[vooRHis] ANCESTRY OF ARCHIBALD LAMPMAN 107 



scholar and linguist producing such works as a list of all the writers 

 who had ever lived with their works, which he wrote in Hebrew, 

 Greek, and Latin, but he was also a great student of natural history 

 being especially fond of botany. Paul, the second of the brothers 

 mentioned above, was the father of Solomon (1559-1605) divinity pro- 

 fessor in the University of Wittenberg. Among the most noted 

 scholars in their day were Andrew Samuel (1690-1761), Jean Albert 

 (1695-1760) amd John Matthew (1691-1761), three brothers. The 

 18th century records of the Gesners contain names of many celebrated 

 physicians, naturalists, classics, and clergymen. 



Johan Hendrick Gesner (1681-1745), the progenitor of the 

 American and Canadian branches, when twenty-nine years old left 

 his home in Holland and with his wife Anne Elizabeth and infant 

 daughter Margaret came to London, whence he sailed by ship "Lyon" 

 arriving in New York June 10th, 1710. This was forty-nine years 

 after the village of New Amsterdam had passed from the control 

 of the New Netherlanders to that of the English, but it was still a 

 mere village and the interior of the colony was a wilderness inhabited 

 by Indians. Many of the original Dutch settlers had moved from 

 New York and had made settlements along the banks of the Hudson 

 river where they long retained their language and customs. One of 

 these settlements was Tappan about thirty miles north of New York 

 and here John Gesner made his home not far from the village of 

 Hackensack where he had acquaintances and friends. Settled upon 

 a comfortable estate of considerable size Gesner devoted himself to 

 the duties of his farm and grist-mill. In contrast to the conditions 

 prevailing in Upper Canada, pioneers in the Hudson valley always 

 had the advantage of a commercial centre at New York whereby 

 communication with Europe was maintained and comforts were 

 accessible. 



John Hendrick Gesner resided at Tappan until his death in 

 1745, a man of pious life, member of the Lutheran church, and re- 

 spected by his neighbours. A second child, whom he named John, 

 was born to him in 1724. No record has been found of any children 

 born between his daughter Margaret and John. By his will Gesner 

 left all his property to his wife Elizabeth for her lifetime and at her 

 death it passed to his son John. Provision was made for Gerittje 

 (Margaret) in the bequest of "one negro woman", for at that time 

 slavery was the prevailing custom. About 1740 Margaret had married 

 Jacob Valentine of Yonkers and her descendants to-day constitute a 

 well known family in New York. Her first child was named Johannes 

 and her second children were twins whom she called Anna and Mar- 



