Misc. Notes
Allegedly the "first white child born in New Amsterdam."
[1868, p.3], [1818, p.159], [3502, pp.22-23] On page 4 of Bogart
[3495, p.4] is a photo of a commemorative sign in Albany, NY, which reads, “Fort Orange. Site of West India Company Colony, 1624. Here was born Sarah Rapelje, first white child in N.Y. State, 1625. Fort stood S.E. by the river.” The text on the following page indicates the sign was posted in front of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad offices. That book was published in 1959 and, according to the Findagrave memorial (see below), the sign was removed sometime before 1996. That memorial also claims that the “first white child” story has been discounted. A competing claim to this "first born" title is attributed to a John Vigne (or “Jean Vigné”), born in New Amsterdam in 1614.
[3502, p.22] The story is also noted as disproven in Stiles
[3507, p.87, pp.89-90], though this source also states that Sarah may still qualify as “first white female” born in the colony.
A summary history of Sarah’s life, published by the New Netherland Institute, is online at:
https://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/history-and-heritage/dutch_americans/sarah-rapalje/ [5065]A memorial entry for Sarah exists on
Findagrave.com, but it does not state where she was buried.
[1498, Memorial# 33446137]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Rapelje“Sara RAPELYE” was a witness to the baptism of her grandson, Hans BERGEN.
[7418]Sara also witnessed the baptism of her granddaughter, Sara BERGEN.
[7419]In 1680 she was a witness to the baptism of her grandson, Tunis BERGEN.
[7423]