Colonist Laurens Dey Banished for Selling Wife
Line of Descent from Early Bergen Co. NJ Settler
Aug 26, 2009
Genealogists first want to know the correct spelling of his name. It’s a take-your-pick situation. The given name is easy: Laurens can be translated as Lawrence. The various surnames attributed to him are a mixture of Danish, Dutch and English. They are Dye, Duyts, Duytszen and Duyksen. Laurens was also known as Laurens Bigshoe and Laurens Grootschoe. Family researchers may also find that the surname varies from generation to generation as it becomes more anglicized.
Laurens Dey was born in 1610 at Holstein, Denmark, son of Derick Dytszen, and in 1639 married Ytie Jansen and immigrated to New Amsterdam aboard the ship “deBrant van Trogan”, translated as Fire of Troy.
Laurens Dey Goes Astray
Laurens had an agreement with a friend of the ship’s captain by which he would lease land and clear it to cover the expenses of his passage. This apparently worked to everyone’s advantage and there is little mention of Dey, then a New Amsterdam resident, until he was brought before the Harlem court on morals charges.
The court found Laurens guilty of selling his wife, Ytie Jansen, and forcing her to live in adultery with another man, and of living in adultery himself. He was sentenced to have a rope tied around his neck and to be severely flogged, have his right ear cut off, and to be banished for fifty years. He went across the Hudson River to Bergen (now Jersey City), married Gritje Jansen in 1666, and died there in 1668. Bergen was part of the 17th century province of New Netherland.
Line of Descent from Laurens Dey
- Hans Laurensen Duyts was baptized at New Amsterdam in 1644 and died ca. 1706. Hans wed 1) Marritje Satyrs and 2) Sarah Vincent (d.1731), whose first husband was Anthony Fountain.
- John Lawrence Dye (1687-1750) was born at Staten Island and died in Middlesex Co., NJ. John married Annie Brown Moore.
- James Dye (ca. 1720-1764) was born at Staten Island, NY, and married Sarah Leach ca. 1744.
- Benjamin Dye was born in either New Jersey or Pennsylvania and died ca. 1788 in Pennsylvania. Benjamin married Sarah Elizabeth Lemley, who died ca. 1793 in Greene Township, PA.
- James Dye was born in 1784 at Dunkard Creek, Greene Co., PA, and died in 1854 in McDonough Co., IL. James m. 1) in 1803, Barbara Livengood (1783-1846) and 2) in 1847, Rebecca Brown (ca. 1823-1874).
- John Dye was born in 1804 at Dunkard Creek, PA, and died in 1872 at Bible Grove, Scotland Co., MO. John married 1) in 1827 in Morgan Co., OH, Nancy Archer (1810-1856), and 2) in 1857, at Memphis, MO, Martha Jane Harryman (1829-1908).
- Emeline Ann Amy Dye (1830-1896) married Simeon Miller Ballard (1810-1890) in 1851 in Scotland Co, MO; both died at Riverdale in Fresno Co., CA.
- Sarah Ann Ballard (1854-1944), a California native, died at Fresno. Sarah married in 1876 at Lathrop, CA, George French Williamson (1849-1919).
- Amy Ann Williamson (1879-1914) married Donald S. Esrey (1877-1921) in 1902 at Riverdale, CA.
- Amy Leah Esrey (1902-1972) was born in Riverdale, CA and died at Granger, UT. Amy married Homer Charles Ruff (1899-1964) in 1921.
- Amy Loraine Ruff was born in 1922 at Riverdale, CA and in a 1954 Las Vegas ceremony wed Raymond Piacentini. Amy was living in Fresno, CA, in 1988 when she forwarded the above lineage to this writer.
Male descendants of Laurens Dey who still bear the Dey surname are eligible for membership in the Holland Society of New York.
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