Tryntje is the Dutch diminutive for Catherine, and was variously written in early records as Trintje, Treyntje, Trenica, Trintia, and Katherin. Tryntje Jacobs' surname is uncertain. She may have, according to the Dutch custom of the time, retained her father's name of Jacob. But it is also possible that she had so identified herself with her first husband that she was referred to as "Tryntje, Jacob's wife;" just as she was often known as "Tryntje Walings" - "Walings' wife.
The date and place of Tryntje's birth is not known. One assumption has been that since her husband was originally from Winkel, a little town in the province of North Holland, and that he returned to Hoorn, a port southeast of Winkel, in 1633, that she was born some place in this vicinity. As her youngest son by Jacob Stoffelsen was born in 1665, it is reasonable to suppose that she was considerably younger than Jacob Walichs when she married. A date of birth of 1620 is based these assumptions.
Indications and deductions suggest that she married Jacob Walichs about 1642. Two other marriage dates are sometimes given and are listed under Jacob's history. Her first children Marritje, Grietje, and Waling may have been born in Holland or in New Netherlands depending upon which version of Jacob's activities during that period is accepted.
Their son Jacob was born at New Albany, shortly before Jacob and Trintje left Rensselaervyck in 1650. This is stated in their son Jacob's marriage record.
On arriving at New Amsterdam Jacob was baptized on October 10, 1650. Their next son Symon was born at Pavonia Patent (New Jersey) and was baptized August 24, 1653. In October 1654, Jacob received a grant of 25 morgen (about 50 acres) at Pavonia, probably the land where he had been living. On January 2, 1656, their sixth and last child, Annetje, was baptized.
On 17 August 1657, Trintje published the banns for her second marriage, this time to Jacob Stoffelsen. They were not married immediately for on October 16th, the Orphanmasters appointed Michiel Jansen Vreeland and Burgomaster Van der Grift as guardians of the six minor children of Jacob Walings. The guardians responsibility was to insure that the rights and property due them by Jacob's death was protected. Trintje was not married at that time.
Jacob Stoffelsen was born about 1601, and came from Ziricksee, Zeeland Province in Holland. He arrived in New Amsterdam as an employee of the Dutch West India company, and by 1633 was Commissioner of Stores. His first marriage was in 1639 to Vrouwtje Ides, the widow of Cornelis Van Vorst. She died in March or April of 1641, a reasonably wealthy woman in her own right based on the inventory of her assets taken at her home in Ahasimus in Pavonia Patent. In 1641, Jacob was one of the "Twelve Men", the governor's advisory group. Several years later he was a member of the "Eight Men. " In 1645 he was instrumental in signing a peace treaty with the Indians. He was confirmed as a Small Burgher in 1657. Following Vroutje Ides death, Jacob remained a bachelor for sixteen years and came to his marriage with Trintje with no children of his own. On December 29th, 1660, their son Stoffel was baptized. And on January 28, 1665, another son Jacobus was baptized at New York. From the fact that there is no further reference to these two children, and that no guardians were appointed for them at Tryntje's third marriage, it is likely that they died in infancy, though this is not certain.
Jacob Stoffelson was appointed assistant to the President of the Court at Bergen in August 1665. On June 6, 1666, records state that her husband was so ill that Trintje had to appear in court on his behalf. Stoffelsen's illness resulted in his death, probably in 1667, for on March 31, 1668, the English governor Phillip Carterett issued a confirmatory patent to "Katherin, formerly the widow of Jacob Wallingen van Hoorn, now the widow of Jacob Stoffelsen, for land between Gamoenepaw and the Kill van Kol (to) the S(outh) of Hendrick Jansen van Schalkwyck, 25 morgen, Dutch measure.
On May 17. 1667, the banns were published at Bergen for her third marriage, this time to Michael Tades. The Bergen record states that they were married June 8th, but this might have been "old style," for the New York record states that they were married June 17th. Tades was engaged in coastal trading and operated a tavern for a time. Tades had at least two children by his first wife Annatje since guardians were appointed for them. Tryntje had her youngest daughter of 12. besides her three sons, who were about 15, 18, and 21 at the time. This marriage did not last long as Michael died about 1670.
Again, she did not remain a widow long, for on February 26, 1671, both she and her son Waling published the banns of their marriages, Tryntje to Casper Steynmets, and Waling to his step-sister Catharyna Michielse, daughter of Michiel Tades. And on March 15th they had a double wedding before the court at Bergen. Steynmets had eight or nine living children by two previous marriages. The youngest was a little over a year old.
On 30 November or 1 December 1675, she went to New York to attend the wedding of her only unmarried child Annetje to her step-brother Johannes Steynmets. On December 15, 1675, there was another double wedding in Tryntje's family: her two sons, Jacob and Symon, were married by "Voorlezer" van Giesen in the presence of the court at Bergen. She died at about age 56, and on May 12, 1677, Voorleser van Geisen, in his capacity as anspreker made this entry in the Bergen records: "Buried Treyntje Jacobs, wife of Casper Steynmets, at New York. " ('New York' being a relative term for the region, she was probably buried in or near Bergen.) The East Jersey Proprietorship on November 10, 1677, granted to Casper Steinmetz in right of Trintia Walling, his deceased wife, formerly widow of Jacob Stoffelson, six acres for a garden at Horsemes.
