Who is Jesse DeForest?
Jesse was born in 1576 in Avesnes, France. He eventually moved to Leyden in the Netherlands where he had a successful career as a dyer of cloth. He probably would have stayed there for the rest of his life there sinking into the anonymity of history, however rough economic times and supporting a large family, of at least 10 children, forced him to look for greener pastures. At this time that meant one thing, emigration to the New World.
So Jesse gathered a group of Walloons together for creating a colony. After some unfruitful negotiations with the English, Jesses's group eventually negotiated a deal with the Dutch East India Company to settle in the New World. Jesse's group emigrated to the Dutch colony of New Netherland, now known as New York. Jesse is today recognized as one of the founding fathers of New York City. Although the settlers made it fine, Jesse did not. In fact at this point, around 1623 Jesse drops completely off of the historical record. All we knew of him was that he had "Gone to the West Indies," the New World. Nothing would be known of Jesse's fate for 278 years.
So Jesse gathered a group of Walloons together for creating a colony. After some unfruitful negotiations with the English, Jesses's group eventually negotiated a deal with the Dutch East India Company to settle in the New World. Jesse's group emigrated to the Dutch colony of New Netherland, now known as New York. Jesse is today recognized as one of the founding fathers of New York City. Although the settlers made it fine, Jesse did not. In fact at this point, around 1623 Jesse drops completely off of the historical record. All we knew of him was that he had "Gone to the West Indies," the New World. Nothing would be known of Jesse's fate for 278 years.
Jesse's Journal
It took until 1901 to pick up Jesse's trail. Before this time it was always assumed that Jesse had joined the New Netherland settlers, but he had passed away during the trip or shortly thereafter. Then Rev. George Edmondson, while doing research in the massive stacks of the British library, discovered the "Journal du voyage faict par les peres de familles enuoyes faict Mrs. les Directeurs de la Compagnee des Indes occidentales pour visiter la coste de Gujane" or Journal of the Voyage made by the fathers of families sent by the Honorable Directors of the (Dutch) West India Company to visit the coast of Guiana This journal detailed the expedition of the caravel Pigeon, led by Jesse, to the Amazon River area in South America, scouting for colony sites. Click here to read the introduction page of the journal.
While this journal does detail Jesse's trip, and is known as the "journal of Jesse DeForest" it probably was not written by him. Not only does it refer to Jesse in third person, which would not be the case if Jesse himself were the author, Jesse dies toward the end of the trip. The journal continues long after Jesse's death so obviously it has to have at least two different authors. The best guess as to the true author of the journal is Jesse's good friend Johannes (or Jehan/Jean) De La Montague. Johannes later would wed Jesse's daughter Rachel, and become one of the leaders of New Netherland. He became one of the first mayors of Fort Orange (now Albany, NY) before the eventual surrender to the British.
Now the Journal is an interesting historical relic with it's tale of exploration and colonial conflict. Not only is it an important first hand report of the Dutch exploits in South America, it is also well known for having some of the first detailed maps of the Brazilian coast north of the Amazon.
While this journal does detail Jesse's trip, and is known as the "journal of Jesse DeForest" it probably was not written by him. Not only does it refer to Jesse in third person, which would not be the case if Jesse himself were the author, Jesse dies toward the end of the trip. The journal continues long after Jesse's death so obviously it has to have at least two different authors. The best guess as to the true author of the journal is Jesse's good friend Johannes (or Jehan/Jean) De La Montague. Johannes later would wed Jesse's daughter Rachel, and become one of the leaders of New Netherland. He became one of the first mayors of Fort Orange (now Albany, NY) before the eventual surrender to the British.
Now the Journal is an interesting historical relic with it's tale of exploration and colonial conflict. Not only is it an important first hand report of the Dutch exploits in South America, it is also well known for having some of the first detailed maps of the Brazilian coast north of the Amazon.