JAN CASPERSE (HALENBECK), apparently younger than Jacob and older than Isaac Casperse, must have been the second son of Casper Jacobse. He was buried at Albany 28 December 1730. His wife was Rachel Willemse Hoffmeyer, daughter of William Hoffmeyer; she died at Coxsackie 3 March 1729 and was buried 5 March.
In July 1681 Jurian Teuisse Tappen assigned a farm lease to Jan Casperse, to run the remainder of five years. Jan also had a farm on the Normankill, purchased from the estate of Hendrick Willemson (exchange of deeds 1684-5), which he sold to Jan Hendrickse Vrooman. He gave surety and leased from Stephen Van Courtlandt, 29 March 1683, land behind the island, which he had occupied previously for two years. On 14 April 1683 he purchased from Martin Gerritsz Van Bergen land at Coxsackie; the flats called Kaniskeek and a piece on the east side of Coxsackie Creek where Jan's house and barn stood; the sale was confirmed 24 May 1717.
In 1687 a John Caspers was indicted for causing, the death of his negro girl; there is no record of a trial and the indictment may refer to another man. He or his brother Jacob may have been the J. Carper in Captain Dirk Wessel's Company of militia in 1688. In the 1697 census he is listed with four children. He was a justice of the city and county of Albany (the county governing body) 28 December 1699, 17 July 1701, and 7 March 1701/2, as a Coxsackie member. He served as an elder of the Lutheran Church.
Jan was the administrator of the estate of his father-in-law William Hoffmeyer (only son of Geertruy Jeronemus, widow of Joachim Wessels Backer, William's stepfather). The two estates were entangled and Jan asked the Council 22 August 1700 for permission to transfer title to a house to Bay Croesvelt which Bay had bought 22 March 1683 from Joachim and Geertruy's estate. Jan also asked for compensation for a house ordered pulled down 18 February 1689/90. However, Hendrick Hanse claimed to have bought the timbers from Hoffmeyer and paid Jan for them. By the act of the Colonial Legislature of 23 December 1717 he was to be paid for supplies to the fort at Albany.
Jan's name is on the 1720 freeholders list in the Coxsackie-Catskill group.17 With his brother Jacob, Dirk Van Vechten, and Jochem Collier, he purchased one-third of the Loonenburg Patent. On 2 November 1717 he petitioned to be licensed to buy 1000 acres on both sides of Catskill Creek behind the patents of John Van Loon, Jochim Staats, and Johannes Provost, called the great flats or plain. It was granted 7 November 1717, survey filed 23 June 1719, and sales registered 15 November 1727 of either the above or additional plots of 300, 100, and 100 acres and some marshes on both sides of Catskill Creek and between Catskill Creek and the "Blew" Mountains. The land apparently lay in the Greenville-Cairo-Durham areas of Greene County.
Jan was one of several Halenbecks who were slaveholders, the slaves not necessarily black. On 13 February 1726 the Lutheran pastor baptized at Loonenburg, Herman, about seven months old, the father an unbaptized white slave of Joh. Caspersen, the mother Maria a baptized negress of Casp. Halenbeck. Godparents: her master and mistress Casper Halenbek and wife Maretje.
His will signed 6 May 1726 and probated 14 September 1734 names his daughters' husbands, but most of his property had been distributed by deeds.
HALENBECK FAMILY OF NEW YORK by Robert Vincent Anderson - National Genealogical Society Quarterly - v.65; no.2; pages 102-103.