of descendants.
W2	The Covert Family of Lancaster N.Y., owner Robert Thornton Covert, on Genealogy.com at http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/o/v/Robert-T-Covert/ODT1-0001.html See pg. 1 for Theunis Janzsen Covert & Barbara Lucas Van Kessel. We have listed their information regarding our direct line ancestors at Excerpt - Descendants of Theunis Janzsen Covert.
W3	Newell, Popper, Budinsky, Stanley, Guyon, Moatti, Bitoun, Le Baut Website on Rootsweb.com, owner J.K. Loren; see at: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=lorenfamily&id=I51525 Jan (Jean) Pietersen Couvert/Jans Pieterzsen Coovard b.1599 in Noord Holland, The Netherlands; d. 1670 in Holland, The Netherlands. Child: Teunis Janse Covert b: ~1625 in Heemstede, The Netherlands. Parents of Jan Pietersen Couvert: Pieter (Pierre) COUVERT b: ABT 1570 in Noord Holland, The Netherlands, wife Sarah Lucas b. ~1600. No sources given.
W4	My Family Website on Rootsweb.com, owner Debbie Harrison; see at: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:2424533&id=I519050993 For extract of data on our direct line, see "My Family" by Debbie Harrison on Rootsweb.com. No sources given. Teunise Janszentje COVERT (b. 1625 in Lommel, Holland; d. 13 Mar 1697/98) married to Barbara Janse Lucas VAN KESSEL (b.1631; d. 29 Apr 1700) daughter of Lucas Van Kessel (b.Abt. 1600 in Hoorn, Holland). 10 Children of Teunise Janszentje Covert & Barbara Janse Lucas Van Kessel: 1. Hans Teunise COVERT b: 15 Jan 1657/58 in Heemstedt, N Holland (descendants listed) 2. Lucas COVERT b: 24 Feb 1646/47 in Heemstedt, N Holland 3. Jannetje COVERT b: 29 Mar 1648 in Heemstedt, N Holland 4. Aechthje COVERT b: 19 Sep 1649 in Heemstedt, N Holland 5. Agatha COVERT b: Abt. 1652 in Brooklyn, N Y 6. Sarah COVERT b: 20 Apr 1653 in Brooklyn, N Y 7. Marretje COVERT b: 20 Apr 1654 in Brooklyn, N Y 8. Annetje COVERT b: 28 Aug 1661 in Brooklyn, N Y 9. Aeltje COVERT b: Abt. 1662 in Brooklyn, N Y 10. Marritsz COVERT b: 5 Dec 1663 in Brooklyn, N Y

Source notes

• Sources [W1] and [2] disagree on date of birth of son Hans Teunise Covert, and whether born in Holland or Brooklyn; We believe he was born in Brooklyn, as his father left Holland in 1651.