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Note: Amanda was a tailor, who specialized in hats. She wanted to move out west and set up her business on the frontier, before her marriage. Gravestone; Marriage Certificate; Memorial Record of the Counties of Delaware, Union and Morrow, Ohio, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1895
Amanda's cousin George Meeker was mayor of Columbus Ohio. His son was the noted writer, Claude Meeker. Their biographys have been incuded in numerous books, such as Taylor, William Alexander, Centennial History of Columbus and Franklin County Ohio, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. Chicago-columbus: 1909 and The Lewis Publishing Company Chicago, Centennial Biogaphical History of Columbus and Franklin County Ohio, 1901
These sources tell that Van Brimmer's immigrant ancestor was Christian Van Brimmer, who was one of the officers who traveled with Sir Henry Hudson in the "Half Moon," when Hudson sailed for the Dutch East India Company in April 1609. The expidition was searching for a passage into the Pacific Ocean, but instead sailed into what became Hudson Bay and the Hudson River--named for the expedition. There was a mutiny and some of the crew including Christian returned to the Netherlands.
In 1623, Christian Van Brimmer returned to North America, where he settled in the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam, that became New York, on what became Manhatten Island. Although Christian had began as a toiler of the seas, he took a less active part in this Dutch community than the more conspicious compatriots, such as Petrus Stuyveasant, who was the last Dutch Governor of New York. Since then, many Van Brimmers/Brimmers and people of variations of that name have lived in New York.
Sources: Gravestone; Marriage Certificate; Memorial Record of the Counties of Delaware, Union and Morrow, Ohio, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1895; History of Delaware County and Ohio, O. L. Baskin & Co. Historical Publishers, 186 Dearborn Street, 1880; Lytle, A. R., History of Delaware County Ohio, Delaware, Ohio 1908;
Abraham and Mary Levan Van Brimmer are the first ancestors to which the Van Brimmers of our family can be traced. Their children were Isaac, Jacob, Mary, Hannah, and Thomas. This branch of family had left New York and moved to Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. Here two Van Brimmer-Meeker marriages took place, Joshua Meeker married Hannah Van Brimmer and Thomas VanBrimmer married Catherine Meeker.
Notable descendants of the Van Brimmer-Meeker lineage included: Ex Mayor of Columbus, George (Washington) Meeker. He was a lawyer, magistrate, and Chief Executive of the Capital City and an author and journalist. He published exhaustive papers upon the constitutional relations of the Mormon religion and the power of the government to subvert them. He also engaged in newspaper work as proprietor, editor, and contributor. His history of the Dutch and Huguenots in Africa and the comingling of the two people was said to have been more comprehensive and accurate than anything yet published on the subject. "The Portrait Gallery and Cyclopedia of the Distinguished Men of Ohio," was said to be a monument to his memory ("Centennial History of Columbus and Franklin County" by William Alexander Taylor).
Claude Loraine Meeker became political editor, reporter, and special correspondent of the Cincinnati Enquieer. He was also the special correspondent of the New York World.
Meeker had some responsibility for Grover Cleveland's election as president. During Cleveland's presidential race, Meeker's comments gained prominence through the columns of the New York World, St. Louis Repbulic, Chicage Tribune, Washington Post, and the Times-Star. After his election, President Cleveland appointed Claude Meeker as consul at Bradford, England. He became impressed with the historic lore associated with the country. The story of the Brontes interested him.
He helped to introduce the Bronte's writing to the United States.Later in 1920, Meeker published a work in the Columbus Kit Kat entitled, "the British Empire—A Century's March Toward Democracy." In Columbus, Ohio, Meeker purchased and presented to its library, a rare collection of Ohioana, valued at $5,000 dolars, which was the most valuable gift that the library had then received. He continued to acquire rare additions to the library. He was particularly attracted to the village of Haworth ( and the life-story and home of the Brontes and he is noted today for bringing the work of the Bronte family to a wider audience. (Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, In Memoriam Claud Meeker Meeting of the Kit-Kat Club of Columbus)
Sources: Gravestone; Marriage Certificate;
History of Delaware County and Ohio, O. L. Baskin & Co. Historical Publishers, 186 Dearborn Street, 1880
Lytle, A. R., History of Delaware County Ohio, Delaware, Ohio 1908;
Meeker, Albert. Meeker-VanBrimmer Proceedings, First Public Reunion for Sixty Years, Published by the Meeker-VanBrimmer Association. 1887.
Memorial Record of the Counties of Delaware, Union and Morrow, Ohio, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1895
Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, In Memoriam Claud Meeker Meeting of the Kit-Kat Club of Columbus, Ohio. The F. J. Herr Printing Co., S. Fourth St. Columbus, Ohio. 1932
Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, In Memoriam Claud Meeker Meeting of the Kit-Kat Club of Columbus
Taylor, William Alexander, Centennial History of Columbus and Franklin County Ohio, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. Chicago-columbus: 1909
The Lewis Publishing Company Chicago, Centennial Biogaphical History of Columbus and Franklin County Ohio, 1901
The Portrait Gallery and Cyclopedia of the Distinguished Men of Ohio
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