Overview: The Barkalow Branch


The generally accepted forefather of the Barkalow lines, also referred to as the Freehold or Monmouth County, New Jersey lines, is Dirck Willemse Barkalo(c1675-1744), a son of the Dutch immigrant, Willem Janse Lubberdinck van Borculo. With but few exceptions, this spelling has remained remarkably consistent as the trademark surname for most Van Borculo research, the primary published work being that of Mrs. John Spell in the mid-1950's.

The Barkalow branch, based upon the 1900 census, cannot claim the most surname bearers among Van Borculo lines though a legitimate argument can be raised regarding its position as the group with the greatest number of living descendants. This paradox is achieved by noting that, as a pure alliteration, not all Barkalows are descendants of Dirck(though so few as to be inconsequential), but should you include its subgroup alliterations(Barcalow, Barclow, Barcklow and Barklow), its legions of offspring swell appreciably. Since more than one major alliterative group is affected by the large number of Barklows in its descending branches, it[Barklow] could easily be treated as a separate group, by quantity, rather than by phonetic distinction. However, that could cause more problems due to the fact the majority of Barklows in the U.S. are actually descended from the Hunterdon Co.,NJ "Barkelow" lines, not the Monmouth Co.,NJ "Barkalow" lines. The Hunterdon County Barkelows became, almost exclusively, Bartlows. As a result, if your surname or ancestor is a Barklow, you need to check both branch categories.

So, at least for the purposes of clarifying the structure of my Van Borculo research, the Barkalow surname will be treated as the lineal aggregate of only those whose ancestral roots are directly traceable to Dirck Barkalo and Jannetje Van Arsdale.

Dirck Barkalo(c1675-1744) was the father of eight known children, only three of whom could pass on the Barkalow name. His sons were: William(1714-1766), Cornelius(1717-1785) and Daniel(1720-1795).

William Barkalow(1714-1766) had eight of his own, including six sons, all by Aeltje Williamsen. Records suggest them to be Arthur(1740-1801), Derrick(1745-1803), William(1750-1822), David(c1752-1809), Cornelius(1755-1826), and Samuel(c1760-c1834). This line was raised near Allentown, Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County,NJ. Arthur and William's lines went to OH. Cornelius removed to Saratoga Co.,NY in 1792. Derrick, David and Samuel remained in the area near Allentown, near the border with Burlington County.

Cornelius Barkalow(1717-1785), married Jannetje Aumack and had three sons baptised at the Marlboro RD Church: Derrick(1745-1828), Stephen(1748-1825), and John(1751-1804). This line lived just south of Freehold in Blue Ball, Howell Township.

Daniel Barkalow(1720-1795), Dirk's youngest son, had only a daughter by his first wife, Lydia Stilwell, but four children(three sons) by Ann Luyster, his second mate. These namesakes were Derick(1775-1801), Nicholas(1778-1858) and Daniel(1783-1854). Nicholas and Daniel removed to Butler Co.,Ohio by 1811.

By the end of the War of 1812, most of Dirck Barkelo's grandchildren had been settled beyond Monmouth County for almost twenty years. Outside of Freehold,NJ, there is no stronger association or Barkalow connection with a specific geographical region than by those lines which emigrated to the Greater Miami River Valley between Dayton and Hamilton,Ohio about 1805. The four surviving sons of Arthur Barkalow are the primary ancestral forefathers of those lines today.


Pedigree Charts(outline)


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