Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume I, Part 41

Author: Reynolds, Cuyler, 1866-1934, ed
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 656

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The family name of VAN VECHTEN Van Vechten is de- rived from the Dutch, signifying that those who bore that name and were met on their journeyings or located in other places than on the original estate, came "from the Vechet" river in Holland. Three centuries ago, or about 1600, the Van Vech- tens resided in Vechten, province of Utrecht, Holland. For a century and a half prior to the American revolution the name was also very commonly spelled Van Veghten, and this form may be seen signed on hundreds of the revolutionary records in the state of New York, and on any number of private docu- ments, wills, deeds and family Bible records.

Van Vechten arms: Shield: Sable, a fesse battled counter, embattled and cotised argent. Crest : Issuing out of a ducal coronet a pair of eagle's wings crect ; dexter wing sable : sin- ister, argent. It was borne by Teunis Dirck- sen Van Vechten, of Vechten, province of Utrecht, Holland, prior to 1638. The fesse crossing the shield signifies a military belt of honor conferred by the monarch for some es- pecial deed of valor, and the battlements show it to have been given in defence of an attack on a fortress of great strength.

(I) The progenitor of the Van Vechten

family in America was Teunis Dircksen Van Vechten, son of Dirck Van Vechten, of Ut- recht, who came to this country in 1638 from Holland in the ship called "The Arms of Norway." He brought with him his wife, child and two servants, and located on the bank of the Hudson river opposite Albany, but a little south of the city proper, where he proceeded to engage in farming. It is re- corded that he succeeded to the farm of Michael Jansen in 1646, and 1648 found him located at the southern end of Greenbush, changed later to Rensselaer, New York. In 1663 he is chronicled as one of the "old in- habitants." He was sometimes styled "Poen- tie." Their children (living in 1700) were: I. Dirck Theunise, see forward. 2. Cornelis Theunise, married (first) Sara Salomense Goewey, in 1668; married (second) Annatje Leendertse; married (third) Maria Lucase Claase, widow, July 3, 1689. 3. Gerrit Theu- nise, married (first) Antje Janse : married (second) Greetje Volckert, daughter of Volckert Jans Douw. 4. Pietertje, married Myndert Frederickse Van Yveren, in 1663.

(II) Dirck Teunis (or Theunise), son of Teunis Dircksen Van Vechten, purchased Oc- tober 20, 1681, from Stephen Van Cortland "a certain tract of land in Catskill, in the county of Albany, which was afterwards con- firmed by a patent under the hand and seal of His Excellency, Thomas Dongan, State Gov- ernor of New York, bearing date the 21st day of March, Anno Domini, 1686." It was made over to his sons, Samuel and Johannes Van V'echten, following the parent's death, by their brothers, Michael and Abraham, by deed bearing date March 30. 1715, and Johannes made his share over to Samuel, August 9, 1721. thus Samuel acquired the property and was able to leave it by will to his nephew, Teunis. Dirck Teunis Van Vechten died No- vember 25, 1702. His will was made April 4. 1687, and proved March 30. 1703. He married Jannetje, daughter of Michiel Jan- sen and Fytje (Hartman) Vrelant, of Com- munipaw, New Jersey. Children: 1. Jan- netje, born September 25, 1660. 2. Wyntje, January 17, 1662; married Philip Leendertse Conyn, of Coxsackie. 3. Michiel, November 28, 1663; married ( first) Marytje Parker, November 21, 1686; married (second) Jan- netje Du Mont, April 2, 1691. 4. Neeltje, March 24. 1665. 5. Johannes, June 24, 1666, died single, June 1, 1735. 6. Teunis. May 24, 1668, sce forward. 7. Antje, May 4, 1670. 8. Fytje, December 6, 1671 ; married, May 23, 1697, William Janse Casperse Halenbeck, of Coxsackie, New York. 9. Samuel, April 12, 1673, died single, March 30, 1741. 10. Saat-

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je (Sara), January 8, 1675. II. Abraham, April 14, 1679, died single before October 16. 1739.

( III) Teunis, son of Dirck Teunis and Jan- netje ( Vrelant) Van Vechten, was born May 24. 1668, died in 1707. He married, Novem- ber 28. 1694. Cathlyntje (Caatje), daughter · of Claas Frederickse Van Petten, of Schenec- tady. New York. Children: 1. Dirck, born September 12, 1695: married, in Kingston, Helena Seulant (or Suybrant ), December 26, 1722; died in 1782. 2. Eve, baptized in Al- bany, May 12, 1700; married Johannes Suy- lant. 3. Jannetje, baptized in Schenectady, May 24, 1702. 4. Maria, baptized in Albany, June 4. 1704. 5. Teunis, born April 1. 1707, see forward.

(IV) Teunis (2). son of Teunis (1) and Cathlyntje (Caatje) (Van Petten) Van Vech- ten of Schenectady, was born April 1, 1707. died April 3, 1785. He lived in Catskill, Greene county, New York. He married, Jan- uary 9, 1742, in Kingston, New York, Judik- je, daughter of Jacob Ten Broeck, of that "place. Children: 1. Samuel, born Septem- ber 28. 1742: married Sara Van Orden in 1781 : died February 12. 1813. 2. Jacob, born September 18, 1747; married Elsie Staats, January 21, 1787 : died, without issue, April 30. 1806. 3. Teunis Teunissen, born April 24. 1749, see forward. 4. Elizabeth, born Oc- tober 6. 1757; married Hezekiah Van Orden, June 2 (or 9), 1782 : died February 17, 1813. 5. Abraham, born December 5, 1762, see for- ward.

(V) Teunis Teunissen, son of Teunis (2) and Judikje (Ten Broeck) Van Vechten, was born April 24, 1749. He was a prominent merchant of Albany, with his store in 1805 located on the west corner of Broadway and Maiden Lane. He held the office of commis- sary on the staff of Governor Morgan Lewis during the revolution. He was one of the foremost citizens, and died in Albany, Decem- ber 7, 1817. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Pieter and his second wife, Anna ( Bogar- dus ) (Van Vechten) De Wandelaer. Chil- dren: 1. Judith, born October 30, 1777 ; mar- ried George Pearson, December 12, 1808. 2. Peter, July 10, 1780; died June 3. 1795. 3. Annatje. November 7, 1782, died May 31, 1817. 4. Teunis, November 4, 1785, see for- ward. 5. John, March 23. 1788.

(V) Abraham, son of Teunis (2) and Ju- ·dikje (Ten Broeck) Van Vechten, was born December 5, 1762. He was a man of con- siderable renown throughout New York state, adding a lustre to the family name throughout a century, and spoken of to this day in terms . of highest respect. He married, May 20,

1784, Catharina, daughter of Philip Pieterse Schuyler, by whom he had fifteen children, and died in Albany, January 6, 1837. Of his character and attainments, Joel Munsell spoke in an unimpassioned estimate as follows : "This distinguished lawyer and statesman was the youngest son of Teunis Van Vechten and Judith (Judikje) Ten Broeck. Few men have been called to so extensive a sphere of usefulness and filled it so long and well as Abraham Van Vechten. He entered upon the scenes of active life shortly after the revolu- tionary war. He received his elementary edu- cation at a public school in Esopus, which has been the nursery of many of our distinguished men. He pursued his professional studies un- der the direction of the late Chancellor Lan- sing, and began the practice of law in the county of Montgomery, but was soon invited to occupy a more extensive field in the city of Albany. The high places of the bar were then filled by a gifted race of advocates. Among them were Hamilton, Harrison, Burr, Jones and Livingston. But the brilliancy of the bar could not cast young Van Vechten in the shade. He soon ranked among his illustrious seniors as an equal, and a competitor for the highest professional eminence. Untiring in his efforts, the powers of his highly-gifted mind were continually developed and ex- panded. His intellect was formed to grapple with the most abstruse and difficult of judicial investigations, and he early inured himself to the most intense application of mental indus- try. In acuteness and the ready comprehen- sion of any subject presented for his investi- gation, he had few equals, and nature seemed to have furnished him with powers eminently adapted to the illustration of legal principles. He made no display of legal lore, his learning seemed to be incorporated with his thoughts. What he had once read was well digested and remained every ready for application. A large portion of his life was spent in the dis- cussion of legal questions in our highest tri- bunals of law and equity ; there he was al- ways listened to with profound attention by our most eminent judges. His arguments were calculated to elucidate and instruct, and greatly to aid the tribunals to which they were addressed, in forming correct conclusions. His style was remarkable for purity, perspicuity and strength. His train of thought was unim- passioned, yet earnest and forcible. His tal- ents were too conspicuous to allow him to con- fine his efforts to the bar. He was repeatedly chosen to represent his fellow citizens in both branches of the legislature. The senate cham- ber was the theatre of some of his brightest intellectual efforts. As a member of the court

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for the correction of errors, he has left be- hind him enduring monuments of his legal wisdom. For a number of years he filled the office of attorney-general with distinguished ability. At an early period of his life a seat on the bench of the supreme court was of- fered to him by Governor John Jay ; a similar offer was made to him at a later period. He declined these proffered honors, preferring the labors of the bar as more congenial to his habits and feelings. The causes in our books of reports, in which he took part as counsel, numerous as they are. give but faint idea of the amount of professional labor per- formed by him. For more than half a century his brilliant mind was constantly shedding its light over the jurisprudence of the state. The bar had long delighted to accord him the high- est honors it could bestow. To the younger members of the profession he had greatly en- deared himself by his kindness and courteous manners. and by all he was venerated as an illustrious model of professional excellence. In his daily consultations with his clients he was emphatically a peacemaker. It was his constant habit to devise the settlement of dis- putes whenever it was practicable. He al- lowed no sordid motives to influence his ad- vice, nor to bias his mind in giving his opin- ions." He was recorder of the city of Al- bany from 1797 to 1808: state senator from 1798 to 1805, and from 1816 to 1820; mem- ber of assembly from 1805 to 1815; attorney- general of the state for the year 1810, and was again appointed in 1813. and served two years, and was a member of the constitutional convention of 1821. His character as a citi- zen in the private walks of life afforded a model to the younger generation. He con- stantly displayed in his daily intercourse with his neighbors and acquaintances the most am- iable social qualities which adorn the human heart, and his home life was along the same lines. He married, May 20, 1784, Catharina Schuyler: died January 6, 1837.

(VI) Teunis (3), son of Tennis T. and Elizabeth ( De Wandelaer ) Van Vechten. was born in Albany. November 4. 1785. He grad- nated with high honors at Union College, and immediately thereafter took up the study of law, entering the office of Chancellor John Lansing. Jr., also prosecuting his professional studies under Recorder Baldwin, John Davis, Daniel Cady and Charles M. Jenkins. On the death of his illustrious uncle, llon. Abraham V'an Vechten, he became the attorney and ad- viser of General Stephen Van Rensselaer, the patroon, undertaking the arduous duties of settling the manorial controversies which were so stolidly defended that they resulted in the

famous anti-rent feuds, necessitating the sun- moning of various companies of state militia from up and down the river to quell the dis- turbances in the Helderbergs. His reputation. was that of a sound, discriminating lawyer, a man abundantly qualified to make his own mark aside from the brilliant reputation of his. uncle. He was typical of the best character- istics of his Holland ancestry, of scrupulous. integrity, industry and economy, and none the. less looked up to as one of the city's fore- most philanthropists, in his home all devotion as the head of a large family. Not only was Tennis Van Vechten proud of Albany and ever deeply concerned in its advancement. but the city was proud of him as a citizen, and so bestowed on him its greatest honors, eleva- ting him by the steps of supervisor and alder- man to be the chief executive. Four times he was chosen mayor. The first three terms he was elected by the common council, as was the method of procedure when securing a mayor in those days, and the fourth time by a vote of the people. His first term began May 15, 1837 ; the second, January 1, 1838- December 31, 1838; the third, January 1, 1839-January 21, 1839, when he resigned ; the fourth term, May 11, 1841-May 9, 1842. In the municipal election of April 13. 1841. he ran against Gerrit Yates Lansing, and his vote was 2,449, against 2,339 for his op- ponent. He was for many years associated with the large moneyed institutions as direc- tor, and with both charitable and religious societies as trustee. His residence was at No. 15 Montgomery street, when that was the court part of the city; but later at No. 725 Broadway, where he died February 4, 1859, and was buried in the Albany Rural ceme- tery.

Hon. Tennis Van Vechten married, Decem- ber 4. 1810, Catharine Cuyler, daughter of Hon. Leonard Gansevoort. She died in Al- bany. December 1. 1831, aged within two weeks of being seventy-eight years old. Chil- dren : 1. Elizabeth Ames, born February 20, 1812, died August 18. 1812. 2. Leonard Gansevoort, July 9, 1813, died July 24. 1837. 3. Hester Elizabeth, June 8. 1815 : married, June 28, 1838, Dr. John H. Trotter. 4. Sam- 11el, June 22, 1817. 5. Teunis, May 18. 1819, see forward. 6. John Beeckman, February 10, 1822, died April 16, 1822. 7. Cuyler, February 2, 1823. died November 6, 1825. 8. John, June 27, 1824, died November 8. 1825. 9. Catharine Cuyler, June 8, 1826; married Elisha P. Hurlbut. 10. Cuyler, January 31, 1830: married Hannah R. Hammond : died July II. 1875.

(VII) Teunis (4), son of Teunis (3) and

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Catharine Cuyler (Gansevoort) Van Vechten, was born in Albany, May 18, 1819. He was educated at the Albany Boys' Academy, and when a young man was connected with the large hardware firm of Pruyn & Vosburgh, and later entered a lumber office expecting to make it his business, but he lived mostly as a man of means because his father had discouraged him on those lines in which he was most interested himself, and he did not take kindly to those affairs which most con- cerned his father. He attended the Dutch church originally, but following a difference, left it, and his children grew up as Episco- palians.

He was a Republican, and although he was somewhat interested in politics never held any office. He was captain of Company B, Wash- ington Continentals, which command received his best attention, and it was while marching with his men in parade that he contracted the sickness resulting in his death. This oc- curred on January 14, 1859, at his handsome residence, No. 725 Broadway, Albany. He married, Albany, July 20, 1838, Margaret Trotter, daughter of William and Margaret (Trotter) Lush. She died at Albany, No- vember, 1902. Children: 1. Margaret Trot- ter, born July 20, 1839; married Thaddeus WV. P. Kendrick ; died June 6, 1877 ; children : Teunis Van Vechten, born August, 1859; Margaret, born in 1865, died in 1865. 2. Catharine Elizabeth, September 1, 18.42; mar- ried, October 18, 1864, James Ten Eyck ; died May 23, 1865. 3. Anna Lush, Albany, February 18, 1845, see forward.

(VIII) Anna Lush, daughter of Teunis (4) and Margaret Trotter (Lush) Van Vechten, was born in Albany, February 18, 1845.

She was educated at the Albany Fe- male Academy. For many years she resided at No. 2 Lodge street with her mother, but in 1903 removed to No. 22 Elk street, the Young Woman's Christian Association, de- siring the location as part of the site for its new building. Unlike many another house whose beautiful furnishings are of the long ago, her home contains those things which have come down from generation to genera- tion in her own family, and it is a treat to be permitted to sit in her parlor or dining-room, surrounded by these treasures in silver and carved woodwork. Miss Van Vechten takes a deep and close interest in a number of chari- table works. She is an attendant of St. Pe- ter's Episcopal Church and a manager on the boards of St. Margaret's House for Children, Home for Incurables, Home for Aged and St. Peter's Church Guild House.

The name of Ward signifies a WARD keeper, one who is a guardian or a defender. The Ward family settled in Virginia in the seventeenth cen- tury, and Samuel Ward, born August 27, 1724, emigrated from that state about the middle of the eighteenth century to settle in Morris Plains, in the vicinity of Morristown, New Jersey, where he died April 15, 1799. Left an orphan in his boyhood, he had been reared by an older brother on one of the frontier settlements on a southern branch of the Potomac river. Governor Gooch's offer of free farms in the rich meadow lands of this valley, coupled with the guarantee of religious toleration, had, about the year 1735, attracted thither a great number of immigrants from the colonies of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as from Europe. These colonists not having taken the precaution to secure titles to their farms in the proper form, subse- quently found themselves obliged to choose between vacating them or else remaining sub- ject to the most onerous terms as the tenants of Lord Fairfax. This nobleman, an early patron of Washington, emigrating to Vir- ginia after these settlements had been made in good faith, was enabled, by a peculiar con- struction of the terms of the Culpepper grant which he inherited, to include these farms within the boundaries of one of his great manors. The survey for this purpose was made by Washington in 1748. Following it there was a general exodus of the original settlers who deeply resented what they con- sidered most unworthy treatment. Samuel Ward married Mary Shipman and they had a son, born in 1767, whom they named Silas, see forward.

(II) Silas, son of Samuel and Mary (Ship- man) Ward, was born in Morris county, New Jersey, in 1767, died in 1862. He married Phoebe, daughter of Daniel Dod, who was a descendant of Daniel Dod, an early settler of Bradford, Connecticut, about the year 1646. The Dod family has long been noted for its mathematical and mechanical ability. Daniel Dod was the first man to make mathematical instruments in this country, and Dr. Samuel B. Ward has in his possession a clock made by Mr. Dod in 1813, which is still running and keeping the best of time. Albert Dod, son of Daniel Dod, was professor of mathe- matics at Princeton College. It was Daniel Dod who established himself in Elizabeth- town, New Jersey, and erected shops for the construction of steamboat machinery, and in 1818 fitted out the "Savannah," which was the first vessel to cross the Atlantic under steam power. New Jersey was closely identified

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with the early progress of steam navigation, and her legislature had been the first to en- courage Fitch, a former resident, who in 1787 constructed the first practical steam- boat, demonstrated on the Delaware river. Stevens, of Hoboken, was working along simi- lar lines at the beginning of the eighteenth century, and Robert Fulton had his workshop in Jersey City when constructing his "Cler- mont," which demonstrated in 1807 the prac- ticability of steamboating. It was in conse- quence of these interests centering in that lo- cality that Dod, reinforced by his scientific knowledge and mechanical skill, was called upon to supply machinery for these earliest of steamboats, and shortly won an exceedingly wide reputation. His works were soon the chief ones in the entire country. Children : John D., born January 6, 1795, died May 19, 1873; Lebbeus Baldwin, April 7, 1801, see forward; Shipman, twin of Lebbeus B .; Sam- uel S .: Caroline; Phoebe; Nancy.

(III) Lebbeus Baldwin, son of Silas and Phoebe (Dod) Ward, was born April 7, 1801, died in New York City, June 15, 1885. He received a practical education and was a man of studious habits, of trustworthy judgment and of unusual mechanical ability. It was he who erected the celebrated Hammersley Forge in New York and thereby won a wide reputation as a builder of engines, later as a manufacturer of heavy wrought iron forgings. He was one of the early commissioners of the Metropolitan board of police, a member of assembly in 1851, and his brother, John D., served as chairman of the commission ap- pointed by the municipality of New York to construct the Croton Aqueduct and the High Bridge. In conjunction with his two brothers, John D. and Samuel S., he built the first steamboat and the first railroad ever operated in Canada, their firm conducting an exten- sive business in Montreal from 1820 to 1838. Lebbeus B. Ward married three times, his first wife being a Miss Dickinson, whom he inar- ried in 1828; his second wife was Abby Dwight Partridge, whom he married in 1838, born in Hatfield, Massachusetts, the daughter of a noted clergyman descended from Pil- grim stock; and his third wife was Elizabeth Starr, whom he married in 1848. Children of second wife: Dr. Samuel Baldwin, born June 8, 1842, see forward; Willard Partridge, October 12, 1845.

(IV) Dr. Samuel Baldwin, son of Lebbeus Baldwin and Abby Dwight (Partridge) Ward, was born in the city of New York, June 8, 1842. He received his early educa- tion at private schools, and at the age of fif- teen he matriculated at Columbia College,

graduating from that institution in 1861 with third honors. He then entered the office of the celebrated surgeon, Dr. Willard Parker,. and in 1861-62 attended the course of lec- tures at the College of Physicians and Sur- geons in New York. He entered the United. States service in 1862, and became acting medical cadet in the United States army. In. 1864 the medical department of the George- town University conferred upon him the de- gree of M.D. In 1863 Dr. Ward became. acting assistant surgeon, United States army, and shortly afterward President Lincoln com- missioned him an assistant surgeon of United States Volunteers. Following the termination. of the civil war, he went to Europe, there to. pursue his studies in medicine and surgery for a year in some of the largest hospitals. of the Continent. On his returning from Europe, he was made professor of anatomy and surgery at the Women's Medical College of the New York Infirmary. He also became. attending surgeon of the Northern Dispensary, consulting surgeon of the Dispensary and New York Infirmary for Women and Chil- dren, visiting surgeon of the Presbyterian Hos- pital in New York City, and in 1872 was commissioned assistant surgeon of the Seventh. Regiment. National Guard, State of New York, with the rank of captain, and was bri- gade surgeon of the Ninth Brigade, National Guard. State of New York. Dr. Ward re- moved to Albany in 1876, where he has since resided, winning further honors in his pro- fession. At this time he was chosen pro- fessor of surgical pathology and operative surgery in the Albany Medical College, and later professor of theory and practice of medi- cine at that institution, which position he con- inues to hold. He also became the attending surgeon at both the Albany and St. Peter's hospitals, the leading institutions of the city.

He allied himself with a great number of prominent organizations, such as the Asso- ciation of American Physicians; the Albany County Medical Society, of which he was made president ; a permanent member of the New York State Medical Society, of which he was elected its president; a trustee and president of the Dudley Observatory of Al- bany; a trustee of the Albany Female Acad- emy; ex-president of the New York State Board of Survey ; member and ex-president of the Fort Orange Club ; member and ex-presi- dent of the Albany Camera Club, and mem- ber of the Albany Country Club, Century As- sociation of New York City, University Club of New York City and the Loyal Legion, as well as a number of social and scientific or- ganizations. Dr. Ward is secretary and treas-

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urer of the executive committee of New York State Normal College at Albany ; member of

the board of governors of Union University; member of the board of governors of Albany Hospital; former president of the medical examining board of the civil service commissioners of the state of New York. The University of Columbia conferred on him the degree of A.M. in 1864, and Union University that of Ph.D. in 1882. To the leading journals of the country he has contributed a number of valuable articles on medicine and surgery, and being recog- nized as an authority on specific subjects con- nected with his profession, has repeatedly been called upon to lecture before large bodies. He attends St. Peter's Church, Albany.

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Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume I, Part 41

Author: Reynolds, Cuyler, 1866-1934, ed Publication date: 1911 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 656

Author: Reynolds, Cuyler, 1866-1934, ed
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 656