Our story starts in England by way of Holland. The English settlers had been driven from England because of their beliefs, i.e., that of the community of Friends or Quakers. They settled temporarily in Holland as refugees before immigrating to the Colonies and settling on Flushing Bay around 1643. Over the next seven years their numbers increased as Friends settled from Holland and some of the original Mayflower passengers resettled here so as to gain more freedom to worship as they willed.
The original settlement was calling Vlissingen after the Dutch village in which the English refugees had lived. The name Flushing is a corruption of the original name. (History of Queens County, 1882)
The Masten family can be traced back to John Masten (1628-1671). He is believed to be from Ormesby, Norfolk, England. His parents are believed to be John Masten (b. 1596, d. 1645 in Flushing, NY) and Rebecca Van Aaken (b. 1600 Holland, Netherlands; d. Jun 1648 Long Island, New York). However, the parental lineage is pure speculation as there are no definitive records.
John Maston or Marston, was an Englishman who probably came to this country as a mercenary soldier in the Dutch service. His name appears on the Dutch Church records as Mast, Maste, Masten, Maston and Marston (Genealogy of Southern New York, Vol. 3).
John immigrated to the US around 1640 . John is listed as Jan Maste, Soldaet,” in a church record where he is the sponsor for Jan, son of Jan Pieterzen dated 8 Feb 1644. (Dutch Ch., N. Y.,, G&B Record Vol 1. p. 34). He settled at Flushing, Long Island, NY, and is listed as “Jan Mast”, sponsor for Jan, child of Hannah Beckens (dated 28 Mar 1644). (Record, Vol. V. p. 84.) He settled at Flushing, and is named in Gov. Kieft’s patent (Dutch), 19 Oct. 1645. He was quite a successful farmer and businessman in Flushing, NY, serving as constable at Flushing in 1658.
John married Dievertje Langendyck (1632-1671) on 27 Oct. 1650 and had two sons, Cornelius and Jan, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Katherine. According to Lynda Anne Mastin Payne, John and Dievertje were married in New Amsterdam.
His will (1670) is as follows:
The last will and testament of John Masten, made Feb. 14, 1670, at Flushing. I will my two son, John and Cornelius, to my well beloved friend, John Hitchman, to live with him, and to be wholly at his disposal until they come of age according to law. I also will John Hinchman to have ye oversight of my whole estate and guardian to my two sons. I will to my two sons my whole estate after my debts are paid, except one gold ring and one silver thimble. I will to my daughter, Elizabeth, ye ring, and to my daughter, Katherine, ye thimble. This is full will and my sons' desire. (filed in NUC and was published in 1892 in the NY Historical Society Collections of Wills, Vol. 1, p. 15).
John's son Cornelius went to Kingston during the late 1600s. From Kingston, the Masten clan spread out over the Hudson Valley. The Loyalists tended to live in Dutchess County on the east side of the Hudson River, while the Colonialists stayed on the West bank of the Hudson River in Ulster Co.
Our line is through Cornelius Masten (1655-1712). He married Elizabeth Aertse Van Wagenen (1655-1715) in about 1676 at Kingston, NY and they raised 7 children at Kingston, NY. Cornelius Masten took the oath of allegience 09 September 1689 in "ye County of VLSTr by Order of His Exely: Ye Gouernor". Cornelius Masten's will was dated 30 January 1712 and it was proved 06 March 1712. The will was written in Dutch and the testator styles himself Cornelis Maston of Kingston and mentions his eldest son Johannis, wife, five children, by name, Johannis Maston; Aart Masten; the worthy wife of Gysbert Van den Bergh (named Diewertje (Deborah)); Antie Maston; and Geertie, wife of Arien Vliet. Witnesses, Abraham Lamettes, Willem Schepmoes, Aart Van Wagenen and Wm Nottingham, who all appeared before the Court consisting of Henry Beekman, Jacob Rutsen and Dirck Schepmoes, March 6, 1711-12, proving the will (see Ulster County, N . Y., Probate Records, Volume I, p. 82, p. 196; NY G&B Records Marston Record. p. 277 ).
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| Cornelius Masten House before Renovation, built in 1725 in the Colonial and Dutch Colonial Revival architectural styles. |
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| Cornelius Masten House after Renovation. Frame wings were added to the 1 1/2 story rubblestone structure in 1919. It is located at 109 Pearl St., Kingston, NY. |
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