The Dutch Ancestry of Jurckse

It has taken many years of patience and persevering research by persons in the New York area to trace the Jurckse family back to Paulus Jurcksen prior to Abraham, the fourth generation.

Most Dutch family names were changed with each generation; frequently, with many and various spellings. Also, if they moved from one location to another, the name was often changed. When the name was changed from Dutch to English, the Dutch “J” became a “Y” in English, as the Dutch “J” or “TJ” has the same sound as the English “Y.” In Westchester County, New Netherland, now New York State, where many of the Yerxa ancestors lived, the various spellings found include: Jurckse, Jurks, Yerkes, Yorkse, Yourx, Durkse, Jurckzen, Yurksea. As yet the Yerxa links in the Netherlands have not been verified extensively, although it is felt that the Jurckses had their “roots” in Fresia - probably the western part.

Darlene Yerxa visited Amsterdam in 1980 and picked up possible sources of additional information in the following address: Westfriese, Geneenten, Nieuwesteen I Post Bus 603, 1620 AR Hoorn 02-2090-31234.

Johannes Jurckse or Yerkes came to Nova Scotia in 1783. The following year the Province became separated from Nova Scotia and became New Brunswick in 1784. The spelling of his name at that time became Yerxa.

The first mention of Yerxa in the New World was in 1657 when Poulus Jurcksen was mentioned in court minutes of Fort Orange NY.

From Court Minutes of Fort Orange and Beaverwyck by Van Laer, Vol. 2:

Page 178

• March 18, 1657 at Fort Orange
• Poulus Jurcksen, plaintiff against
• Cobus Teunissen, defendant

Page 43

• June 11, 1657 Fort Orange and village of Beverwyck
• Egbertjen, wife of Teunis, the mason, plaintiff, against
• Jan Gouw and Poulus Jurcksen, defendants

• Michael Rombouts, plaintiff, against
• Poulus Jurcksen, defendant

Page 49

• Fort Orange June 22 Anno 1657
• Michiel Rombouts, plaintiff, against
• Poulus Jurcksen, defendant.
• The plaintiff demands payment of three beavers.
• The defendant admits the debt and promises to pay it within the space of eight days.
• The court orders the defendant to pay according to his promise.

Page 62

• Fort Orange July 28, 1657
• Harmen Jacobsen, plaintiff, against
• Abraham Vosburch, William Hofmeyer, Marten, the mason, Tjerck Claesen, Hendrerick Gerritsen, Stoffel Davids, Claes Ripsen, Claes Janssen, Poulus Jurckez, Peter Meesen, defendants

Page 70

• Fort Orange Aug 20, 1657
• Mr. van Hamel, plaintiff against
• Poulus Jurcksen, defendant
• The plaintiff demands payment of L 18.
• The defendant denies the debt.
• The parties having been heard, the court dismisses the plaintiff’s complaint.

From Early Records of Albany/Notarial papers Vol 3, 1660-1696, edited by N Van Laer, Albany, 1918

• 11 April 1673 at Albany, New York
• by me, Poulus Jurcksen & Albert Jansz Rycksen signed as witnesses the contract of a sale of a farm at Claverack between Jan Tyssen and Reyndert Adriaensen, both of whom made their mark ‘x’

From Minutes of the Court of Albany, Rensselaerswyck & Schenectady, 1675-1680 Vol 2

Item (48) Fort Albany Oct. 29, 1675

• The honorable court, having heard the parties on both sides and examined the testimony of Styntye Janse, wife of Paulus Jurricx from which it appears that she (the defendant) struck the said Geertruyt, they condemn her to pay the officer a fine of 50 gl. in seawan, cum expensis.

• [(in the index the spelling is Paulus (Jurricsen) Jurcksen)]

• (Seawan is another term for wampum)