USA > New York > Staten Island > History of Richmond County (Staten Island), New York : from its discovery to the present time > Part 55
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" Of his amiability and equanimity of temper, his charming personal presence, the uniform courtesy, the unvarying kind-
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ness of manner and of speech, little need be said in a com- mnnity where he was so universally known to both old and young. The pleasant smile, which was in his eyes as well as upon his lips, was not merely a greeting: it was a benediction. One could hardly meet him and not feel the better for it. almost without knowing why. This inborn grace of a noble and kindly nature 'made his face to shine' with an uncommon beauty in the morning of his days; so in the evening of his years it was as the golden sunset. He was indeed unworthy from whom it could be averted. If we read aright this was the lesson of his life-a profound reverence for human nature; a profound belief in man's high destiny; and an untiring de- votion to what he accepted as his duty to his fellow creatures.
" He died willingly, even gladly: no more questioning than he would question that day shall follow darkness, that he was about to join a heavenly company of loved ones who had gone before, and that beyond the grave he should find that king- dom of heaven which he had hoped might come on earth, and the way to which he had sought so diligently and so long."
SIMONSON .- Willen, the founder of the family on Staten Island, came from Holland in a vessel, the "Fox," in 1662. His descendants have become so numerous on the island that it is impossible to trace the different branches. They have been large freeholders, and many of them at the present time are prominent in the political and church affairs of the island. Aert (Arthur) in 1721 purchased an estate of one hundred and sixty acres at Carle's neck, now called New Springville, and the larger part of this land, with the old homestead, is still in possession of his family, having passed from father to son in each generation. The house is a picturesque old stone struc- ture shaded by a magnificent elm, probably the largest in the county. David Simonson, a direct descendant and the present owner and occupant, is one of the largest freeholders on the island. Isaac, a grandson of Aert, was an officer of the old Dutch Reformed church at Port Richmond, and in 1795 signed the call of the Rev. Thomas Kirby as pastor.
John, a grandson of Isaac, served in the war of 1812, and was noted as a man of deep learning and the possessor of a fine library containing many rare and ancient books.
Jacob, a grandson of Isaac, purchased part of the original estate and erected a handsome residence upon it. He lived
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there for the greater part of his life, and bequeathed the same to his children at his death. He served as supervisor of the town of Northfield from 1833 to 1840, and in 1840 he was elected sheriff of the county, and was again elected supervisor of his town in 1849. He died April 4, 1883, in his 85th year. His children are: John, William, who died in 1882; Isaac J., a flor- ist in Barclay street, New York; Jacob, a dentist in Newark, and Eliza J. Waters, residing in New York.
John W., son of Jacob and Ann E. Bedell, his first wife, was born on the old estate December 23, 1826, and died at West. New Brighton, December 28, 1882. In 1857 he was elected a vestryman of the old St. Andrew's church at Richmond, and served for a number of years.
In 1863 he was appointed one of the United States assessors of the internal revenue on Staten Island, and after serving the government nine years resigned the office. He was also the resident agent for the island of the Continental, Phoenix and Hanover Fire Insurance Companies of New York from 1865 to 1872. In 1875 he was elected a trustee of the village of New Brighton. In 1880 he was elected president of the New York City Fire Insurance Company and served until his death in 1882. In 1881 he was appointed resident manager for the United States of the Standard Fire Office of London, a large English corporation.
He was also prominent in the Masonic order, being a Knight Templar and a member of Palestine Commandery, New York.
In 1851 he married Charlotte A., daughter of Stephen D. Stephens, a prominent citizen of the island. Three of their children, Stephen D., Anne E. and Charles E., are now living at the family residence in West New Brighton. Stephen D., the eldest son of John W., is the junior member of the firm of Miller & Simonson, who are the agents for Staten Island of the Liverpool and London and Globe and other leading fire insur- ance companies. And he is also one of the trustees of the Richmond County Savings Bank.
STILWELL .- This family is of English origin and was here at an early date. The first mention of the name, with reference to the island, is in the Albany records, where a piece of wood- land on the south side of Fresh kill is mentioned as belonging to Daniel Stilwell in 1680. There is also mention made in our county records of Richard in 1689, of John in 1695-6 and 1708,
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and of Thomas in 1697 and 1704. It would appear then that at the close of the seventeenth century there were at least four families of the name in the county. We subjoin the names of those found in the several church records.
Elias and his wife Anne Burbank (she was probably the daughter of Thomas Burbank and Maritje Martling. See Bur- bank family), had a son Thomas baptized June 30, 1726, and a son Daniel baptized March 24, 1728. Thomas married Debora Martling, and had a son Elias baptized June 10, 1747. Nicholas born January, 1747, died April 26, 1819. Abraham born March, 1750, died September 12, 1824.
The Stilwells were for a long time an influential and prom- inent family in the county, and members of it filled many local offices (see civil and military lists), while there are yet several highly respectable individuals among them.
SPRAGUE .- The tradition in the family is that three brothers, Joseph, Edward and John, emigrated simultaneously from England, but the date of that event is lost; it must have been early, however, as we read of Jacob Spragg, who must have been a son of Joseph, as early as 1729. Of these brothers, Joseph took up his abode on Staten Island; of the other two, one settled on Long Island, and one in Rhode Island. Wil- liam, whose name we find in the county records in 1767, and Joseph in 1772, were undoubtedly grandsons of the original Joseph. The original Joseph had three sons, Jacob, John and Edward, notwithstanding, the family has not increased very rapidly, and at present numbers but a few families, mostly con- fined to the town of Westfield. The only notices of the name in the old record of St. Andrew's church, are the following : Andrew and Catharine Pryor married June 28, 1800. Jacob and Margaret Wood married July 12, 1800. Daniel, whose wife's name was Annatje (Anna), had a daughter Susannah, baptized July 18, 1762. There was another Daniel whose wife was Maria Poillon, and who had a son Jaques baptized March 26, 1738, and a son Daniel, baptized April 4, 1736, whose wife's name was Ariantje, and had a son Jeremiah, born December 1, 1763.
Here we abandon the attempt further to trace the genealogy, and give the remaining names which we have collected, leaving it to the members of the family to discover their own an- cestors. Sarah Pareyn (Perine), wife of William "obiit," had
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twins, William and Daniel, baptized September 6, 1719 (Post- humons). Jan and Elizabeth Parein (Perine) had a son John, baptized November 15, 1719. Thomas and Sarah Van Name had a son Thomas, baptized December 22, 1723. Daniel and Catharine Larzalere had a son Richard, baptized November 25, 1739. Joachim and Anna Tenners had a son John, baptized July 28, 1751, and a son Richard, May 23, 1759. Thomas and Nancy Fountain had a son Antone, baptized February 16, 1755. John and Helena Van Name had a son Elias baptized June 24, 1752. Richard and Jenneke (Jane) Van Name had a son Nicho- las, baptized September 21, 1735.
The above are from the records of the Dutch church; the fol- lowing are from St. Andrew's : Nicholas (son of last mentioned Richard) and his wife Effey (Eva) had a daughter Catharine, born November 13, 1761. Jeremiah and his wife Yetty had a son Peter, born April 30, 1764. John and Olly Taylor were married Sep- tember 15, 1757. Samuel and Hannah Van Pelt were married June 9, 1755. Richard and Mary his wife had a son Daniel, born February 7, 1770.
TAYLOR .- Abraham and Harmintje Haughwout had the fol- lowing children : Ephraim, baptized October 23, 1711, died young; Altje, (Alida), baptized May 18, 1710, died young; Rachel, baptized August 21, 1720; Altje, baptized November 25, 1722; Peter, baptized July 4, 1725; Ephraim, baptized April 6, 1729; and Margaret, baptized November 23, 1715. Ephraim married Elizabeth Morgan, January 4, 1756. Another Ephraim, probably father of Abraham, had a son Jan, and a daughter Marietta, both baptized in 1696.
The above family, though English in name, had assimilated with the Dutch, as is evident from the names of some of them, and are found in the records of the Dutch church. The fol- lowing are found in the records of St. Andrew's church, and are of another family. Oliver was born 1687, and died August 24, 1771; there is nothing to indicate that he was born on the is- land, though he died here. Henry and Judith had a son John, born September 20, 1770. Oliver and Sarah, daughter Eliza- beth, born August 24, 1771. Henry and Lydia, son Abraham, baptized in 1775. John and Fanny, son Oliver, born September 24, 1791. Benjamin and Ann Decker married September 9, 1791. John and Sarah Yates married Jannary 7, 1804.
AKTOTYPE, É BIERSTADT, N. Y.
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TOTTEN .- We can scarcely consider this family as among the old families of the island, though the name is found in local records for more than a century. In the records of St. Andrew's church the name occurs two or three times, until the organiza- tion of the Methodist church, when it becomes identified with that church. Gilbert was one of the first, and leading men, connected with that society.
The residence of the families bearing the name has been al- most exclusively in the town of Westfield, and the thriving village of Tottenville in that town perpetuates their respecta- bility and influence. The only notices of the name in church records, other than those of the Methodist church, are as fol- lows : Silas and Charity, his wife, had two sons : Joseph, born August 10, 1765, and Ephraim, born February 24, 1768. Joseph and Mary Cnbberly were married December 11, 1804.
EPHRAIM J. TOTTEN was born March 30, 1806, on the home- stead at Tottenville, where he remained until seventeen years of age. Finding the life of a mariner more attractive than the labor of the farm, he, at the age of nineteen, became mas- ter of a vessel sailing to southern coasts, and for a period of twenty-two years continued to follow the sea. In 1850, Mr. Totten, with many other adventurous spirits, started for the Pa- cific coast, and engaged in mercantile pursuits in San Francisco. He had, meanwhile, purchased the homestead farm, his present residence, and California no longer proving an attractive point, Tottenville became the scene of his business experiences. Here, until 1874, he continued a leading and successful merchant, finally abandoning the store and retiring to his attractive farm. As a republican, Mr. Totten has been an influential factor in politics. He filled the office of supervisor for the years 1846- 47, was a member of the state legislature in 1848, and has held other less important positions. He has also been assessor and member of the excise board. Public spirited and enter- prising. Tottenville and its varions interests have been ma- terially advanced through his agency. He was one of the pro- jectors and an early director of the Staten Island Railroad. Mr. Totten is a zealous member of the Bethel Methodist Epis- copal church, of which he has been for thirty-three years re- cording steward, and equally long a trustee. The lot upon which the edifice stands was donated by his father. Ephraim J. Totten was married, June 27, 1827, to Harriet, daughter of
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Jesse Oakley. Their children are : Gilbert, Julia A., George O, William W., Frances E., John J., James B. and Ella G. The death of Mrs. Totten occurred in Angust, 1866, and he was again married, in 1870, to Mrs. Elizabeth Downer, daughter of Jeremiah T. Brower, of Belleville, N. J. The Totten family are of Welsh extraction, three brothers having emigrated from Wales. Gilbert and Joseph settled on Staten Island, the latter attaining distinction and influence as a Methodist divine. Gil- bert became an extensive land owner on Staten Island, married Mary Butler and had children : James, John, Joseph, Rachel, Mary, Letitia, Elizabeth and John, of this number, was born in 1771, and died in 1847. He married Nancy Cole, of Staten Island, and had twelve children, one of whom is the subject of this biography.
TYSEN .- This family is of Dutch origin. Barne Tysen came from Amsterdam about the year 1660. He married Maria Kroesen in 1672. He applied for a grant of land in 1674 and obtained grant by patent from Edmund Andros in 1677. He built the old stone house on the land granted by Andros. He had three sons : Abraham, Cornelius and David. Abraham had a son, Abraham DeDecker Tysen, who was baptized October 21, 1707, and Cornelius married Clymer Morgan Classen in 1703; but we have been unable to trace their descendants. David married Magdalena Morgan in 1698 and died in 1710, leaving a son, Barent Tysen, who was born February 4, 1699, married Elizabeth Swain October 20, 1723, and died December 29, 1752, leaving one son, John Tysen, who was born October -10, 1731. He married Cordelia Bergen May 1, 1757, and died March 7, 1808. He was elected trustee of the " Reformed Dutch Church on Staten Island" in 1787, ordained elder in 1797 and was several times supervisor of Northfield. He had two sons, John and Jacob. John was born March 17, 1758, and married Miss Elizabeth Jaques March 21, 1798. He was elected deacon and treasurer of the "North Dutch Church" in 1802 and remained its treasurer until his death, February 6, 1827. The records of the church contain the following :
" Whereas, God in his Sovereign Providence has removed by Death Capt. John Tysen, Treasurer of this Church, who died yesterday, Feb'y 6, 1827, Elder of this Church and accordingly member of the Consistory of the same. Whereupon it was unanimously
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" Resolred, That the surviving members of the Consistory, as a suitable mark of respect for the usefulness, piety, faithful- ness and zeal of said deceased Elder, we do wear crape on the left arm for the space of thirty days from the date hereof."
He left a large family, of whom one is now living-Charles Tysen, residing at Port Richmond.
David Jaques, his eldest son, was born August 28, 1807, married Miss Elizabeth P. Lake December 29, 1831, and died March 27, 1885, leaving two sons, Daniel W. and David J., both residing at New Dorp.
Isaac F., another son of John, was born in February, 1814, married Miss Cordelia H. Jackson January 11, 1837, and died March 26, 1886, leaving one son, Robert F., residing in New York city.
Jacob, son of John, Sen., was born October 8, 1773, and mar- ried Miss Mary Housman February 6, 1794. He became treas- urer of the North Dutch church at the death of his brother John. He was judge, state senator and member of congress. He died July 16, 1848, leaving three sons : John, Richard and Raymond M. John, the eldest, was born February 1, 1803, and is still living at Schraalenburgh, N. J. Richard was born May 13, 1805, married Miss Elizabeth W. Perine May 19, 1830, and died February 2, 1866, leaving two sons : Jacob Raymond, residing at Jacksonville, Florida, and Edward P., residing at New Dorp. Raymond M. was born October 14, 1819, and died May 8, 1851, leaving no male issue.
The records show that this family has been largely interested in Staten Island realty, and David J. Tysen is now one of the largest owners of real estate in the county. As was the custom with many of the old settlers, for a century or more they buried in their family burying ground on their homestead, John Tysen being the last buried there in 1808.
VAN BUSKIRK, VAN DUZER .- Neither of these can be re- garded as old Staten Island families. There was a Cornelius Van Buskirk here during the revolution, but he came from Bergen. The sites of the Pavilion, at New Brighton, and St. Peter's church now occupy a part of his farm. His dwelling house stood along the Shore road, at the foot of the hill upon which St. Mark's hotel stands, and is alluded to elsewhere. He had a son who owned a farm on the road leading from Qnaran- tine to Richmond near the Clove road. Another son lived at
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West New Brighton, and owned the mill which formerly stood on the "Factory Dock;" his wife was a Schermerhorn from Schenectady.
The Van Buskirks were among the earliest settlers on Bergen Point, and were a very respectable though not a numerous family, on the island. Mrs. Van Duzer, mother-in-law of Hon. H. B. Metcalfe, married a son of the original Cornelius Van Buskirk, and after his death married the late Daniel Van Duzer.
The Van Duzer family originally came from Long Island, and settled on Staten Island near the close of the last century.
Daniel Van Duzer left at least two sons, John H. and Daniel C., both now deceased.
JOHN H. VAN CLIEF is one of the prominent business men of Richmond county who, by industry and careful methods, has won for himself success and reputation. Mr. Van Clief is a grandson of Daniel Van Clief, of German extraction, who settled on a farm near Garrison's Station, S. I., previous to the revolu- tion, and who was four times wounded during the colonial struggle for independence. The family enjoys an enviable record for patriotism and loyalty, members of it having served in the war of 1812, in the Mexican war and in the war of the rebellion. One of its members, Benjamin Van Clief, died on Staten Island of a wound received in the war with Mexico. He was a son of Jesse Van Clief, and a brother of the subject of this sketch.
Jesse Van Clief was a man of indomitable courage and energy. He was a ship blacksmith and was employed in the construc- tion of many famons war ships, among which was the "Consti- tution." While working upon her he broke his leg, and in order that her completion might not be delayed he allowed himself to be transported from Staten Island to the Brooklyn navy yard on a couch, after which he superintended the rigging of the vessel in his invalid condition. Afterward he fought in the war of 1812, in which he had the misfortune to lose his hearing.
Jesse Van Chief married Miss Margaret Moore (English) and of their ten children John was the fourth. He attended private school in the neighborhood of his home till his father's death left him, at the age of ten, an orphan. Though thrown upon his own resources for support he did not give up the idea of edu- cating himself, and with this end in view he spent many of his
of The Save The lich
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evenings in the night school at Tompkinsville. The same spirit which characterized him in this has attended him through his whole business career. At the age of seventeen he com- menced learning the trade of a carpenter, and at twenty-one he engaged in contract work for himself. In 1854 he discontinued contracting and started in the lumber business at Port Rich- mond. The success which he has attained in this, as in his other ventures, is well known on Staten Island, and is entirely due to his foresight and good judgment.
Mr. Van Clief has never held political office, though he has long been identified with the politics of the county as a staunch democrat. For thirteen years he was a member of the Rich- mond County Guard, and during a portion of that time served as sergeant of the company. He has interested himself in real estate on Staten Island of which he is a large holder, and his advice in regard to real estate and land values generally, is highly esteemed by business men. He was married July 17, 1836, to Miss Janette Vreeland. He has had seven children, all of whom survive.
THE VANDERBILTS .- Staten Island is remarkable in that it was the birthplace of the distinguished American railroad king (Commodore) Cornelius Vanderbilt, and for many years the residence of his world-famous son and heir, William H. Van- derbilt. Without a sketch of their lives, whose names and those of their descendants are interwoven with so many inci- dents of its progress, a history of Richmond county must be incomplete.
Commodore Vanderbilt was of Holland Dutch descent. The common ancestor of the family from which he came, Jan (John) Aoertsen Van der Bilt, arrived in this country from (van) der Bilt or Bylt, the hill, in Holland, about 1650, and took up his residence near Flatbush, Long Island .* A grandson of the latter, Jacob Van der Bilt. in 1718, purchased from his father,
*Jan Aoertsen Vander Bildt married Dierber Cornelius. He married three times. The second wife is assumed to have been the ancestress, as the name Cornelius is repeated in the family. Jacob Janse (son of John), married, August 13, 1687, Maritje (Mary) Vander Vliet (of the stream). Jacob, Jr., born 1692, bought a farm on Staten Island, 1718, whence he had removed from Flatbush, L. [. It will be seen how long a time the Vanderbilts have been associated with the island. He connected himself with the Moravian church : married Neeltje (Cor- nelia) Denyse. Jacob, born 1723, married Mary Hoogland. Cornelius married Phoebe Hand, February 3, 1787. The Cornelius Vanderbilt of this sketch was their son.
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of the same name, a farmi on Staten Island, to which he re- moved with his wife, Eleanor. It was he who founded the Staten Island branch of the Vanderbilt family.
For more than a century his hardy descendants developed nothing of a remarkable character. They were quiet, indus- trious farmers, pious, perhaps to a fault, and liberal in their support of the little Moravian church, to the faith of which they were converted by some of the persecuted followers of John Huss, then settled at New Dorp. "Not slothful in busi- ness, serving the Lord," is a motto which they seem early to have adopted, and to have followed through the long years with most commendable consistency.
On May 27, 1794, Cornelius Vanderbilt was born, at the home of his parents, near Stapleton .* He was the son of Cor- nelius Van Derbilt and Phœbe Hand, and the great-grandson of Jacob Van der Bilt. His boyhood and youth were spent very much after the manner of other farmers' sons, in the pursuit of amusement and the performance of minor tasks about the homestead. He did not love school, and early acquired a taste for a seafaring life. But his mother, a woman of sound com- mon sense, won him from his dreams with a practical proposal. the acceptance of which by him started her son on that won- derful career which finally seated him, if not in the highest, then in the most useful position offered by modern civilization as a goal for ambition. The proposal was this, that in case of his completing an almost impossible piece of work upon the farm before a certain date he should have one hundred dollars, with which to purchase for himself a boat. He accepted the terms, and with the assistance of other boys, whom he interested in the project by offering them the privilege of sailing with him, he won the prize. This took place in his sixteenth year, and shortly after he began the transportation business by carry- ing passengers to and from Staten Island for an established toll of eighteen cents. Often when he first started in this business he would forego his meals to ferry excursion parties to the city and secure the extra reward sure to follow.
He made money rapidly. At the end of the first year he gave
*The name Vanderbilt, like most Dutch names, has been subjected to modifi- cation in its spelling. Commodore Vanderbilt always signed it with a capital D, while his son, William H., and the present representatives of the family write it without division-Vanderbilt.
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one hundred dollars to his mother for the boat, and one thousand dollars besides. At the end of the second he gave her another thousand dollars, and had secured a fractional interest in two or three more boats. The war of 1812 also furnished him many opportunities to add to his regular business, which he eagerly seized, and from which he profited largely, insomuch that he began to be regarded as a remarkable youth. While engaged in this manner he developed many of the peculiarities which so distinguished his after life, especially that of never allowing himself to be underbid or circumvented by any person or in any way,*
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