From "The Barent Jacobsen Cool Family," Richard H. Benson, Newbury Street Press, Boston, 2001.

Barent Jacobsen Cool sailed to New Amsterdam, possibly from Amsterdam as a sailor in late 1632 on the ship Soutberg, which arrived in April 1633 with 140 soldiers. At that time, New Amsterdam, now New York City, had a population of only 400 to 500 people.

On June 8, 1633, he and six others signed a treaty with the Sickename Indians for purchasing land on the Connecticut River. The cost was recorded as 27 rolls of cloth, 6 axes, 6 kettles, 18 knives, and other articles. This was done to halt English exploration of the land. Barent's group also built a trading house called "The House of Good Hope" and fortified it with several cannons.

Barent returned to Amsterdam by November 16, 1635. At that time, he and a gold wiremaker named Jacob Hanssen lodged a complaint about withholding pay from officers of the West India Company returning to Amsterdam on the ship Eendracht against Lubbert van Dincklagen, the former sheriff of New Netherland. Van Dincklagen said it was part of dispute with the director-general of the colony, named Wouter van Twiller.

Barent sailed on the ship Den Dolphyn to New Amsterdam in early 1638 with his father-in-law, Leendert Arentsen DeGrauw. It is presumed that his wife and her brothers and sisters were also on board. On April 19, 1638, the crew of the Den Dolphyn made a formal complaint to the provincial secretary about how the ship leaked during the voyage and that the captain had not provided enough food for the passengers. Barent and DeGrauw testified that several children belonging to Jan Schepmoes and his wife didn't receive enough food.

Barent later was captain of the yacht Amsterdam between 1638 and 1644. He sailed on the Hudson River and was a river pilot for other boats.

On April 13, 1654, Barent became a wine and beer carrier for the Dutch West India Company. He watched the company warehouse and was appointed by the New Amsterdam burgomasters as an exciseman. He, along with Joost Goderus, boarded ships in New Amsterdam, searched their contents, and levied duty on the goods they found. On September 21, 1663, Barent was appointed as a public porter and was elected foreman (Elder of the Beer Porters) on July 17, 1665.

On April 14, 1657, he was enrolled as a burgher of New Amsterdam and took an oath of allegiance to the city authorities, the States-General of the United Netherlands, and the Dutch West India Company and its director-general. After the surrender of New Amsterdam to the English in September 1664, Barent took an oath of allegiance to the king of Great Britain.

Barent and his family lived in house that was owned by the West India Company. This house was on Brough (Bridge) Street. In 1668, the governor conferred title of Barent's father-in-law's land to him. This lot was on Broadway, just south of Wall Street across from the south yard of Trinity Church.

The last known record of Barent Jacobsen Cool is at the baptism of his grandson in New York, dated October 21, 1671, in which he is listed as a sponsor.

Early Germans of New Jersey by Chambers. He was in New Amsterdam in the employ of the Dutch West India Company. Barent's family was one of the five families living, June 8, 1633, on Bridge Street in New Amsterdam. Barent was a Dutch government representative with the Dutch West Indies Company He was a very respected man.