Phillip Gysberti Hoodenpyl's
"Original"
Coat Of Arms

Once or twice in a lifetime something comes along that literally
"knocks us off our feet!"  
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES!!

This Coat of Arms, in all probability, is the original that our ancestor
Phillip Gysberti Hoodenpyl brought to America from Holland.

If I didn't think it probable, it would not be on this site!

6 1/2" x 9 1/2" including frame
stiff  parchment - original is grey with black lettering and has no coloring
Schiedam is pronounced Skid-um

Phillip

"Phillip...was a member of a family of great respect, and a descendant of some royal
family of the kingdom who had done distinguished service for the crown, both in the
Army and Navy.  Evidences of these facts were known and perpetuated in the coat
of arms or seal held by Phillip at his death.  One of the characters represented on
the seal was two single females of the family, who at some critical period of the
nation singly and alone successfully held a fort during siege of the same, and for
this patriotic success they were permitted, when marrying, to retain the name of
Hodenpyl.  One other device on the seal represented a brother in command of a
fleet or ship, who had also performed meritorious acts on the sea."
                          ~From: "Compendium of Local Biography (1899) Sequatchie & Bledsoe County (TN)

Where has the Coat Of Arms lay hidden all of these years?

Did Andrew J. Hoodenpyl actually have it?

For years the story has circulated among Hoodenpyl researchers that the
Coat of Arms was last known to be in the possession of Andrew J. Hoodenpyl,
son of Peter and grandson of Phillip.

One source:

 "Phillip Hoodenpyl, Sr. was born, reared and educated at Amsterdam, Holland.
 His parents were of more than ordinary note, they being indeed of royal descent
on the paternal side.  Some of the blood have obtained great renown, and for
valorous deeds and meritorious lives gained marked distinction and have been
rewarded and honored by their government.  Their coat of arms bore a great
many remarkable devices, representing special acts of valor and service to their
country performed on land and sea.  This coat of arms was brought to this country
by Phillip and preserved by him with jealous care, and referred to with pride.
He often told his children that some day he would come into a large estate from
his family in Holland and that the seal and coat of arms would assist in
establishing his identity, and admonished them to preserve them as of value.
 "THE LAST AUTHENTIC KNOWLEDGE OF THIS COAT OF ARMS,
IT WAS IN THE POSSESSION OF HIS GRANDSON, A. J. HOODENPYL,
IN 1850, WHEN HE MOVED TO ARKANSAS.  
This grandson has since died and its whereabouts is now unknown."
                                           ~P. J. Norwood.  Cleburne, Texas, August 1st, 1892.

Was it given to Andrew's daughter Mary Jane Hoodenpyl?

Andrew J. Hoodenpyl, grandson of Phillip, had a daughter Mary Jane, who
was living with he and wife Sarah Marbury Faulkner Hoodenpyl in Sevier Co.
AR when he died 25 Jan 1858.  Mary Jane was not Sarah's child.
                                            ~Sevier Co. AR Probate Record Bk. 6, p. 185, 186

And, did Mary Jane carry it back to Tennessee?

When Andrew first migrated to Arkansas in 1850, did he leave Mary Jane
with his sister Catherine Jane Hoodenpyl Norwood in Bledsoe Co. TN and
later send for, and move her to Arkansas?   There's a Mary listed in the
Norwood household on the 1850 Census, seven years old.  When Andrew
died in 1858, Mary Jane was sent back to her Aunt Catherine
who raised her in Bledsoe County, or someone came and got her.
  Mary Jane must have carried the Coat of Arms back to
Tennessee, or it was possibly given to her at a later date!

Catherine Jane Hoodenpyl was born 10 Oct 1821 died 11 Sep 1901, married
1841, St. Clair Norwood.

Sarah Marbury Hoodenpyl died in 1859.  Was this the year Mary Jane was
sent to Tennessee?  Mary Jane is not shown on the 1860 Census as living in the
home of St. Clair & Catherine Norwood.  Where was she?

Mary Jane married 19 Oct 1870 Elza Jones Argo, lived in McMinnville,
Tennessee and later moved to Sparta, Tennessee where she died 20 Jun 1890.
 They had five children but only two daughters survived.

And, was it passed to these daughters of Mary Jane?

Fannie Olivia Argo Richards

1. Fannie Olivia Argo b 5 Jun 1873 married 18 Dec 1895 Andrew Franklin
Richards in Sparta.  They had one son Frank Argo Richards.  
Fannie Olivia died 16 Dec 1936.

Susan Jane Argo Bonner

2. Susan Jane Argo married 1915 Cicero F. Bonner of McMinnville and
they had one daughter, Mary Redding Bonner.  Mary married
Horace Hudgens, is 82 years old and lives in Sparta, Tennessee.
 
   Mary is the proud possessor of the Hodenpyl Coat of Arms!!

How My Finding The Coat of Arms Transpired

Several weeks ago, I was scanning through my research when a particular letter
caught my eye.  It was written by Mary Hudgens of Sparta, Tennessee in 1978 to
another researcher and a copy was sent to me in the 1980's.  In the letter,
Mary mentioned that she had Phillip Hoodenpyl's original Coat of Arms.
 I almost passed out!  How had I missed that?  I had been to Bledsoe Co.
Tennessee, researched in the Court House and never made an attempt to
contact Mary Hudgens, only a short distance away.  Unbelievable!

It had been twenty years since that letter was written and I knew
I had to find Mary if she was still living.   Luckily, she is and and doing
well.  Of course, I immediately inquired as to the Coat of Arms.

I asked Mary to describe the Coat of Arms and she told me that it has always
hung on the wall and she never had taken it out of it's frame.  She had thought
about doing it to see the type of material.  She said, "It's grey with faint
black markings and the material looks like parchment.
 The frame is black and very old."

Mary Shares Her Treasure 

She placed it, frame and all, on a copy machine and sent me a copy.  The
copy was very black but I could tell the devices were different from what I had
seen in publications, and told her I would pay the costs if she would make a
picture and send to me.  She took it out of the frame, found it to be parchment,
had it photographed and I received it yesterday, 28 April 1999.  Mary wouldn't
let me pay the costs because she stated, "This is my contribution to the 'family.'"

And WHAT A Contribution!!

Mary, this is a great big "Thank You" from all of us
who diligently search for our Hoodenpyl roots!

Sources:
Mary Redding Bonner Hudgens - 1999
Argo Family Bible - In possession of Mary Redding Bonner Hudgens
Letters from Miss Elizabeth Parham Robnett, Bledsoe Co. TN. Historian 1990
1850 Bledsoe Co. TN Census
Sevier Co. AR Probate Records Bk. 6, p. 185, 186

 This site created and maintained by Aletha Summerhill Rogers.   Any published
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