Van Pelt Family Line Update

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks working on the Van Pelt line and have found quite a bit. In trying to find out more about Henry B Van Pelt’s parents, George G. and Hannah, I first tried to find a Maiden name for his mother Hannah. Not being able to find anything on her in Ancestry.com I tried Familysearch.org. Not being able to find anything in the new Familysearch website I gave the old one a try and found they had made huge improvements since I tried it last and was able to find the marriage record for George Van Pelt and Hannah Neely Aug 7 1848 in Jeffersonville Indiana.

After that I looked for the parents for George G. and striking out I switched back to Hannah and tried to find her parents. Not having luck I tried to find any other Neelys living in the area at the time. Very quickly I found a Charles A. Neely living in Jeffersonville 2 years younger then Hannah. Incidently George and Hannah’s first son was named Charles A. Van Pelt and I figured out he was her brother and through him found her parents Charles Neely and Hannah (maiden name still unknown).

Going back to George I did a web search on his name and birth year and found some posts of a researcher in Utica, Indiana who was looking for more information. Living near Jeffersonville she had been to his gravesite and mentioned he was buried with his wife and a woman named Sarah Van Pelt born 1796 she believed to be his mother.

Doing searches with this information the only couple that I’ve found that fits all the information I have is Daniel Van Pelt born 1789 and his wife Sarah born about 1795. I haven’t been able to confirm the relation to them but in the list of their children there is a 5 year gap between two of the children between 1821 and 1826. George’s birth was in either 1823 or 1828 and would fit in nicely. I can’t confirm the relation due to the fact George left his family in Ohio and went to Indiana before the US Census started naming all members of the household (1790 to 1840 only listed the name of the Head of Household)

If Daniel and Sarah are the parents of George G then I’ll be able to trace the Van Pelt line back to the Early 1500s to Pelt, Liege, Belgium when they went by the Surname Lanen or Laenen. I found this website about the Van Pelt Lines and how they received the name Van Pelt. Here is a Link to the Website. Here a couple of quotes I found from the site I found interesting.

 “The surname Van Pelt did not come into use in legal documents before
1700 when the Van Pelt children born of Anthonius Laenen deeded
property to their brother Aurt. Van Pelt.”

“Van Pett = surname; van Pelt = from Pelt. The Dutch word 'van' has
four definitions.”

I don’t know it the Van Pett is a typo or written intentionally.

Well, I just thought I’d share what I’ve come across while researching the Van Pelt line. I hope I find more good stuff in the near future.