At the time of the first Dutch and English settlers, Long Island was occupied by a number of Indian tribes.For the most part these tribes were peaceful and friendly toward the newcomers. War like action on their part can be traced to outside influences;cruelty of the settlers, usually Dutch, under the government of Director-General KIEFT,goading by the warlike tribes of Connecticut and the Hudson Valley, and the fire-water of the Europeans.Lion GARDINIER was on good terms with all the tribes but in particular the Montauks under the leadership of the Sachem WYANDANCH.Following the battle at the mouth of the Mystic River,Conn., where Englishmen attempted to settle on land bought by the Dutch from the Indians,WYANDANCH came to GARDINIER to ask if he were "angry with all the Indians," and offered to pay tribute to the English in the interest of peace  Then began a close relationship and sincere friendship between Lion GARDiNIER and the Montaukatts.Not long after, GARDINIER bought from WYANDANCH, for a large black dog,a gun,some powder and shot, and a few Dutch blankets, the island of Honchonock, which has since borne the name. Gardiner' s Island.
     WYANDANCH had already given GARDINIER in recognition of GARDINIER's chivalrous rescue of his daughter the entire territory later known as Smithfield
and finally Smithtown.
 "When MIANTONOKAH, chief of the Narragansetts tried to draw the Montauketts into plots against the English, they repeatedly disclosed to their
new friends the plans of their hereditary enemies WYANDANCH at his death made him (GARDINIER) the guardian of his heir, the young WEONCOMBONE, and during the regency of his mother, the Sachem-squa, her acts were valid only as confirmed by GARDINIER." WYANDANCH, the Great Sachem of Long Island,died in 1659. (History of Long Island from its Discovery and Settlement to the ?resent Time by Benjamen F.Thompson,3rd edition, N.Y.,Robert H. Dodd 1918)
     The young Indian girl WUCHIKITTAWBUT, stolen on her wedding day by NINIGRET, Chief of the Narragansetts and rescued by GARDINIER became the wife of Jan Cornelius VAN TASSEL and was known from then on as CATONERAS.
     After their marriage, Jan Cornelius and Catoneras claimed ownership of part of Long Island and settled on the North Shore of the Sound at a place
called Eaton's Neck in Suffolk County. Cornelius Jensen Van tassel was selected to represent the Long Island Indians before the commissioners appointed to
settle the wars among the Pequots,Narragansetts and other tribes and was present at meetings of the Commissioners held at Boston and elsewhere.Only one child of
this marriage is known, Jan Cornelius, the first of the family born in America and whose indenture papers establish the probable year of the family's arrival
in the New World Catoneras died shortly after her father's death in 1659.
     The son, Jan Cornelius, married Annetje ALBERTS,daughter of Albert KONING.baptised 3 June 1640, and lived in Midwont (Flatbush). He appears in Flatbush records as Jan Cornelissen,Jan Janssen,J.C.,and variously TEXEL, VAN TEXEL and VAN TASSEL. Among the records concerning land transactions of Jan Cornelius are:
 1661,12 March - Grant of 60 morgens (120 acres) in Flatbush.
 1664,26 October - Later allotted in persuance of patent at Flatbush 23 morgens (46 acres) on the south side of the bowery of Bastel CLASSEN. The holding was plain land and salt meadow. This was sold on 20 January,1670 to Auchs Janse Van MYSE.(Liber A page 15 Flatbush Records)
 1670,14 March - Allotted a building lot at Flatbush which was sold the following May to Hendrick KIP.(Liber A Flatbush Records)
 1685-Survey of tract of land east of the town of Huntington, Long Island allotted to him by the Indians.(Calendar of Colonial Minutes page 45)
 1685,8 October-Papers before Council for patents at Haverstraw. (Calendar of Colcnial Minutes page 106)
 1685,13 October Granted land east side of Hudson next to S. Van CORTLANDT.(Calendar of Colonial Minutes page 45)
 1695 - Jan Cornelius VAN TASSEL and Lucas TIENHAVEN request license to purchase Indian land on Hackensack Creek in Orange County. Survey of land
purchase ordered. (Calendar of Colonial Minutes page 106)
     VAN TASSEL had requested 100,000 acres. The Council felt this was too much and agreed that each was to have 1000 acres.(Calendar of Colonial Minutes page 109)
 1702-Jan Cornelius VAN TASSEL and Other5 request license to purchase Indian lands in Suffolk County,Long Island. (Calendar of Colonial Minutes page
167)
 1705- Petition for Patent 4 miles wide on the Sound "From the Sound running into the wood 6 miles or thereabout. (Land Papers page 77) Jan Cornelius and Annetie had at least 8 children. All the children were baptized in the First Dutch Church of New Amsterdam. In 1687 while living in Orange County, he took the oath of Allegience and some time before the census of 1702 he crossed the river to live at Van Cortlandt Manor in Westchester
County.The Indians called the place Meahagh, the Dutch called it Verplanck's Point.Just to the east was Appainaghpogh and it is from Appamaghpogh that the
tax collector recorded "Received from J.C.VanTassel, by the hand of Stevan Courtlandt sum of nine pounds, first of four first taxes and of such proportions
of the same as become payable out of Westchester County and town of Appamnepoe I so received the 31st July 1694. "signed Chidley Brorie, Col.(Leber B of Deeds page 231 Westchester County Registers Office)
     In their petition to join the church at Sleepy Hollow they state they have nine children but only eight are registered.Jan Cornelius died in 1704 and both
he and Annetie are buried in the Sleepy Hollow Churchyard, Tarrytown Westchester County,New York.

Child of JAN VANTASSEL and WYNTJE MONTAINE is:
       2.         i. TUNIS2 VANTASSELL, b. WFT Est. 1647-1725; d. WFT Est. 1749-1811.
 
 

2.  TUNIS2 VANTASSELL (JAN CORNELIUS1 VANTASSEL) was born WFT Est. 1647-1725, and died WFT Est. 1749-1811.  He married SOPHIE JACOBE WFT Est. 1672-1749.

Child of TUNIS VANTASSELL and SOPHIE JACOBE is:
       3.         i. CORNELIUS3 VANTASSEL, b. March 08, 1747/48, TARRYTOWN, NEW YORK; d. April 08, 1830,  MANLIUS CENTER, NEW YORK.

3.  CORNELIUS3 VANTASSEL (TUNIS2 VANTASSELL, JAN CORNELIUS1 VANTASSEL) was born March 08, 1747/48 in TARRYTOWN, NEW YORK, and died April 08, 1830 in MANLIUS CENTER, NEW YORK.  He married ELSIE BREWER January 30, 1776.

Children of CORNELIUS VANTASSEL and ELSIE BREWER are:
                 i. TUNIS4 VANTASSEL, b. November 27, 1776; d. WFT Est. 1777-1866.
                ii. HENRY VANTASSEL, b. April 02, 1780; d. WFT Est. 1781-1870.
               iii. JACOB VANTASSEL, b. February 09, 1784; d. WFT Est. 1785-1874.
                iv. CORNELIUS VANTASSEL, b. July 13, 1786; d. WFT Est. 1787-1876.
                 v. LEAH VANTASSEL, b. May 04, 1788; d. WFT Est. 1789-1882.
                vi. JOHN VANTASSEL, b. April 10, 1790; d. WFT Est. 1791-1880.
               vii. RACHEL VANTASSEL, b. January 29, 1792; d. WFT Est. 1793-1886.
       4.      viii. ISSAC VANTASSEL, b. October 25, 1795; d. April 01, 1871.
                ix. ABRAHAM VANTASSEL, b. November 12, 1795; d. WFT Est. 1796-1885.
                 x. STEPHEN VANTASSEL, b. August 24, 1797; d. WFT Est. 1798-1887.

4.  ISSAC4 VANTASSEL (CORNELIUS3, TUNIS2 VANTASSELL, JAN CORNELIUS1 VANTASSEL) was born October 25, 1795, and died April 01, 1871.  He married POLLY ANN EATON December 23, 1823, daughter of ASHIEL EATON and ABIGAIL KIMBALL.

Child of ISSAC VANTASSEL and POLLY is:
                 i. BRYON5 VANTASSEL, b. September 03, 1825; d. November 07, 1895, DETROIT, MICHIGAN; m.  PHOBE D. TOWN, October 18, 1849.