Such a typical community the frontier settlement at Albany certainly was and once the character of its population, its mode of living and daily occupations are fully understood, much will be known that applies equally to the contemporaneous settlements at Schenectady, Kingston, Kinderhook and other parts of the province. As to the character of the population, the reader will doubtless be impressed with the fact that a much larger number of settlers than is generally supposed came from parts of Europe outside of the Netherlands, particularly from East Friesland, Oldenburg and the duchies of Schleswig-Holstein. As instances hereof may be mentioned such names as Evert Jansen Wendel from Emden, Jan Harmensen from Aurich, Elmer Otten from Isens (Esens), Volckert Jansen Douw from Stapelholm, Jacob Jansen from Noortstrant, Jan Fransen from Hoesem (Husum), Jan Thomassen from Wittbek, Casper Jacobsen from Hollenbek, Cornells Barentsen from Ditmars, and others of less-known persons from Norden, Jever, Eiderstedt, Bredstedt, Friedrichstadt and Flensburg. Just what the cause of emigration from these regions was is an interesting question to which as yet no definite answer can be given. Some of these men may have been of the seafaring class who came over as sailors and who upon arrival decided to stay and to engage in trade. Others may have been engaged as soldiers by the Dutch West India Company and yet others may have sprung from families that during the Spanish war sought refuge across the Dutch borders and rather than to return to the former homes of their parents they may have preferred to join their compatriots across the sea. Whatever the cause, the prevalence of this element is interesting and undoubtedly accounts for the large number of Lutherans in the early settlement which occasioned the call to Albany in 1669 of the Rev. Jacobus Fabritius, the first Lutheran minister in the province.
Early Records of the City and County of Albany Colony of Rensselaerswyck. Volume 2 (Deeds 3 and 4, 1678-1704) translated from the original Dutch by Jonathan Pearson. Page 11.