▁Martin ▁Van ▁Bur en ' s ▁wife , ▁Hann ah ▁Ho es , ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁Johannes ▁Dir cks en ▁Ho es ▁( 1 7 5 3 – 1 7 8 9 ), ▁and ▁Maria ▁Qu aken b ush ▁( 1 7 5 4 – 1 8 5 2 ) ▁who ▁were ▁of ▁Dutch ▁ancest ry , ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁Val atie ▁in ▁the ▁c ▁ 1 7 6 0 s ▁dwell ing ▁known ▁as ▁Ho es ▁House . ▁ ▁. ▁His ▁mat ernal ▁ancest ral ▁home , ▁Ho es ▁House , ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁Val atie ▁circa ▁ 1 7 6 0 ▁and ▁tradition ▁states ▁that ▁Van ▁Bur en ' s ▁mother , ▁Maria ▁Ho es ▁Van ▁Al en ▁returned ▁here -- to ▁Ho es ▁House -- to ▁give ▁birth ▁to ▁Martin ▁Van ▁Bur en ▁during ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁cont ag ious ▁fe ver ▁ra ging ▁in ▁Kinder hook ▁village ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁birth . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁unusual ▁for ▁women ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁their ▁mat ernal ▁homes ▁to ▁give ▁birth , ▁even ▁without ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁cont ag ious ▁disease . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁taught ▁in ▁a ▁local ▁Kinder hook ▁school ▁by ▁master ▁V r ouw ▁L ange . ▁ ▁Like ▁Martin , ▁she ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁a ▁Dutch ▁home ; ▁she ▁spoke ▁primarily ▁Dutch , ▁and ▁spoke ▁English ▁with ▁a ▁distinct ▁acc ent . ▁ ▁Van ▁Bur en ▁was ▁devoted ▁to ▁his ▁sh y , ▁blue - ey ed ▁b ride , ▁whom ▁he ▁always ▁called ▁" J