USA > New York > Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume IV > Part 88
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The name Beverwyck came into use when Director-General Pieter Stuyvesant, chief official for the Dutch West India Co. in New Netherland, with headquarters on Manhattan Island, visited Fort Orange on April 1, 1652, and proclaimed that the land built up about the fort be known as Dorpe Beverwyck.
The name Albany came into use for the first time on September 24. 1664. The English had coveted New Netherland, claiming it as a portion of the territory granted by Queen Elizabeth in 1584 to Sir Walter Raleigh, and also of right by the discovery of the Cabots in 1497. The Plymouth Colony had grown jealous, and influenced King Charles II., of England, who made a grant of the territory embraced in New Netherland (and more be- sides) to his brother, James, Duke of York and Albany, on March 12, 1664. The English fleet entered New York Bay August 26th, and its commander, Colonel Richard Nicolls, de- manded of Director-General Stuyvesant that he surrender New Amsterdam. He made re- sistance as best he could ; but signed the capi- tulation September 8, 1664, and Vice-Director La Montagne, for the Dutch West India Co. at Fort Orange, peacefully changed to the English rule, September 24, 1664.
But the name Albany was to give way in succession to Willemstadt. This it did on August 5. 1673. King Charles II., of Eng- land, hroke the peace of Breda (July 31,
1667), by declaring war on March 17, 1672, against Dutch provinces. . \ Dutch fleet of twenty-three vessels, with sixteen hundred men aboard, entered New York Bay on July 29, 1673, and demanded the surrender of Fort James. It was not many hours later that clay that it complied, and when the news had time to travel to Albany, Lieutenant Salisbury concluded that Fort Albany was properly once more under the Dutch rule, so he acquiesced on August 5. 1673, and the place, to the south of Rensselaerswyck colony became known then as Willemstadt.
This change to Dutch rule did not endure a decade, for when the treaty of Westminster was signed, whereby the Dutch stipulated on February 19, 1674, that all lands, islands, cities and forts that they had captured from the English should revert to that nation, there was nothing else for the inhabitants of Wil- lemstadt to do except conclude they were in- cluded within British territory, and the place was once more known as Albany. About a dozen years later, or July 22, 1686, Dongan granted the charter making Albany an incor- porated city.
Pieter Schuyler, by the terms of the charter, became the first mayor. Thereafter the exe- cutive was appointed by the governor of the Colony of New York until after the Revolu- tion, when the Common Council voted for mayor; but the charter election held May 5. 1840, inaugurated the election of that official by the people.
The city of Albany is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about 142 miles north of New York City, along which river it extends for three or four miles, and its east and west direction is about the same.
The latitude of Albany is 42", 39', 13"
Dutch Church in Beverwyck (Albany).
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HUDSON AND MOHAWK VALLEYS
North. Its longitude is 73°, 46', 42" West of Greenwich, or 3º, 17', 15" East of Wash- ington, and is but a fraction east of New York City. In time, Albany is 4 hours 55 minutes 6.8 seconds later than Greenwich, or 13 min- utes 9 seconds earlier than Washington, and about 46.8 seconds earlier than New York City.
The river at Albany is only 2.6 feet above sea level, while the highest street elevation is 230 feet above this. The depth of channel permits vessels drawing 12 feet of water to dock there. It also has the mercantile advan- tage of two canals and five or more of the large steam railroads. The average date of opening of the river is March 17th, and the average closing date December 16th, making an average closed season of 90 days.
The average yearly temperature, based on government records for 30 years, is 48°. The highest temperature ever recorded there was 100 on July 3, 1898, and the coldest, minus 24°, on January 5, 1904. The average annual precipitation is 36.9 inches.
The population was 100.253 by the United States Census of 1910.
BERNE .- This town was formed March 17, 1795, from Rensselaerville, and from it Knox was taken off in 1822. It derived its name from Berne in Switzerland, the native place of Jacob Weidman, one of the first to locate there. and was settled largely by Germans, who leased farms from Patroon Van Rens- selaer, beginning about 1750. Many of Scotch descent arrived during the Revolu- tionary period. It is the central of the three western towns of the county, and is bounded on the north by Knox, on the east by New Scotland, on the south by Westerlo and Rensselaerville, and on the west by Schoharie county. The Helderberg moun- tains, rising 1,200 feet above tide, extend along its eastern horder. Berneville itself was once known as Beaver Dam, and was a stockadoed town. Arca: 38,782 acres. Popu- lation, 1910 Census : 1,753.
BETHLEHEM .- This town was formed March 12, 1793, and from it New Scotland was taken off April 25, 1832, and the eastern part of Al- bany city on April 6, 1870. It was purposely given its Biblical name. It lies on the bank of the Hudson, east of the center of the county, and includes all islands west of the main chan- nel, and is bounded on the north by Albany city, on the east by the Hudson river, on the south by Cocymans, and on the west by New Scot- land. One of the islands was known as Castle Island, and it is believed that it was the site of the first settlement in the entire county, or rather. that it was the site of a fort or
trading-post built thereon by Dutch fur-trad- ers under Skipper Corstiaensen, in 1614: but removed in 1617 further inland because of dangerous freshets in the spring. This island, of some size, was later known as Westerlo, and then as Van Rensselaer. It was settled by the farmer tenants of Patroon Van Rensse- laer in 1630. Through it flows the Normans kil, a name derived from Albert Andriessen Bradt de Noorman, lessee of the land about the falls for mill purposes at a very early date. Area : 31,549 acres. Population, 1910 Census : 4,413.
COEYMANS .- This town was formed March 18, 1791, from Watervliet. It was included in the grant to Van Rensselaer for the tract ex- tending from Beeren Island northward to Co- hoes ; but quit-claimed in 1706 by him to Pieter Coeymans, who settled thereon in 1636, as a miller, and confirmed by Queen Anne, August 6, 1714. A portion was taken off for Westerlo in 1815. Its name was derived from the paten- tee. It is the southeast corner town in the coun- ty, including adjacent islands, and is bounded on the north by Bethlehem, on the west by Westerlo, on the south by Greene county, and on the east by the Hudson river. Through it flow the precipitous Coeymans and Haanakrois creeks, the Indian name of the former having been Oniskethau, and in the village of Coey- mans the falls have a drop of seventy-five feet. Area: 30,408 acres. Population, 1910 Census : 4,252.
COHOES .- This city was formed from Watervliet, and was incorporated May 19, 1869; previously, since April 12, 1855, it had been an incorporated village of Watervliet. The name is of Indian derivation, Gahaoose, signifying canoe falling, or overshoot. Area, 1,575 acres. Population, 1910 Census: First ward, 5,371; Second, 4,202; Third, 4,014; Fourth, 5.007; Fifth, 3,011; Sixth, 3,014; Total. 24.700.
COLONIE .- This was once an incorporated town and village: but due to changes in for- mation of townships passed out of existence. Originally the term was applied to all the col- onized territory of Rensselaerswyck : but later was limited to that portion lying outside of and to the north of Albany city; and for a long time its southern boundary was Patroon street. now Clinton avenue in Albany city, which was north of the stockades when they extended east and west a little north of the present Orange and Van Tromp streets. When Watervliet was formed, in 1788, Col- onie became a part of it, and the indef- inite area extended to the south so as to include Tivoli Hollow (through which the N. Y. Central railroad runs on its route to
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HUDSON AND MOHAWK VALLEYS
Buffalo), where the Patroons had their flour and saw-mills, as well as the Manor House, his agent's pretentious office, etc. It was set apart as a district, March 31, 1791, and again, by an additional Act, March 30, 1801. On April 9. 1804, it was incorporated as a village in the town of Watervliet, and organized as a separate town, April 11. 1808. February 25. 1815, it was divided and its legal existence ter- minated, by giving its territory to Albany city and Watervliet, the former portion becoming the old-time Fifth ward of Albany. On the last date mentioned, it had a population of 1,657.
GUILDERLAND .- This town was formed Feb- rnary 26, 1803, from Watervliet. The name was derived from Guilderlandt in the Netherlands, whence had come many of its original settlers. The northwest portion of Albany city was an- nexed to this town, February 26, 1871. It is bounded on the north by Schenectady coun- ty, on the east by Watervliet and Albany, on the south by Bethlehem and New Scotland, and on the west by Knox. Area : 38.784 acres. Population, 1910 Census: 3.333, including Altamont village, with 674.
KNOX .- This town was ary 28, 1822, from Berne. formed Febru- The name was derived from John Knox. eminent divine and Scotland's reformer. It is situated in the northwest corner of the county, and is bounded on the north by Schenectady county, on the east by Guilderland, on the south by Berne, and on the west by Schoharie county. The inhabitants forcibly resisted the posse comitatis in the anti-rent feud of 1839, when Van Rensselaer sought to collect rentals under the peculiar leases. Area : 26,402 acres. Population, 1910 Census: 1,007.
NEW SCOTLAND .- This town was formed April 25, 1832, from Bethlehem. It derived its name through the location there of a great number of settlers from Scotland. The first settler was Teunis Slingerland, a Hollander, who bought 9,874 acres there from the In- dians, and erected mills. It is the central town of the county, and is bounded on the north by Guilderland, on the east by Bethle- hem, on the south by Coeymans and Westerlo, and on the west by Westerlo, Berne and Knox. Area : 34,324 acres. Population, 1910 Cen- sus : 2,834, including Voorheesville, with 553.
RENSSELAERVILLE .- This town was formed March 8, 1790. Berne was taken off March 17. 1795, and the western part of Westerlo on March 16, 1815. It is the southwestern cor- ner town of the county, and is bounded on the north by Berne, on the east by Westerlo, on the south by Greene county, and on the west by Schoharie county. It was named in honor
of Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer, or for his family. Area : 37,354 acres. Population, 1910 Census : 1,609.
WATERVLIET .- This town was formed March 7, 1788, and was the first incorporated town in Albany county, and it then included all of West Rensselaerswyck, and all of the present county excepting Albany city, as it was at the time of the Charter, in 1686. Its name is from the Dutch, signifying "water flood," as it was situated principally along the flats be- tween the lludson and Mohawk rivers, and large areas of it werg inundated each spring. This caused the soil to be unusually rich, and it was consequently early settled upon. In 1809, Niskayuna, now in Schenectady county, was formed largely from it. Villages in it were incorporated as follows. ' Watervliet, March 30, 1801, changed to Colonie, April 9, 1804: became obsolete and was annexed to Albany city ; Gibbonsville, April 23, 1824; changed to West Troy, April 30, 1836: Co- hoes, incorporated April 12, 1855 ; changed to city of that name, May 19, 1869: Green Island, 387 acres, incorporated April 5, 1853. Within its limits are also Newtonville, named for John MI. Newton, four miles north of Albany ; Lou- donville, at the same distance to the north of Albany: Menands, named after its first set- tler, Louis Menand, two miles north of Al- bany. It surrendered a large tract (105 acres) to the Federal authorities by the cession laws of 1830 and 1833, conditionally "for the pur- pose of erecting and maintaining thereon ar- senals, magazines, dockyards and other neces- sary buildings," the first of which was erected thereon in 1814, under Col. Geo. Burnford. The Albany Rural Cemetery Association se- cured a large tract, about one mile long in its shortest direction, chartered April 2, 1841, and adjacent tracts were secured by St. Agnes' and the Anshe Emeth cemeteries. The State Fair Grounds occupied a large tract therein for years, until removed to Syracuse, and the Shakers established a settlement, or commu- nity, in 1776, under leadership of Mother Ann, a native of Manchester, Eng., who died there, September 8, 1784. Later changed name to Colonie. Area: 30,697 acres. Population, 1910 Census : 8,385.
WATERVLIET .- Incorporated as a city on May 26, 1896. Population, 1910 Census: First Ward. 1,936; Second, 1,326; Third, 1,283; Fourth, 1,737; Fifth, 1.582: Sixth, 1,603; Seventh, 1,804; Eighth, 1,944: Ninth, 1,859. Total, 15,074.
WESTERLO .- This town was formed March 16, 1815, from Coeymans and Rensselaer- ville. It was named in honor of Dominie Eilardus Westerlo, who married Catherine
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HUDSON AND MOHAWK VALLEYS
Livingston, widow of Patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer, in 1775, and was minister of the Dutch Church in Albany, 1760-1790. It is located in the center of the south- ern border of the county, and is bounded on the north by Berne and New Scotland, on the east by New Scotland and Coeymans, on the south by Greene county, and on the west by Rensselaerville. It contains extensive quarries. Area: 35,976 acres. Population. 1910 Census: 1,237.
ALBANY CITY.
Ward.
Inhabitants.
Ward. Inhabitants.
1 .
6,827
12.
6,074
2.
5,357
13.
3,944
3.
5,781
14.
5.103
4.
4,979
15 .. 4,083
5.
5.354
16.
7,123
6.
4,278
17.
5,364
7.
5,085
18.
5,166
8.
5,004
10.
7.834
9.
10.
4,055
II
5.057
L'nited
Year.
City.
County.
State.
States.
1850
50,763
93,279
3.097,394
23,191,876
1860
62,367
113,917
3,880,735
31.443.32I
1870
69,422
133,052
4.382,759
38,558,37I
1880
90,758
154,890
5,082,87I
50,155.783
1800
94.923
164,555
5,997,853
62,622,250
1000.
94,151
165.571
7,268,894
75,568,686
1910
100,253
3.785
Total
100,253
PROGENITORS OR EARLIEST SETTLERS OF ALBANY COUNTY.
Interest that is taken in the history of a country or in a family centers largely in the facts relating to the origin. The person who studies either desires accurate and compre- hensive information, and that means the names of the chief characters, together with definite dates and facts about their lives and where they were located. This is the perfectly natural scope, and it is as definite in its way as is any of the sciences.
The person concerned with understanding particulars about his or her family is led on, generation by generation, each with its own wealth or paucity of detail, until it becomes more desirable than all else to learn as much as possible about the Progenitor, or founder of the family in America.
The accompanying list has been prepared as an enumeration of those first persons who set- tled in Albany or vicinity previous to the year 1700. It is practically a list of the heads of fam- ilies founding Albany city and the entire coun- ty. It does not pretend to deal with the descent ; but in those instances where two of the same surname, unrelated, were earliest settlers, both are given equal mention, for each started an independent line. The names of brothers are also treated, for the same reason,-each the "arriving" head of a family. Accordingly, this not being a series of genealogies of fam- ilies, it has not been the aim to include facts relating to the issue of the founders, except to the extent of being in some instances proof of residence in the county before the year 1700, if it is found that the baptism of his child was recorded, which may be the only clue to the fact of his early residence.
It is well to speak of the scope or extent of this list in its usefulness. Most likely it shows the names of a great proportion of the different families who lived within a radius of one hundred miles of the city of Albany during the first one hundred years of this country's existence, and therefore the research
is decidedly extensive. It should be decidedly helpful to any person seeking information about a Progenitor in the section of the coun- try covered. This may be explained more clearly by calling to mind that nearly all the people who lived in early times at the few places of settlement, such as Schenectady, Kinderhook, Amsterdam, Coeymans, Coxsac- kie, Catskill, Hudson, Claverack, Esopus, Amsterdam, and a few other localities, settled first at Albany, and then removed as it suited their inclination.
There are other reasons giving this list even broader significance. It has its interest even in New York City, to a large extent, without giving thought to the ever constant shifting of family location. Those families arriving in this country by way of New Amsterdam quite frequently remained there a time, establishing relationships before moving up the river. It was often the case that the newly-arrived youth took to himself a bride in Manhattan before desiring to risk adventure in an un- known kind of territory. Frequently fam- ilies would divide on landing, certain mem- bers remaining on the island, others prefer- ring to seek their fortune in the new colony of Rensselaerswyck. There were so few other localities whither a young man in either place might turn to find a bride, previous to 1700, that the intermarriages were of common oc- currence.
The list might have suited a greater num- ber of persons the better by shifting the date of limitation to the year 1750 ; but that would have made it voluminous. As it is, the names of more than 450 distinct families are ade- quately mentioned as progenitors before 1700. Those who are surprised that they do not find their family name in the list should seek it in the list of Albany County Freeholders of 1720, or in the 1700 U. S. Census of "Heads of Families."
To avoid semblance of conceit, it might be
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HUDSON AND MOHAWK VALLEYS
stated that with the application of from ten to twenty years devoted to the work, a dili- gent compiler could render excellent service to a large circle of genealogists by confining a volume to the subject, giving full biographies of each subject. Such a work should include the names of children of the progenitor, and would make a book of about five hundred pages limited solely to the Albany settlers, for it is not claimed that herewith are all the facts commonly known about these men. With the records carefully sifted, a page to each name would be an ordinary average, for what genealogist would not welcome an entire page filled with the data on his progenitor.
It is not claimed that the material comprised in this list has not been known in its several parts to some one previously, or that it cannot be discovered in the same manner as was the case when this list was specially prepared. But it has never been gathered as in this arrangement for reference, because it com- bines all the material in a number of works, and it is decidedly superior to anything like it. This can be maintained because it has those revisions or corrections suggested by following closely the information provided by the most excellent recent work of the New York State Archivist, Arnold J. F. van Laer, when translating with exceeding care and na- tive skill the documents of Patroon Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, preserved still in Holland, from which one gains much information re- garding when the colonist sailed, and specifi- cally, by the contract, learn definitely regard- ing his occupation.
It is doubtful whether there is any family line more difficult to understand, or trace, than the Dutch. The pioneers in this par- ticular well deserve abundant credit. It is highly desirable for one to be an expert. or else leave it strictly alone. Every muddler creates more havoc for others to puzzle upon and untangle.
Pointing out a few of the simplest forms of error may be a warning to others The novices and not infrequently the printer, quite commonly misinterpret the old form bouweric, or howery, for brewer. It is surprising to find it so often stated "he owned a brewery." when it is meant the person had a farm or home- stead. Some persons in an attempt to an- glicize the Dutch names fall into error through ignorance. They misconstrue a name such as Jacobus to mean Jacob, not realizing that it means James, and they imagine the Dutch family name Jacobs to be Hebraic, whereas it signified in those early days a con- traction of Jacobse or Jacobsen, meaning a per- son who was the son of Jacob. Novices should
be wary regarding the literal significance of Dutch measures, for many in their writing family descents have overlooked the fact that possibly the original statement was in Rhine- land measure.
A large majority of the early Dutch set- tlers spelled their own names indifferently, that is, in a number of ways, possibly a dozen, when a man had an alias. Clerks would enter them on the records each according to his idea of phonetic spelling, and while we may not blame them, we are bothered. Often the per- son who was a lowly emigrant could not be of much assistance in elucidating. Hence, it is difficult to make a list that shall be read- able like a directory.
The classification of names of the first set- tlers of Albany is a most difficult task even for the most skilled. The expert is non- plussed, for he is forced to make statements which show it. When a large percentage of the colonists signed contracts with Patroon Kiliaen Van Rensselaer in Amsterdam, to go to his colony in America, they frequently signed simply their Christian name. It was all by which they were known. If he was named John, or in their language Johannes or Jan, he could be distinguished in a few primordial ways from any other Jan. If his father were named Pieter, they called him "John, the son of Pieter," or "Jan Pieterse." If he lived at some peculiar location, as on a hill, he might be called "John from the Hill," or "Jan van den Berg," and again, if from a city, it would be associated with his name, and the John who lived in Vechten would be known to his fellow-men as Jan Van Vechten. Often his trade would suggest his future sur- name, and "John, the baker," would write his name "Jan Backer." In one case a colonist named Jan with a father named Pieter, after he had built a mill for the Patroon, was known as Jan Pieterse Meulenmaecker. A young fellow might have his name written in the contract "Jan Pieterse Jonger." Given such a mixture, of one set of names when they resided in Holland, and known by an alias after living in this country, it is a problem to distinguish father and children of the same family, but passing under different names. The man named Jan Pietersen might have sons signing their names Jan Backer, HIen- drick Van Vechten, Pieter Meulenmaecker, Arent van den Berg.
It merits attention that throughout the first one hundred years of Albany's history, true of the city and possibly so about the county. there was hardly a person living in that re- gion who was not a Dutchman. Let the doubter dissect the following list most care-
HUDSON AND MOHAWK VALLEYS
xiii
fully, and those of other nationality than Hol- lander can be counted on the fingers of one hand. It is true that New England was prac- tically contemporaneous in settlement, yet the
English did not intermarry with the Dutch, at least not in Albany, before the year 1700. CUYLER REYNOLDS. Albany, March 12, 1911.
PROGENITORS.
ABEEL .- Stoffel Janse, born about 1623, was master carpenter at Beverwyck in 1653; mar- ried Neeltje Janse Croon, and their son, Johannes, born in 1667, was the 2nd Mayor of Albany, Oct. 14, 1694-Oct. 14, 1695, and 1709-1710.
ADRIAENSEN .- Gysbert, came from Bun- nick, near Utrecht, sailing on "den Calmer Sleutel," from the Texel, Holland, December, 1637; aged 22 years; began service as farm servant at Rensselaerswyck, Apr. 2, 1638, for Brant Peelen. Jacob Adriaensen, from Utrecht, was at Beverwyck, from 1639 to 1657. Marinus Adriaensen, from Veere, Province of Zealand, arrived on the Unity, which sailed from the Texel shortly after July 7, 1631, under contract with Patroon Kiliaen V'an Rensselaer as a tobacco-planter for three years : in 1632 was made schepen there; is termed "a noted freebooter" in Pearson's. Rutger Adriaensen, brother of Gyshert, came from Bunnick ; tailor, employed by Jan Mich- jelsen, and while the V. R .- Bowier Documents state there was no record of him in Rensse- laerswyck after October, 1651, Pearson states he held a patent for a lot there in 1652.
AERTSE .- Rutger, owned a house on north side of State st., bet. Broadway and James st., Beverwyck, in 1674. Wouter Aertse ( van Nieukerck ) was sashmaker and a soldier in the Dutch West India Co. employ : bought a lot on west corner of Broadway and Van Tromp st., Beverwyck, in 1678. Jacob Aertse married Sarah Pels, and their child, Jacob, was baptized in Beverwyck, Feb. 20, 1695.
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