Family tree van de Veer - Postma » Johannes (Joannes) Johannesz. Megapolensis (Van Mecklenburg) (1603-1670)

Personal data Johannes (Joannes) Johannesz. Megapolensis (Van Mecklenburg) 

  • He was born in the year 1603 in Koedijk, Noord-Holland, Netherlands.
  • Emigrated in the year 1642, Nieuw Nederland Rensselaerswijck.
  • Immigrated in the year 1664 vanuit New York.
  • Occupations:
    • Minister.
    • about 1633 Schoolmeester in Slick (Wieringerwaard).
    • about 1637 Predikant in Schoorl en Bergen (afwisselend preekte).
    • Minister/predikant.
    • Prediker (Eerste predikant hier zonder kerk) in gemeente van het Slick.
  • (Anecdote) : About Domine Johannes MegapolensisJohannes, clergyman, born in Koedyck, Holland, in 1603; died in New York city, 14 January, 1670. The original form of the family name, Van Mecklenburg, was Hellenized into Megapolensis by his father, who was settled as a minister in Egmont-aan-ZeeBy 1630, he had married Machteld Willems Steengen. The marriage produced at least four children - all born in Europe.In 1642, he brought his family to New Netherland - first to New Amsterdam, and then to Rensselaerswyck and Fort Orange where he served until 1649. He doubled as a missionary to the Indians and preached in the Mohawk language. He produced A Short Account of the Mohawk Indians, their Country, Language, Figure, Costume, Religion, and Government, which was published in Amsterdam in 1651. He also has been credited with saving the life of the French missionary, Father Isaac Jogues.Although employed by the Van Rensselaers, he lived in "his own house" on the east side of the Hudson at Greenbush. He preached there until the Patroon's storehouse located near Fort Orange was adopted for use as a church.At the end of his mission, he re-located to New Amsterdam where he served as Dominie of the Dutch church. He was among those who counselled Governor Stuyvesant in the surrender of New Netherland to the English in 1664. Like many successful Dutch colonists, he subsequently took the oath of allegiance to the Duke of York.In 1668, he returned to Holland. But he soon came back to New York where Dominie Johannes Megapolensis, died in January 1670.He owned property at Nos 7,9, & 11 Broadwayhttp://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/d/e/e/Phillip-D-Deere/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0118.htmlIncludes NotesNotes for Evardus Bogardus:Some names are disguised in a Latin dress. The practice prevailed at the time of the emigration to our country of changing the names of those who had gone through the university and received a degree from plain Dutch into sonorous Roman. The names of all our early ministers were thus altered. Johannes or Jan Mecklenburg became Johannes Megapolensis; Evert Willemse Bogaert became Everardus Bogardus; Jan Doris Polheem became Johannes Theodorus Polhemius. The last was the founder of the Polhemus family of Brooklyn. The records here show that he was a minister at Meppel in the province of Drenthe, and in 1637 went as such to Brazil under the auspices of the West India Company, whence he went to Long Island. Samuel Dries, who by the way was an Englishman, but who graduated at Leyden, was named Samuel Drisius. It may, therefore, be set down as a general rule that the names of Dutch families ending in us have thus been Latinized. Somerset County Historical Quarterly Vol VIIJohannes Megapolensis by Stefan BielinskiAccording to traditional sources, Johannes Megapolensis was born in North Holland 1603. He was the son of Dominie Johannes Megapolensis - thus making him Johannes "Jr." as he was sometimes known.By 1630, he had married Mathilde Willems. The marriage produced at least four children - all born in Europe.In 1642, he brought his family to New Netherland - first to New Amsterdam, and then to Rensselaerswyck and Fort Orange where he served until 1649. He doubled as a missionary to the Indians and preached in the Mohawk language. He produced A Short Account of the Mohawk Indians, their Country, Language, Figure, Costume, Religion, and Government, which was published in Amsterdam in 1651. He also has been credited with saving the life of the French missionary, Father Isaac Jogues.Although employed by the Van Rensselaers, he lived in "his own house" on the east side of the Hudson at Greenbush. He preached there until the Patroon's storehouse located near Fort Orange was adopted for use as a church.At the end of his mission, he re-located to New Amsterdam where he served as Dominie of the Dutch church. He was among those who counselled Governor Stuyvesant in the surrender of New Netherland to the English in 1664. Like many successful Dutch colonists, he subsequently took the oath of allegiance to the Duke of York.In 1668, he returned to Holland. But he soon came back to New York where Dominie Johannes Megapolensis, Jr. died in January 1670.http://www.ngv.nl/genealogie/getperson.php?personID=I10094&tree=G080105 zoon van een dominee in Egmond aan Zee die de familienaam Van Mecklenburg liet wijzigen in Megapolensis; Johannes kwam in 1643 met gezin in Nieuw Nederland als predikant en dominee van de Nederlands Hervormde Gemeente, eerst in Fort Oranje (salaris 1000 gulden) en vanaf 1649 in Nieuw Amsterdam (salaris 1200 gulden); hij leerde de Mohawk taal en predikte onder de indianen; hij bleef aldaar ook na de overgave aan de Engelsen en legde in 1664 de eed van trouw af aan de Engelse Koning..
  • (Anecdote) .
  • (Anecdote) .
  • (Anecdote) .
  • He died on January 14, 1670 in New Amsterdam, Verenigde Staten, he was 67 years old.
  • He is buried on January 14, 1670.
  • A child of Johannes Megapolensis (Van Mecklenburg)

Household of Johannes (Joannes) Johannesz. Megapolensis (Van Mecklenburg)

He had a relationship with Magteld Willemsdr. Steengen.


Child(ren):


Do you have supplementary information, corrections or questions with regards to Johannes (Joannes) Johannesz. Megapolensis (Van Mecklenburg)?
The author of this publication would love to hear from you!


Timeline Johannes (Joannes) Johannesz. Megapolensis (Van Mecklenburg)

  This functionality is only available in Javascript supporting browsers.
Click on the names for more info. Symbols used: grootouders grandparents   ouders parents   broers-zussen brothers/sisters   kinderen children

Ancestors (and descendant) of Johannes (Joannes) Johannesz. Megapolensis (Van Mecklenburg)


With Quick Search you can search by name, first name followed by a last name. You type in a few letters (at least 3) and a list of personal names within this publication will immediately appear. The more characters you enter the more specific the results. Click on a person's name to go to that person's page.

  • You can enter text in lowercase or uppercase.
  • If you are not sure about the first name or exact spelling, you can use an asterisk (*). Example: "*ornelis de b*r" finds both "cornelis de boer" and "kornelis de buur".
  • It is not possible to enter charachters outside the standard alphabet (so no diacritic characters like ö and é).



Visualize another relationship

The data shown has no sources.

Historical events

  •  This page is only available in Dutch.
    Van 1650 tot 1672 kende Nederland (ookwel Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden) zijn Eerste Stadhouderloze Tijdperk.
  • In the year 1670: Source: Wikipedia
    • January 18 » Henry Morgan captures Panama.
    • May 2 » King Charles II of England grants a permanent charter to the Hudson's Bay Company to open up the fur trade in North America.
    • June 1 » In Dover, England, Charles II of England and Louis XIV of France sign the Secret Treaty of Dover, which will force England into the Third Anglo-Dutch War.
    • June 15 » The first stone of Fort Ricasoli is laid down in Malta.
    • December 31 » The expedition of John Narborough leaves Corral Bay having surveyed the coast and lost four hostages to the Spanish.


Same birth/death day

Source: Wikipedia


About the surname Megapolensis (Van Mecklenburg)


When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin:
Olga D. van de Veer, "Family tree van de Veer - Postma", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/stamboom-postma/I502342.php : accessed February 5, 2026), "Johannes (Joannes) Johannesz. Megapolensis (Van Mecklenburg) (1603-1670)".