Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 108

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1374

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many a hard fought contest in the State. He is a director of the Merchants' National Bank, a trustee of the Albany City Savings Institution, trustee of the Emanuel Baptist church, acting president of the Fairview Home for Friendless Children, vice-president of the Board of Trustees of the Y. M. C. A., governor of the Albany City Hospital, a member of the Fort Orange Club, and of the N. Y. Commandery of the Loyal Legion of the U. S .. In the Assembly he was chairman of the committee on commerce and navigation, and in that capacity was largely instrumental in saving to the cities of New York and Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Bridge, the charter of which was in danger of annulment. In 1862 he married Elizabeth F., eldest daughter of Hiram Gilbert, of Albany. Their living children are four daughters, Jane S., Margaret B., Elizabeth D., and Mary G., all of whom are or have been students of St. Agnes School, Albany, and Smith College, Northampton, Mass., and one son, Charles Platt Knowles, a grad- uate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York, class of '96.

Van Rensselaer, William Bayard, is a lineal descendant of Killaen Van Rensse- laer, and were the English law still in force in this State, would be the ninth patroon, or Lord of the Manor of Rensselaerwyck. His great-grandfather, Stephen, known as "the young patroon," was a general in the United States army, lieutenant-gov- ernor of New York, member of congress, first chancellor of the Board of Regents, etc., etc., and married Margaret, daughter of Philip J. Schuyler. General Stephen's son, also Stephen, 1789-1868, married Harriet, daughter of William Bayard and had a son, Bayard Van Rensselaer, whose wife was Laura, daughter of Marcus T. Reynolds. They were the parents of W. Bayard and Dr. Howard Van Rensselaer (see sketch of latter for further genealogy). W. Bayard Van Rensselaer, born October 4, 1856, attended the Albany State Normal School, the Boys' Academy, a boarding school at Catskill and St. Paul's School in New Hampshire and graduated from Harvard College in 1879. He attended Harvard Law School one year, read law with Marcus T. and Leonard G. Hun in Albany and was admitted to the bar in 1882. He began active practice, but the death of Charles Van Zandt in 1881 soon placed him in charge of the Stephen Van Rensselaer estate. In 1885 the heirs conveyed their interests in this property to the Van Rensselaer Land Company of which he has since been treasurer and general manager. He is a director in the Cohoes Company (incorporated 1823), which supplies all the factories in Cohoes with water power; and is also a director in the New York State National Bank, a trustee of the Albany Savings Bank, and presi - dent of Albany Terminal Warehouse Co., a foundation member of the Fort Orange Club and a member of the University and Reform Clubs of New York city. In 1880 he married Louisa G., daughter of Professor Lane of Harvard University.

Payn, jr .. Samuel Giles, born February 4, 1845, in Albany, is a son of Samuel Giles, sr., who was born in Fort Miller, Washington county, N. Y., December 22, 1815, who married Sarah Goodrich Noble of New York city in 1839, who was born in New York city December 30, 1817, and who died in Albany July 8, 1854; she was a descendant through her mother of the French Huguenot family of Emars, who early came to this country. Samuel Giles, sr., was for many years a prominent business man of Albany, being engaged in the flour and grain trade on lower Broadway. He was one of the organizers of the Young Men's Association and the Board of Trade of Albany, of which latter he was an early president. Their surviving children are John Goodrich, George Alexander, Samuel Giles, jr., Cornelius Noble, Sarah Jane

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and Frederick Amar (Emar); by his second wife he had one daughter, Catherine. Benjamin Hawley Payn, father of Samuel G. Payn, sr., who was born in Fort Miller, Washington county, N. Y., in 1783, was a son of Noah, who took an active part in the struggle for American Independence. Noah Payn was born in Pomfret, Conn., November 24, 1729, and settled in Fort Miller in 1766; he was the only son of Stephen Pain 3d, born June 21, 1699, in Pomfret, Conn., who was the seventh son of Samuel Paine of Rehoboth, Mass., who was born May 12, 1662, he being the fifth son of Stephen Paine 2d, born in Norfolk, England, in 1629, and who came to New England with his father when about nine years of age. He was the first son of Stephen Paine, sr., who came from Great Ellingham near Hingham, Norfolk county, Eng- land, in the year 1638, in the ship Diligent of Ipswich, John Martin, master, bringing his family consisting of his wife Rose, three sons and four servants. He settled first in Hingham, Mass., but removed to Rehoboth, Mass., in 1644. From him many of the Payn, Pain, and Paine families of America trace their descent, all being from one common ancestry. Stephen 3d dropped the final e of his name, and Noah changed the i to y'; there are many of this family, cousins of Samuel G .. jr., who add a final e to Payn. Stephen Paine 1st was undoubtedly a descendant of the only Paine of the time of William the Conqueror, who was enumerated or mentioned in the Domes- bay Book, the great Survey or first Census of England, taken after the conquest by order of King William in 1086, a copy of which is owned by the Boston Public Library. Samuel Giles Payn, jr., attended the Albany Boys' Academy and Sand Lake Collegiate Institute. September 4, 1861, he enlisted as a sharpshooter in Capt. Elijah Hobart's Company of Berdan's 2d Regiment U. S. Sharpshooters. Governor Morgan, fearing that as U. S. troops they would not be credited to N. Y. State's quota, forced the company into the 93d Regt. N. Y. Vols., as Co. B. He was with the regiment continually except two weeks in hospital at Newport News, Va., six weeks on detached service at Gettysburg, Pa., after that battle, and during his thirty days' veteran furlough, from his enlistment until he received the wound that inca- pacitated him from further active service, and from which he still suffers. His reg- iment participated in all the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, from its forma- tion to the close of the war, and was engaged in the battles of Yorktown, Williams. burgh, Fair Oaks, Fredericksburgh, Mine Run, Wilderness, Po River, Spottsylvania Court House and North Anna River, Va., and Gettysburg, Pa. While carrying the colors of his regiment in the charge of its brigade at North Anna River, Va., May 23, 1864, he was severely wounded in the left leg just below the knee. Shortly after- wards he was commissioned second lieutenant for his conduct on the battlefield, being promoted over all the non commissioned officers of the regiment. He was mustered out at the close of the war on July 28, 1865, while still suffering severely from his wound, having served almost four years. In 1867 he engaged with his brother Cornelius in the prepared flour business; in 1869 began the study of art with Prof. Alexander Francois of Albany. Later he opened a studio for pastel and crayon portraiture, being the first artist in Albany to make life size crayon portraits ; afterwards he added the solar printing and enlarging process, and still later the electric light and platinum process, and continued in this business until 1894. He then engaged in the manufacture of magnetic garments and appliances at 611 Broad- way, Albany, N. Y., under the name of "Suttonia" Magnetic Co. These consist of magnetic jackets, belts, leggins, shields, insoles, etc., for the cure of lung troubles,

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rheumatism, heart troubles, cold feet and cramp in limbs, etc. He is a charter mem- ber of William A. Jackson Post No. 644, Department New York G. A. R., and has resided in Bath-on-Hudson since 1873. February 14, 1871, he married Isabella Laing Hutton of Schuylerville, N. Y., a daughter of John Hutton of that place, who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 8, 1812, who was a son of David Hutton, a merchant tailor of that place. John Hutton, her father, served during the war of the Rebellion in the 125th Regt. N. Y. Vols., that went from Troy, N. Y. He was discharged for disability after serving almost two years. They have had three chil- eren: Anna Goodrich and Albert Pond Payn, both deceased, and Samuel Giles 3d, born at Bath on-Hudson, August 27, 1878.

Robinson, James A., son of Albert S. and Anna M. (Preston) Robinson, was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1862. He moved to Albany with his parents in the early sev- enties, and attended the public and high schools and the Albany Academy. He afterward became a student in the law office of Clifford D. Gregory and remained there five years, in the mean time being admitted to the bar. He subsequently be- came connected with the Hon. Robert G. Scherer and remained with him three years. Since then Mr. Robinson has practiced law at No. 68 State street. He is a member of the Improved Order of Red Men and Capital City Lodge No. 440, I. O. O. F. . In 1893 he married Genevieve Bigelow of Albany.

Taylor, Robert B., was born in New Scotland, March 10, 1829. Robert, his grand- father, was a native of Ireland, born in 1758 and came to America when a young man and spent his life as a farmer in the town of New Scotland; his wife was Eva Ann Hotaling, born in 1762; they reared four sons and five daughters. John Tay- lor, the father, was born on the homestead in 1790, and spent his life in agricultural pursuits ; his wife was Christiana, daughter of Rev. Harmon and Rachel (Bogart) Van Huysen; to them were born ten children: James, Mary J., Rachel, Harriet, Sarah, John V., Robert, Eva Ann, Eliza, and Catharine; he died in 1850. His wife was born in August, 1794, and lived to be eighty-six years of age. Her father, the Rev. Harmon Van Huysen, son of Harmon, a native of Holland, was a Revolu- tionary soldier, who ranked as captain, and after the war settled in New Scotland on the farm now owned by his grandson, Robert B. Taylor; it being the donation of his friends in that vicinity, each contributing ten acres. He entered the pulpit and was the founder of the Dutch Reformed church in Guilderland and New Scotland. It was known as the Helderberg Reformed Church. He had three congregations and preached for thirty-one consecutive years. Robert B. lived on his father's farm and attended the common schools. When twenty-one years old his father died, and the following year he began for himself on the same place where he erected his present sightly house. In 1853 he married Elizabeth (born in New Scotland), the daughter of Peter R. and Mary (Ostrander) Furbeck, and granddaughter of John Furbeck, of Germany, who was a prominent Revolutionary soldier in Washington's army. To Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were born five children: Alfred J., John B., and Rensselaer. all of whom are farmers in this town; and Mary Anna, died when she was eighteen years old, and Ellen, died when she was sixteen years old.

Court, Charles, was born in Coeymans in 1860, and is a son of Edward, who came from England and settled at Aquetuck in about 1856, where he built a wagon shop and carried on business until his death. Mr. Court, after attending the district

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school, went to the State Normal School at Albany, where he was graduated, and has been a teacher for several winters. In 1882 he bought the store at Aquetuck, which he has since carried on, and since 1892 he has been postmaster. He married Griffina, daughter of Isaac Tompkins, by whom two sons and one daughter have been born : Jesse, Paul, Helen.

Crannell, Monroe .- Standing on the sidewalk on Broadway, New York, one may look through the picket fence that surrounds Trinity church-yard, and read on a tomb stone near the inscription marking the burial place of Robert Crannell and Molly Winslow, his wife. From this English stock down through several genera- tions of ancestors of Huguenot and Dutch blood, Monroe Crannell was born in the city of Albany. He was educated at the Classical Institute, and at the Albany Academy, and was graduated from the Albany Law School before he attained his majority. He continued his studies in the law office of Judge Wolford and the Hon. Worthington Frothingham, until he was admitted to the Albany county bar. He was a member of the Albany Zouave Cadets, and served his full enlistment with this famous military organization. In politics he was a Republican, and at various times was importuned to accept nominations for public office ; these overtures were always firmly declined. Yet, while refusing to act in an official capacity, Mr. Cran- nell labored earnestly and intelligently for all measures having for their purpose the improvement of the city of Albany. He was one of the projectors of the Hawk street viaduct, and when others lost courage, and sank into apathy at the seeming indifference of the citizens of Albany to the proposed improvement, or were silenced by the bitter attacks of those opposed to it, Mr. Crannell never faltered or wavered. He worked for three years combating wrong impressions, and forcing his views on the Legislature through representative speakers, until in June, 1888, he won his cause, and secured for the city what has proven to be one of the most appreciated improvements ever accomplished by Albanians. In testimony of his untiring efforts he was presented with a valuable watch and chain by grateful citizens, among whom were many of those who had opposed the construction of the viaduct. Mr. Crannell never married. He made his home with his brother, Mr. W. Winslow Crannell of Albany. He died suddenly April 26, 1893.

Slingerland, Cornelius, was born September 15, 1839, in the house erected by Tunis Slingerland, his great-great-grandfather, in 1762. The first of the family in America was Tunis Cornelius Slingerland, born in Amsterdam, Holland, April ?, 1617, and came to America in 1650. In 1652 he purchased a traet of land lying east of the present Chapel street in Albany, and in 1665, with his brother-in-law, Jo- hannes Apple, bought of the Indians 8,000 acres of land east of the Helderberg mountains, which comprised a portion of the present towns of New Scotland and Bethlehem; in 1684 this purchase was confirmed by Governor Dongan. Of this tract he retained 2,000 acres, the remainder going to the Van Rensselaers. His wife was Engeltie Albertsie Bradt, and their children who reached maturity were Arent, Al- bert, Cornelius and Elizabeth. Cornelius was born June 7, 1670, and married Eva Mebie, May 28, 1696; of his children one was Tunis Cornelius, above mentioned, born March 1, 1722; he spent his life clearing and improving the land, and the brick house he erected in 1762 is still standing in excellent preservation ; he reared four sons: John, Cornelius, Peter and Henry, of whom Peter was the grandfather of the subject and was

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born February 5, 1759. He was an energetic man, built and operated mills and con- verted the timber on his land into lumber; his wife was Gertrude Bloomingdale; their children were Maus and Agnes; he died in 1847, in his eighty-ninth year. Maus, the father of the subject, was born March 7, 1806; he owned 700 acres of land and the saw and grist mills built by his father; he was public spirited and active in the welfare of his town. He married Susanna, daughter of William Sayer of New Scotland, and had four sons and four daughters. His wife died in 1856, and he died July 1. 1892. Cornelius Slingerland, the subject of this record, has spent his life on the homestead ; he has between 250 and 300 acres, on which he has made many im- provements in the way of buildings, etc., having the best barn in the town. He has recently bought the saw mill property adjoining his farm, consisting of thirty seven aeres, with two good houses, barns, etc. Aside from his farm interests he is con- nected with other business enterprises. He is one of the original promoters and now president of the Clarksville Telephone Company. Politically he is a Repub- lican and declined the nomination by that party for sheriff. He married, Septem- ber 9. 1863, Anna, daughter of Garrett and Eve (Van Derzee) Hotaling of Bethle- hem. They have two children: Mrs. Susie Shear and Evelyn C. Mrs. Shear has one son, Cornelius Slingerland. Mr. and Mrs. Slingerland are members of the Re- formed church, in which he has been deacon and elder for several years. Mrs. Sling- erland is a member of the Ladies' Missionary Society.

Hurst, David T., was born in the town of Knox, March 10, 1851. Francis Hurst, his great-grandfather, was a native of England. Francis, his grandfather, was born in England about 1787. He grew to manhood in Albany and moved to the town of Knox where his father had provided him with a farm of 150 acres of land. His wife was Magdalene Keenholts, and they reared three sons and seven daugh . ters. He died when eighty-five years old and his wife died at about the same age. Robert, his father, was born in the town of Knox, March 20, 1825, and when a small boy went and lived among his relatives, with whom he grew up and worked for until twenty-six years of age. He then bought his father's homestead, where he lived for three years. He sold the farm and removed to New Scotland, where he lived some thirty-seven years. In 1887 he retired from his farm to the village of Altamont, where he purchased an acre of land and erected a nice residence. In 1850 he married Mary Ann Mathies, a native of New Scotland, and daughter of Henry Mathies. Their children were Margaret, Ida, David T., Walter, Al- verenns. Frank, and Ira and Luella, deceased. David T. moved on his father's farm in 1872, and worked it on shares until 1880, when he purchased it. To this he added, in 1893, another farm of seventy-three acres, and here Mr. Hurst has done general farming. He is also a heavy fruit grower, having a fine large apple orchard. In 1872 he was married to Louisa M., daughter of George I. and Anna Reid, of New Scotland. Their children are Carrie G., Verner R., Lulu S. and George I.

Greene, Lindsey, is the son of Anson, and the grandson of Daniel, whose father, William Greene, came from Connecticut to Coeymans about 1788 and settled in Coeymans Hollow. He had four sons: William, Russell, David and Anson. Anson Greene was for many years a merchant; he died in 1893 leaving two sons, Stanley and Lindsey, who still carry on the store where their father did business. In

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1886 they bought the paper mills at Alcove, where they continued until 1891 when they were destroyed by fire. Mr. Lindsey studied law at the Albany Law School, and was admitted to the bar in 1880, after which he practiced for some years at Ra- vena, and, though now devoting most of his time to the mercantile business, has some law practice.

Abrams, Augustus C., was born in Rensselaerville in 1842. He is the son of Elijah, who was born in Greenville. Greene county, in 1808, being one of four sons and four daughters born to Benjamin, formerly a farmer in Long Island, who removed to and settled in the town of Rensselaerville, where he spent his last days. Elijah, the father, was a farmer and came to Guilderland in 1868, where he was successful, He was a man of many peculiarities but well liked. His wife was Thankful Bouton, daughter of David Bouton, by whom he had five sons and four daughters, four of whom are now living. Augustus C. remained with his parents until he became of age, when he went to California via the Panama route, where he remained for five years; he interested himself in the mines, meeting with fair success. He returned by request of his father in 1868. In 1870 father and son purchased a dairy farm of 180 acres in Guilderland, and farmed it together, selling milk in Albany city until 1889, when Augustus bought the father out. They had added fifty acres to the place and made many improvements, erecting a fine house which has since been re- modeled. The father lived mostly with Augustus until his death in 1891, and was buried from the old homestead by special request; his wife died in 1884. Augustus is a thorough, practical farmer. In 1869 he united with the M. E. church; has been a class leader ever since, also superintendent of the Sunday school for fourteen years He has been a member of the Masonic order since 1864; also of the I. O. G. T. Was a member of the Sons of Temperance when seventeen years of age. In 1871 he married Anna E. Herrick, daughter of Nathaniel and Nancy J. Herrick, who died in 1892, leaving two children, Lilly M. and Charles E., who are at home; Charles is engaged in the poultry and broiler business. His second wife is Anna Wise, daughter of Martin Wise. They have two children, Jessie I. and Ethel M. After many years of the closest and most friendly and affectionate relationship be- tween father and son, which lasted until the dying day of the father, strange to say, Mr. Abrams, through some unfortunate mistake was left entirely out of his father's will.

Thornton, George and Theron T., of Guilderland, are natives of Duanesburg. Schenectady county, N. Y. Their paternal grandfather was Thomas Thornton, who married Betsey Richardson, both born in Londonderry, N. H. ; Thomas was a brother of Dr. Matthew Thornton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. and also of Major John Thornton of Schenectady. Their maternal grandparents were Joseph and Lydia (Thompson) Gaige. Their father was Charles Thornton, born in Duanesburg in 1797, where he was a lifelong farmer. In 1854 he moved to the Merryfield farm and purchased it in 1856: this farm is now owned and operated by George and Theron T. In 1822 he married Almira Gaige, who bore him seven children, as follows: George, Lydia, Maria L., Theron T., Euretta. Charles W. and Amanda. Mr. and Mrs. Thornton were both members of the Dutch Reformed church. though Mrs. Thornton always retained a love for the Quaker religion, the faith of her ancestors. She died September 12, 1878, and he November 6, 1880. The Thorn-

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ton Brothers are conducting a general farming business on the homestead. Both are staunch and ardent Democrats and thoroughly interested in the public affairs of their town and county. Have been elected delegates to county, assembly and judicial conventions and have the reputation of being true, fair and impartial jurymen. George has remained unmarried, and Theron T. married Susan M. Lainhart; they have one child, Amey L.

Chesebro, Thaddeus, son of William Chesebro, was born in the village of Guilder- land Center in 1832. Elijah, his grandfather, was a native of Stonington, Conn., born in 1759, and was of Welsh ancestry. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and settled in the town of Knox, Albany, county, in 1789. He was married the same year to Thankful Williams, who was born in 1769, and also of Welsh ancestry. They had nine children: Eunice, who died when ten years of age; Hannah, Elijah, Jane, Mary, Lucy, Williams, Esther, and Sarah Ann. He died May 6, 1808, and his wife died May 22, 1858. Their son Elijah was a soldier in the war of 1812 and died in 1860. Williams, the father of Thaddeus, was born in the town of Knox, July 22, 1802. He began life for himself when twenty-four years of age. He became a black- smith by trade and about 1826 moved to the village of Guilderland Center and pur- chased a blacksmith shop and carried on business there until 1836, when he sold out his shop and purchased 100 acres of heavy timber land, which now comprises the farm of Thaddeus Chesebro. His wife was Roxana Chapman, daughter of Jonas and Susan Chapman of Knox. The children are Thaddeus, Sarah, Esther, Mary, Jesse and Charles. He died in 1877 and his wife died in 1881 at the age of seventy- nine. Thaddeus received a common school education, and at the age of twelve his father set him to hauling cord wood and produce to the city of Albany. At this pursuit he continued until he grew into manhood. Several years before the death of his father he assumed full control of the farm business. Since then he has added to his estate forty acres of woodland and erected a large wagon house and barns. For some years past he has given considerable attention to dairying and possesses an ex- cellent lot of grade Jersey cows. In 1856 he married Miss Gertrude, daughter of Wendell Vine, who was a prominent man in Guilderland, where he was supervisor. Mr. and Mrs. Chesebro have two children: Mrs. Edna Graffers of Newtonville and Mrs. Carrie Goodrich of Pasadena, Cal.

Fearey, Joseph, & Son .- Thomas and Joseph Fearey, natives of England, engaged in the retail boot and shoe business in Albany in 1844 and continued together until 1865, when Thomas and his two sons, George D. and Thomas H., established a shoe manufactory. Joseph Fearey continued the retail business alone and soon ad- mitted his son William H. as a partner, under the firm name of Joseph Fearey & Son, which has ever since remained unchanged. Joseph Fearey died in 1890, and his son, in January, 1895, and since then the business has been carried on by Mrs. William H. Fearey, with William T. McMullan as manager. The latter has been with the house since 1871, and in 1882 was promoted to his present position. The firm has two large stores in Albany and one in Troy, the latter being opened in 1894.

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Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 108

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1374

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1374