Dutch Reformed Church: New Utrecht, Long Island and Minaville, Montgomery County

So far, in my research of the DeGroff line descending from Isaac De Groff/DeGraff/ De Groof of Minaville, Montgomery County, New York, has taken me through records of two Dutch Reformed Churches.   I thought I'd pause, and review the history of these churches.

The Dutch Reformed Church was born in the Netherlands, in about 1570, during the Protestant Reformation.  Wikipedia says the church "grew out of " the Roman Catholic Church.  The church was here in the colonies, beginning in New Amsterdam (now New York City) in 1628.  Presidents Martin Van Buren and Theodore Roosevelt were associated with the Dutch Reformed Church.

So far, the oldest church where I find evidence of our De Groff roots is The Reformed Dutch Church of New Utrecht, now in Brooklyn, New York.

The Reformed Dutch Church of New Utrecht was organized in 1677; the first church building was built in 1700.  During the Revolutionary War, the building was occupied by the British who used it as a hospital.     A new building was built in 1828.  The Cemetery is still there; reviewing transcriptions of tombstones turned up only one De Groff - Abraham who could have been a cousin/sibling of Isaac Senior - but no other possible direct family members.

The Reformed Dutch Church of New Utrecht remains a part of Brooklyn's community - on 18th Avenue - between 83rd and 84th streets. I hope some day to visit and pay my respects.

I was sent to Long Island to research the DeGroff family because of Isaac De Groff Jr's response to his 1860 Census taker - Isaac Jr responded to the question about his place of birth by saying "Long Island."  I deduced from this that perhaps Isaac and his father along with Isaac's sister Jane, had migrated to Montgomery County just after the American Revolution -   I surmised that time period because I was not able to find Isaac De Groff in Florida census until 1800.

I did find an Isaac De Groff household in New Utrecht, Long Island, New York, in 1790.  Further, I found documentation among the papers of the Reformed Dutch Church of New Utrecht of baptisms of Johannes De Groff (Isaac Jr's brother) in 1790 and  Jane (Isaac Jr's sister Jane Barkhuff) in 1793.  Their parents are given as Isaak De Groof and Jannetie Christenden.   This information provides evidence of Isaac Sr.'s first wife (if my theory is sound). Maddeningly, I do not find any record of Isaac Jr being baptized.  I have suggested to Tom that this is early evidence of his god-less soul and he was pleased to hear this suggestion.  

These records do not provide any further mention of Isaak / Isaac or his wife - as I have not found the name De Groof listed among early settlers of Long Island, I am starting to wonder if either, this family moved to Long Island from New York City OR immigrated directly to Long Island just before the American Revolution.   I do find reference to a Wyntie (or Lavinai) De Groof -  married to Christopher Stillwell, with sons Johannes and Isaac and I am tagging her as a possible sister of Isaac Sr. for two reasons - the names and dates match up and De Groff Sr had a daughter Lavinia.

The second Reformed Dutch Church I have found helpful in my research is The Reformed Church of Florida,  in Minaville, Montgomery County, New York began in 1806.  Prior to this, according to their records, worship was at the Reformed Church of Duanesburg (1798-1804). Elders of the church are names that are appearing throughout my research of the Florida De Groffs - Servoss, Covenhoven, and Staley.

Several key moments in the De Groff family life happened in this church and are documented in their records:

John Fuller and Rebecca De Graff (daughter of Isaac Sr and Amy) baptized three of their children here: Amy (1841), James Leslie (1841), and Melissa (1857).

Margaret De Graff, (daughter of Isaac Sr and Amy)  married David Servoss in 1840.

Garrett Staley DeGroff and Elsie Mickle baptized: Rachel (1897), William (1898) and Garrett Seymour (1900) - Tom's great grand father.