DUTCH SCHENCK-OF-AMERICA DNA AND RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTS

The “Clan Schenck” yDNA cluster at the Friese Wadden yDNA Project consists so far of the matching data from a descendant of my ancestor Marten Schenck (NOT Sir Maarten Schenck Van Nydeggen), and from Hans, a descendant of Marten’s really close yDNA kinsman Geert Jochums. The yDNA group “Schenck-Four plus Hans” consists of Pete, Paul, Ray, Robert, & Hans.

www.familytreedna.com/public/friesewadden/default.aspx?section=yresults  

In the Friese Wadden Project, Hans’ data is Kit # N27042. Ray’s data is Kit # B5237. This group is Haplogroup R1b, positive on SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) marker U198 (tested in Hans). Ray’s data also appears in the Netherlands Dual DNA project at www.familytreedna.com/public/Netherlands/default.aspx?section=yresults Paul’s Kit # is 172264. Bob Schenck is another of our yDNA match group. He is President of the Holland Society of New York. www.hollandsociety.com/index1.html  Roelof Martense Schenck was the father of Gerret Roelofse Schenck (b. 1671), who was the common ancestor of Bob, Ray, Paul Edgar, as well as many others who do not carry down the yDNA.

Family Tree DNA - Frisian Waddenproject (Friese Waddenproject) www.familytreedna.com Frisian Waddenproject (Friese Waddenproject) - Y-DNA Classic Chart. For genealogy within the most recent fifteen generations, STR markers help define ...

Hans’ ancestor Geert Jochums was born about 1650 at the village of Ee, near Dokkum Friesland. In 1650, the siblings Roelof (Rudolf) Martense Schenck, Jan Martense Schenck, and Annetje Martense Schenck migrated from the Netherlands to America. One wonders if they were aware that they had close biological kin near Dokkum, Friesland. That vicinity then included the aristocratic line of Schenck Van Toutenburg, as well as some commoners with the surname Schenck (and spelling variants). Toutenburg castles were once found in Germany, Vollenhove Overijssel, and just east of Leeuwarden Friesland. I doubt that there were any commoner Schenck near Dokkum prior to the early 1500s arrival nearby of Friesland Governor Georg Schenck Van Toutenburg (b. 1485), who was known to have had kids out of wedlock in Friesland.www.stinseninfriesland.nl/Toutenburg.htm  My thanks to Hans for this link.

Hans Zijlstra, Gary and Kathryn
in Amsterdam

Recall that there is exactly zero original documentary evidence linking Dutch Schenck-of-America and Schenck Van Nydeggen. The given name Roelof has never been known to occur in the Schenck Van Nydeggen line, but the equivalent Rudolf was a recurring name in the Schenck Van Toutenburg line. Hans, descendant of Roelof’s yDNA close kinsman Geert Jochums, wrote about his possible connection to Schenck Van Toutenburg in the blog of the Historical Society of Northeast Friesland.http://sneuperdokkum.blogspot.com/  Search for Schenck. Hans’ article has a photo of himself at the Brooklyn Museum’s Jan Martense Schenck home.

Pete, a descendant of Jan Martense Schenck, has a 63 of 67 STR (Short Tandem Repeats) yDNA markers match with Hans. Pete’s yDNA matches with descendants of Jan’s brother Roelof (my ancestor) have similarly close matches to Hans. I doubt that the Most Recent Common Ancestor between the Schenck group & Hans lived much earlier than Marten Schenck, father of Jan and Roelof. Nothing earlier than the 1500s, I’d say. Virtually nothing is known about this Martin, despite the multitude of claims, all without firm bases.   

See http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/Dutch-Colonies/1998-01/0885241193 for a critique of the astounding conclusions despite a lack of evidence. I am reminded of several other genealogical investigations which have uncovered honest mistaken impressions, errors based upon weak research, wishful fantasy, and in one instance for another of my ancestries a famous genealogical hoax.  All of the Schenck histories claiming the Van Nydeggen link are based upon the original flawed assumption. Don’t show me any more of the histories. I have plenty. Show me the evidence.

My ancestor Annetje Pieterse Wyckoff was the second wife of Roelof Martense Schenck. These were my 8th great-grandparents. Roelof’s first wife Neeltje Gerretse Van Couwenhoven was the ancestor of the majority of my several Schenck correspondents. A flurry of communications followed our meeting with Hans in Amsterdam on June 6, 2015. My wife Kathryn and I had just completed a boat and bike tour of North Holland. Hans met us at our boat “Angela Esmee”. Like Hans, the ancestor of Wibo Boswijk was also Geert Jochums. Wibo is a co-administrator of the Friese Wadden yDNA Project.