350 years and 8 days ago today

The Dutch surrendered New Netherland to those limey English bastards. [From History.com]

I apologize for missing the anniversary.

My 9th-great and 8th-great-grandfathers were there when it happened. They were Dutch and had been there since at least 1638; my 9th-great-grandfather is the Riker after whom Riker's Island is named.

All in all, life went on for the Dutch. They still spoke Dutch in church until after the American Revolution. The English forced them to choose surnames, though, and stick with them as family names. That lead to Abraham Rycken van Lent being called Abraham Riker by history, and of his many sons, and descendant, the next generation saw the surnames Lent, van Lent, and Riker.

I come down the Lent side. The most recent Lent in my ancestry is Mary (Polly) Lent, born north of New York City and buried in North Wolcott, NY, in a small graveyard that is overgrown and wooded. Her gravestone is, unfortunately, made of slate and has shed layers, leaving it essentially unreadable.

But hey! It's time to head down the river to the community center for the Tuesday night jam session.