Thanks for the information about the "angel" story! It does sound like rewritten history, when you think about it.

I think the book she is quoting from is one I have of the records of the Dutch Reformed Church. The church in America had made quite an issue of properly establishing where the applicants were "from" when they published the banns/recorded their intentions. A few from Manhattan had apparently gone to the little outpost on Long Island and recorded their intentions there, when they were officially "from" the Manhattan. (This was very early. I think about 1650.) That event created a tiff and letters were written back and forth and an ordinance of sorts was passed, etc. The DRC marriage records books recorded in each entry: the name of the man, his status as "young man" or "widower" AND the place he was from. The same for the woman. So, I would say that the phrase probably is in relation to that and Engelt is referring to England.
Just checked the book and another early entry ends with "Van Jarleston, in Engelt." So, Engelt does mean England. The "Absin" I'm guessing on. It might refer to a town/area in England, but I can't figure out which it would be. When I tried to look up the Dutch word for "absent", it gave me a word that was very different, but maybe there is an equivalent? Don't know.