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Jan Monfoort 1717-1777

Low Dutch Cemetery
lowdutchcemetary.jpg
Conewago, York County, PA

In the mid 1760's to 1770, many of the Dutch of Reading Township, New Jersey, moved further west to what is now York County, Pennsylvania.  Among them was Yda Monfoort Van Duyn and her husband, David.  They were soon followed by her siblings, Jan, Peter Jr, and Jacobus.  This new colony of Dutch and French Huguenots from New Jersey would be called Conewago with a Dutch Reform Church among the first buildings erected.  The Low Dutch Cemetery remains today, with a beautiful iron gate entry into the final resting place of many of the Dutch and Huguenot families. 
 
Jan Monfoort [ the family continues to use the Dutch spelling of the name at this point in their history.], was born about 1717 at Jamaica, Long Island.  He was listed as the second born child of Peter and Margrietje Haff Monfoort and married his cousin, Kniertje Marston about 1743 in New York.
 
Kniertje was born about 1716, baptized March 16, of that same year and the daughter of Frans and Maria Haff Marston.  Her mother, Maria, was a sister to Margrietje Haff Monfoort, daughters of Lourens and Kniertje Meet Haff. 
 
The couple would have 6 known children, all born and baptized in the Readington Church in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.  The children were 1. Peter who would marry Elizabeth Vannist, possibly a second wife, 2. Francis would marry Geertje/Charity Banta, 3. Grietje, 4. John who would marry Femmetje Nevius and second Sarah Van Arsdale, 5. Lawrence who would marry Elizabeth Cassat and a second time to Martha ?, and Maria who would marry Jacob Cassat.
 
Jan died in York County, Pennsylvania and is buried in the Dutch Cemetery at Conewago.  At the age of 60, he died on the 4th of May, 1777,  His wife, Kniertje had passed away on March 29 of the same year, at the age of 61 and is buried with him at the Low Dutch Cemetery.
 
 

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