Cornelius Segerse Egmont [Van Egmont, Van Voorhout] (1599 - 1622) - my 9th Great Grandfather and his Family

[from pp. 27-54 of Schermerhorn Genealogy and Family Chronicles by Richard Schermerhorn, Jr. (New York: Tobias A. Wright, Publisher, 1914).]

Jannetie Egmont (Van Voorhout), wife of Jacob Janse Schermerhorn, was born in Holland in 1633. Her father, Cornelius Segerse Egmont,  made a contract with Patroon Van Rensselaer, August 25, 1643, and in this document he is referred to as Cornelise Segertse Van Egmont. He sailed for America in Sept., 1643, by "Het Wapen Van Rensselaerwyck," with his wife, Brechje Jacobsen, 45 years old, and 6 children. He was about 44 years of age. His children were Cornelis, 22; Claes, 20; Seger, 14; Lysbeth, 16; Jannetie, 10, and Neeltie, 8. He was engaged as a farmer and was one of the first farmers of consequence in Rensselaerwyck, nearly all of the others at this time being fur traders. He took up the farm formerly occupied by Brant Peelen, deceased, which was one of the two farms on Castle Island, near Albany. In 1646, he took over from Adrian Vanderdonck the other farm for the remaining 3 years of its lease, and thus came into possession of the entire island. In 1651, an inventory of the farm of Cornelis Segers showed that he was the owner of 13 horses and 22 cows, and that the farm contained 70 morgens, and the rent was 1210 guilders. This farm was called Welysburgh. From 1657 to 1660 Cornelis Segerse was the owner of a lot in Albany on the cast side of North Pearl Street, between Steuben Street and Maiden Lane. Another Cornelis Segerse, probably his grandson, was the owner, between 1667 and 1729, of a lot on the southeast corner of Columbia Street and Broadway, Albany, to the River Road. Dec. 10, 1660, Cornelis Segers conveyed to Gerrit Slichtenhorst a house and lot in Albany, probably the one above referred to.

In his will, dated Nov. 22, 1662, the signature appears as Cornelis Segersen Van Voorhout. At this time his wife was living and his son Claes Cornelissen is mentioned as deceased. His son Seger had died in the same year on June 24. His son Cornelis was mentioned in his will, his daughter Lysbeth, wife of Sr. F. Boon, his daughter Jannetie, wife of Jacob Schermerhorn, and his daughter Neeltie, wife of Hans Carelsen. The children of his deceased son Claes were also mentioned. His daughter Lysbeth had been previously married to Guisbert Cornelisz Van Weesp, tavern-keeper.

Claes Cornelise Egmont (Van Voorhout), son of Cornelis Segers, occupied a farm on Papscanee, near Albany, between 1648 and 1658. In 1651 this farm contained 78 morgens (156 acres), and held 7 horses and 7 cows. The Albany Church records include the baptisms of two sons of Jacob Claes Egmont, viz., Nicholas, Apr. 13, 1684, and Jacob (born after his father's death), Dec. 27, 1685. Jacob Schermerhorn and his daughter, Machtelt Beekman, were sponsors at this latter baptism. In 1663 the following children of Claes Cornelise, then deceased, were mentioned: Mary, aged 12 yrs.; Jacob, 10 yrs.; Lysbeth, 8 yrs., Tryntje, 5 yrs. Arrangements for their education were made in this year by Jacob Janse Schermerhorn and others. This branch of the family is, so far as is known, the only one to have carried the name of Egmont down to subsequent generations.

Cornelis Cornelise Van Voorhout (as he signed his name), eldest son of Cornelis Segerse, resided apparently near Albany until about 1668, his name appearing in the Rensselaerwyck rent rolls, 1652-68. Some time after this it is likely that he removed to New York, as the marriage of his two sons, Seger and Jacob, are found among the records of the New York Dutch Church. These marriages occurred in 1678 and 1686 respectively, and the names as given are Jacob Corn. Van Egmont and Seger Corn. Van Egmont. There is no further indication that either the name of Van Voorhout or Van Egmont was carried down to later generations in this branch of the family.

The third son, Seger Cornelise, whose wife was Jannetie Teunis, daughter of Teunis Dircks Van Vechten, died in early life (June 24, 1662, aged 23). It is quite likely that his descendants were those who carried down to succeeding generations the name of Segers. At any rate, the name of Van Voorhout was used only in the first two generations of the family in this country, and even so, very infrequently. The name of Egmont survived for a time, but as a family in America, has been little known. The name of Segers, however, exists to-day and was apparently the generally accepted name for the family, who are descendants of Seger Cornelius.

It is most probable that though Cornelius Segers undoubtedly came direct from Voorhout to this country, he belonged to the original Egmont family of Holland, from which the town of Egmont takes its name. Voorhout is a small place near Leyden, and about 20 miles southwest of Amsterdam. Egmont is about 10 miles west of Schermerhorn and 20 miles northwest of Amsterdam. An early genealogist of the family seemed to believe that Jannetie Van Voorhout and Jannetie Egmont were two different personages and each a wife of Jacob Janse Schermerhorn. This, of course, is incorrect, although it is easy to see how the mistake may have occurred. Among the New York Dutch Church records is a marriage record as follows:

"Feb. 20, 1650. Jacob Janszen, y. m. Jannetie Jacobs y. d. Van Amsterdam."

The early church records were quite crude, and it has been noticed by the author that correctness in registering surnames was by no means invariable. This is quite possibly the marriage record of Jacob Janse Schermerhorn and Jannetie Egmont.

Jannetie's sister, Lysbeth, married Francis Boon, a young French Indian-trader who, after accumulating some money, established himself in New York, his place of business being on the west side of Broadway, opposite Bowling Green. He became very wealthy, finally removing to the West Indies, where his wife died.

Historical Fragments of the Egmont Family

The family of Egmont, prominent in Holland in the eleventh century, traced their descent from the Pagan kings. Their chateau was on the North Sea, about three miles west of Alkmaar, and from 1423 to 1558, they were at the height of their power. The family was divided into several branches and had in it 9 knights of the Golden Fleece.

Pre-eminent among all of the Egmonts was Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavre, "one of the most brilliant characters in history," as one historian records. He was born in the castle of La Haimaide, in Hainault, Nov. 18, 1522. In 1542, at the death of his brother Karl, he succeeded to the title and estates of the family, which, besides those of Holland, comprised the principality of Gavre, seven or eight baronies and a number of seignories.

In his youth Lamoral was page to the Emperor, Charles V, and when twenty-three years old he married Sabina of Luxembourg, Duchess of Bavaria and Countess Palatine of the Rhine, sister of the elector, Frederick III. Few royal weddings have been more brilliant. The Emperor, his brother Ferdinand, King of the Romans, with the Archduke Maximilian, all the Imperial Electors and a concourse of the principal nobles of the empire, were present on the occasion.

Lamoral participated in various campaigns during the reign of Charles V, who when he was only twenty-six, invested him with the order of the Golden Fleece, and appointed him to several confidential missions, such as sending him to England to seek the hand of Queen Mary for Philip II. After the succession of Philip to the throne, Lamoral gained great distinction in many of the campaigns of that period. He incurred the hatred of the Duke of Alva at the battle of St. Quentin, which would not have been fought except for the violent persuasion of Egmont in opposition to the advice of Alva. It was a brilliant victory, and Lamoral was the principal figure in the affray. In the following year he distinguished himself in the battle of Gravelines, and with this became the idol of the people. As a reward for his services he was made in 1559, by Philip II, Stadtholder of the Provences of Flanders and Artois and a member of the Council of State for the Low Countries. At the conclusion of the war, by the treaty of Cateau Cambresis, Egmont was one of the four hostages selected by the French king, as pledges for its execution. The attempt made by Philip to convert the Netherlands into a Spanish dependency and govern it by Spanish ministers, excited the resentment of Egmont and other ministers of the Netherlands aristocracy. Though Egmont was a good Catholic, nevertheless he had no desire to see his native country in the throes of the Spanish Inquisition. In January, 1565, he and others went to Spain to make known to the king the state of affairs and protest against the autocratic proceedings of Cardinal Granvella, the all-powerful minister of the regent Margaret of Parma, the latter having been appointed against the will of the Protestant party. He was received by Philip with ostentatious cordiality and flattered by the whole court, but the real object of his mission was evaded and he returned home without having accomplished anything for his people. The treacherous Philip, notwithstanding his fair promises to Egmont, sent instructions to the regent to abate nothing in the persecutions. Immediately after the arrival of the Duke of Alva in 1567, who had been sent as lieutenant-general of the Netherlands, Counts Egmont and Horn were seized and imprisoned in Ghent, afterwards being removed to Brussels, where they were tried by the "Council of Blood." Sentence was pronounced on the 4th of June, by Alva himself, in spite of the intercession of the Emperor Charles V, the elector Palatine, the Order of the Golden Fleece, the State of Brabant, and the piteous pleadings of his wife, who, with her eleven children, had by this time been reduced to want and had taken refuge in a convent. He was beheaded the next day, June 5, 1568, in company with Count Horn, and in the storm of indignation which arose, they were glorified as martyrs to Flemish freedom. This memorable episode proved to be the prelude of the famous revolt of the Netherlands, which ended in independence. In 1865 a monument to Counts Egmont and Horn, by Fraiken, was erected at Brussels. Louis Gallait (1810-1887), a Belgian painter, has among his chief works, "Egmont Preparing for Death," "Alva Looking Upon the Bodies of Egmont and Horn," "The Last Moments of Count Egmont." Goethe made of this historical episode the theme of a tragedy.

Egmont Genealogy

JOHN II, son of John I, Count of Egmont (who became Seigneur d'Egmont in 1409 and died 1452); m. MARIE, niece of Reynaud IV, last Duke of Gueldre and Juliers.

Children:

• Arnold, m. a dau. of John of Arckel.
• William, Duke of Guilders, d. Feb. 19, 1483.
• Frederick, Count of Buren, m. Marie de Culenbourg.

Arnold Egmont had a son, Adolph, Duke of Guilders, who m. Catharine of Bourbon. They had a son, Charles, b. Nov. 9, 1467, who left four illegitimate children, one of whom, Charles, was Count of Guilders and Egmont.

William Egmont had a son, John, who became Count of Egmont. The latter's son, John IV, who d. 1516, also Count of Egmont, m. Francoise, Princess of Gavre. Their record follows

Frederick Egmont, Count of Buren, had a son, Floris, Count of Buren and Egmont, who d. Oct. 14, 1539, at Buren. The latter had a son, Maximilian, who d. in Brussels in 1548. The latter had a daughter, Anne, b. 1533, who m. William, Prince of Orange. They had two children, Philip and Mary. At the time of her marriage Anne Egmont was considered the greatest heiress in the Netherlands.

JOHN IV, Count of Egmont, son of John III, Count of Egmont; d. Apr. 18, 1528; m. FRANCOISE of Luxembourg, Princess of Gavre.

Children:

• A daughter, who m. Count Vaudemont.
• Karl (Charles), d. 1541, leaving no heirs.
• Lamoral, Count of Egmont, b. Nov. 18, 1522; m. Sabina, Duchess of Bavaria.

Louise Vaudemont, grand-daughter of John IV, Count of Egmont, married Henry III, King of France.

LAMORAL, Count of Egmont, b. Nov. 18, 1522; d. June 5, 1568; m. in 1545, SABINA, Duchess of Bavaria, who d. June 19, 1598.

Children:

• Philip, b. 1558; d. 1590, at the Battle of Ivry; m. Marie of Horn.
• Charles, Count of Egmont, m. Marie of Lens, Baroness of Aubignie.
• Lamoral.
• and eight daughters.

Philip Egmont was made Chevalier by Charles II of Spain, but he proved a traitor and was pronounced a disgrace to his family. The posterity of Lamoral was represented in the person of a Count of Egmont (Procope-Francois), descendant of Charles, who died in Aragon in the North of France in 1707, aged thirty-eight. He was a General of Cavalry in Spain, and a Brigadier in the French Army.