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BIOGRAPHY OF
JAMES A. ROMEYN
JAMES A. ROMEYN.-The Romeyns, Romaines, and Romains, of Bergen
County, claim to be of Italian lineage, which they trace to one
Giacomo de Ferentino, an Italian gentleman who settled at Rongham
Manor, Norfolkshire, England, in the early part of the thirteenth
century, and marred an English lady, Isabella de Rucham, by whom
he had issue two sons, one of whom was Peter. This Peter was
sent to Rome to be educated, and on his return took the surname
of Romaeyn (Peter the Roman). He married a daughter of Thomas
De Leicester. Many of Peter's descendants became noted men in
England. One of them, Jan Romeyn, went from England to the low
countries (Holland) and settled in Amsterdam. He had several
children, among whom were Claes Jansen, Simeon Jansen, and Christofer
Jansen. Claes and Christofer sailed from Rotterdam, Holland,
to Brazil, as members of an expedition to that country commanded
by Prince Maurice of Nassau. Soon after arriving in Brazil that
country was ceded to Portugal, and thereupon the two Romeyns
sailed for America. There is a disagreement as to the date when
they arrived, but it was probably about 1661. They settled first
at New Amersfoort, L. I. Christofer married, in 1678, Grietie
Pieters Wyckoff, and settled in Monmouth County, N. J. Claes
married (it is said), May 2, 1680, Styntie Alberts Terhune, and
in 1690 went to Hackensack, where he bought four Indian fields
between the Saddle River and the Hackensack River, called in
his deed Wierimus, Paskack, Gemagkie, and Marroasonek. These
four tracts were north of Paramus, on the east side of the Saddle
River. He did not locate on these lands, but returned to New
York and located in the Greenwich district of the city, where
he died. His children, to whom he devised all his lands on his
death, divided them into farms and mutually released or sold
to actual settlers. Claes Jansen's children of the second generation
were Gerrebrecht, Elizabeth, Lydia, Albert C., John C., Rachel,
Sarah, and Daniel.
Jan Class Romeyn (2) married, in May, 1690, Jannetie Bogert,
at Hackensack, and resided on part of his father's lands. He
was a member and church master of the "Church on the Green"
in 1715. His issue of the third generation were Nicholas, John,
Christina, Roelof, Rachel, Isaac, Angenetie, Christina, and Ursula.
Nicholas Romeyn (3), baptized at Hackensack in February, 1699,
married, in 1726, Elizabeth Outwater, who died in 1732. He died
in 1763. He married (2) Rachel Vreeland, who died in 1761.
The issue of Nicholas Romeyn (3) and his two wives of the fourth
generation were Rev. Thomas Romeyn and John Romeyn.
Rev. Thomas Romeyn (4), born at Pompton, N. J., March 2, 1729,
died October 22, 1794. He was graduated from the College of
New Jersey in 1750, studied theology, and after preaching a few
times on Long Island went to Holland, in 1752, for ordination,
and was settled at Jamaica, L. I., until 1790. He married (1)
June 29, 1756, Margaretta Frelinghuysen, who died at Jamaica,
December 13, 1757. He married (2) Susanna Van Camppen. He died
at Fonda, N. Y., October 22, 1794, and was buried there under
the pulpit of his church. His issue of the fifth generation
were seven: Rev. Theodore F., Rev. Thomas, Nicholas, Abraham,
Rev. Broadhead, Benjamin, and Rev. James Van Campen.
Rev. James Van Campen Romeyn (5) was born at Minsink, Sussex
County, N. J., November 15, 1765, and died at Hackensack, June
27, 1840. He attended Schenectady Academy in 1784, studied theology
under Rev. Theodore Romeyn, his uncle, was a Trustee of Rutgers
College, and preached at several places, the last in the Reformed
Church of Hackensack and Schraalenburgh from 1799 to 1833. He
married (1) Susanna Maud Van Vranken, of Schenectday, and (2)
Elizabeth Pell, who survived him. His issue of the sixth generation
were Susan, Harriet, Anna, Maria, Rev. James, D.D., Anna, Eliza,
Caroline, Theodore, and Sarah.
Rev. James Romeyn (6) was born at Blooming Grove, N. J., September
30, 1797, and was graduated from Columbia College in 1816 and
from the Theological Seminary at New Brunswick, N. J., in 1819.
He declined the Doctor of Divinity degree bestowed on him by
Columbia College. He preached at several places, was pastor
of the old "Church on the Green" at Hackensack from
1833 to 1836, and was a Trustee of Rutgers College in 1842.
He married Joanna Bayard Rodgers, daughter of John R. B. Rodgers,
M.D., of Columbia College, New York. His children of the seventh
generation were James R. and Theodore B.
Rev. Theodore Bayard Romeyn (7) was born at Nassau, N. Y.,
October 22, 1827. He attended school at Hackensack and other
places, was graduated from Rutgers College in 1846 and from the
Theological Seminary in New Brunswick in 1849, and received the
degree of D.D. from Rutgers College. He preached at Blawenburgh,
N. J., and at Hackensack, and was the author of the History of
the Reformed Church of the latter village. He married Amelia
A. Letson, who died October 22, 1897. He died at Hackensack,
August 29, 1885. His issue of the eighth generation were Mary
L. (deceased) and James A., the latter being the subject of this
sketch.
James A. Romeyn (8) was born in Blawenburgh, N. J., May 15,
1853, and received his education at Rutgers College. He studied
law with Bedle, Muirhead & McGee, of Jersey City, and successfully
practiced his profession until 1890. Since then he has been
the editor of the Evening Record of Hackensack, where he resides.
Mr. Romeyn is a man of acknowledged ability and untiring energy,
and has always taken an active part in public affairs. He was
for eight years a member of the Hackensack Board of Health, and
for seven years (1888-95) served as Treasurer of the Hackensack
Hospital. At the bar and in the editorial chair he has won distinctions
and honor, and as a citizen he is highly respected.
In 1884 Mr. Romeyn married Flora May Cochran, of Lancester,
Pa., who died in 1801. By her there were two children: Theodore
B. and Katharine. He was married, second, in 1894, to Susie
Burgess Conover, of Newark, N. J.
Source: Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties,
New Jersey, Editor, Cornelius Burnham Harvey, The New Jersey
Genealogical Publishing Company, 1900, page 139-144.
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