1. Laurens1 Ruloffson [1] #9 was born in Copenhagen, Denmark 1689. Individual flags: Rlfsn. Laurens died 1771 at age 82.
He married Catharine Schumann 26 June 1715 in New York, NY. (Catharine Schumann #10.) Catharine was born February 1694/5. She was the daughter of Herman Schumann. When Catharine was age unknown and Laurens Ruloffson [1] was age unknown they became the parents of Laurens Ruloffson [2] date unknown. She had marriage banns published 6 May 1715. When Catharine was age 22 and Laurens Ruloffson [1] was age 28 they became the parents of Roelof Ruloffson 26 September 1717. When Catharine was age 24 and Laurens Ruloffson [1] was age 30 they became the parents of Hermanes Ruloffson July 1719 in Middlesex Co, NJ. When Catharine was age 26 and Laurens Ruloffson [1] was age 32 they became the parents of Elizabeth Ruloffson circa 1721. Catharine died July 1776 at age 81.
When Laurens was age unknown and Catharine Schumann was age unknown they became the parents of Laurens Ruloffson [2] date unknown. Laurens immigrated to destination unknown 1714. Laurens had marriage banns to an unknown person published 6 May 1715. When Laurens was age 28 and Catharine Schumann was age 22 they became the parents of Roelof Ruloffson 26 September 1717. When Laurens was age 30 and Catharine Schumann was age 24 they became the parents of Hermanes Ruloffson July 1719 in Middlesex Co, NJ. When Laurens was age 32 and Catharine Schumann was age 26 they became the parents of Elizabeth Ruloffson circa 1721. There are traditional accounts of the origin of the Ruloffson family in this country. The story is that "way back" in the old country a liberty-loving man by the name Rolof, or Rulof, engaged in a rebellion and was imprisoned. His three sons escaped to this country, where they called themselves Rulofsons -- the sons of Rulof. One settled in Maine, one in New York, and one in Pennsylvania. Traditional accounts of early ancestors are of necessity often distorted, exaggerated, exceeding truth, and as data for a genealogical record, unreliable, though they may have a basis in facts. The Ruloffson families in this country are of the Danish branch of the German Ruloffs. RulisonHF, p 4. LAURENS RULOFFSON was born in Copenhagen Denmark, Europe, in 1689. It is believed that his parents were Germans, or of German descent, who had lived in Denmark for some time. There is no record at hand of the name of his father or mother, or of brothers or sisters. Like many young men in Denmark, Germany, and Holland, he emigrated to America to better his fortunes in the New World, where hundreds of his native countrymen and relatives had preceded him, for it is recorded that "there are many of his name in and around New Amsterdam and in New Jersey from a very early date, and they may have been related to Laurens." He arrived in New York City in 1714. The bans of his marriage to Catharine Schuman, daughter of Herman Schumann, a potter, were published in the Lutheran Church in that city May 16, 1715, and he was married there June 26, 1715. His wife was born in February 1695 and died in July 1776. How long Laurens lived in New York City or what was his occupation is not recorded, but not long after his marriage he moved to New Jersey and settled, it is thought, in Middlesex County near the present city of New Brunswick. The fertile valleys of Raritan River and its tributaries were occupied at an early date by German settlers, and it was but natural that he should seek a home among his own people, who spoke the same language and professed the same religion. These German settlers were a religious people and members of the Lutheran Church. Like most of the German settlers, Laurens probably became a farmer. He died in 1771. His children were:- Laurens, Roelof, Hermans, and Elizabeth. No doubt there were others, for families in those early days were large, but the compiler has no record of other children. RulisonHF, p 11-12. Laurens Ruloffsen, born Copenhagen, 1689, residing at Raritan was married by Falckner, May 16, 1715, to Catharina Schumans, daughter of Herman Schuman, a German. Catharina was born 1695, died 1776. They had children: Laurents, baptized March 27, 1716, and Roelf. Roelf had many children: Laurence, John, Christian, Lea, Isaac, Anna, Abraham, Henry, Elisabeth. These were Norwegians or Danes. EvjenJO, p 387-388. Catharine Schuermans, daughter of the late Herman Schueman, High Duytser, Pottsbacker, was married, June 26, 1715, to Laurens Ruloffsen, from the Raritans. (Lutheran Church, N. Y.) WynkoopR, p 142. Still another family to cause puzzlement was that of the Rulofsons, whose progenitor claimed Copenhagen as a birthplace. But if he were a Dane, it hardly showed, for he lived among the Germans of New Germantown as if he were one of them. SchmidtHG, p 109 ROELOFFSEN (Ruloffsen, Roeliff, Rulison) Laurens Ruloffsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1689 and died in 1771. Married Catherine Shuman in 1715 and had a child baptized at Middlebuch, 8/17/1718. He lived among the Germans here and later near Potterstown... [Son] Hermanes or Herman furnished the wine at the frolic which repaired the church barn in New Germantown in 1754. He was a member of the Rockaway Luth. Church in 1731 and became an elder on the ZLC. in 1756. He signed the church document with an "X" in 1767. SchmidtHG, p 165. Mary Alice Rulifson reports the following story: A Roloff or Rulof came from Holland to Niew Amsterdam in Stuyvesant's time; had a truck garden in the Bowerie; sent his sons Peter and Paul about Niew Amsterdam selling potatoes, etc.; people asking who these young fellows were learned that they were "old Roloff's sons"--hence our surname. Reported by letter to Johns F Rulifson 28 Oct 1991.
Laurens Ruloffson [1] and Catharine Schumann had the following children:
He married Elizabeth Leek date unknown. (Elizabeth Leek is #1269.) Elizabeth was born 27 October 1732. Elizabeth died date unknown at age unknown.
Roelof was employed date unknown. Roelof had his will probated 2 January 1784. Also called Roelof Ruloffsen by EvjenJO. His son, Lawrence Ruloffson, is listed as trustee of Lutheran church in Tewksbury Township, Hunterdon Co, NJ in RulisonHF, p 15. Map and additional data in ChambersTF, p 193-195. Called Lawrence Rulifson in ChambersTF.
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