The following interesting account is available on the internet
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE VAN BURKLEO FAMILY by Noble Van Burkleo and mailed to G.R. and Lorene Burkleo.
http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Noble_Van_Burkleo_(1)
The first of our family to come to America was Willem Janzen Van Borkelo (Borckeloo). He was here prior to 1657 and was evidently a man of som means as he immediately bought a home, a house and lot with a barn and other buildings. In February, 1658, he married Cornelia Van Salee, daughter of Anthony Jansen Van Salee and his wife Greetje Reiniers. Anthony Van Salee was the holder of the firt patent on farm land issued in Gravesend. In 1661, Willem Janzn returned to Holland for business purposes and there his description of the new land was so enthusiastic that his brother, Harman Janzen Van Borkelo decided to return with him.
Interest in the New World was at it's height in Holland. Only fifty years earlier, Henry Hudson had returned from his exploration of the country and the river which bears his name. His glowing reports of the new country quickly spread all over Holland. Harman Janzen Van Borkelo would no doubt have gone with his brother on his first trip to New Amsterdam but he was just gettning married. He and his wife, who was WillempjeWarnaers, now had two small children, a daughter Jannetje, aged five and a son, Reynier, age two. Never-the-less, they listened with intense interest to Willem's description of the new country; a place, he said, where fine farm land was to be had for the asking. Long Island, he described, as a place of beautiful rolling woodlands; the trees mostly giant oaks, the finest for height and thickness that a man would ever hope to see. The woods were full of fruit in season-- mulberries, persimmons, grapes, great and small, that the woodland floor was red with them. The valleys were flush with grass that grew to the height of a man's waist. Game was so plentiful that no man could ever want for meat. Deer ran in herds of twenty to thirty and were almost tame. There were wild turkeys, woodhens, pigeons by the millions, in addition to coons, beaver and otters. Fish were so plentiful that often one drog of a net would recover enough to feed then families. All these lands traversed by beautiful clear streams fed by numerous springs so that water was always available. The land, he said, was so new, clean and fragrant that you could smell the good aroma of it miles at sea; even before you came into sight of the land. No wonder, after hearing his description, that Harmon Janzen and his wife decided to take their youg family to the new land with them.
They embarked on the ship De Trouw (The Faith) and sailed for the new world. A ship could have no better name for such a trip. Captained by Captain Jan Janz Besteraer, it landed in New Netherlands March 24, 1662. The passenger list is still in existence and shows Willem Janzen Van Borkeloo, Harman Janzen Ban Borkelo, his wife and two children age five and three. This is from the Year Book of the Holland Society for 1902.
After landing, they at once went to the home of Willem at Gravesend. There was on this ship a distant relative of the two brothers, a Willem Willemse Borckelo. This man was listed as taking the oath of Allegiance to the British crown in Sept. of 1687. There is no other record of him, neither of marriage, purchase of land, or church membership. The belief is that he was a batchelor and either returned to Holland or died and as there is no record of his deathe, the first alternative seems to be most likley. (This is from the Holland Society Year Book for 1894.)
On June 22, 1662, Willem Janz and Harman Janz Van Borkelo, but lately arrived from Holland, made an affidavit in New Amsterdam for Aeltje Lubbertse concerning the death of her second husband, Nicholas Velthuysen. Velthuysen had deserted her and had sailed on a voyage from which he did not return. In this affidavit, they stated that in the preceeding February, while traveling from Mendenblicq to Amsterdam, a gunner on board their ship told them that Velthuysen, whom he had known as a sergeant in Brazil, had died on a trip to Genee (Guinea). This declaration which was notarized by Salomon La Chair, not only set at rest the mind of the widow, but stated specifically that Willem and Harman Janzen Van Borkelo were brothers. (From The Holland Society Year Book, for 1900. pages 143-144.)
Harman Jazen and his family soon left Gravesend, where brother Willem had his home and settled in New Utrecht, Long Island. Here, three more children were born to them. Some ten years after his arrival in America, Harman Janzen Van Borkelo died, as on May 12, 1672, his widow married in Gravesend, Long Island, Han Harmensen of New Utrecht, by whom she had two daughters, Trynte Hanse and Annetje Hanse. The entire family moved from Long Island to New Jersey, where, in 1681, Hanse Harmensen, then living in Constable's Hook, New Jersey, applied for land for himself, his wife, his wife's sons by her first husband, Reynier; Harman, John and William, and also for two daughters of his own, aged nine and seven years. Jannetje, the oldest child of Marman Janzen Van Borkleo, having married before the family left Long Island. This land request is in the New Jersey Archives, vol. 21, p. 47.
