The Thurman family of Troy are of English ancestry. The family was founded in America in 1732, the progenitor being a son of Ralph Thurman, born in 1671 at Leicestershire, England.
(I) John, son of Ralph Thurman, was born March 15, 1695, at Lower Shadwell, Corkhill, England, and died in New York City. He came to that city from England in 1732, and it was ever thereafter his home. He married (first) Elizabeth Wessels; (second) ———— Nulty; children: John and Francis; probably others.
(II) Francis, son of John Thurman, the founder, was born in England, was of the family emigration in 1732, and died in New York City in 1758. He married, December 3, 1752, Susannah, daughter of Robert Matthews, of London, England, and had issue.
(II) John (2), brother of Francis Thurman, was born in New York City, February 27, 1732, died in Bolton, Warren county, New York, September 27, 1809. He was the pioneer of the family in Northern New York, where he acquired large holdings of land, called the Thurman patent; Thurman, a town of Warren county, was so named in his honor. Bolton, a town in the same county, was his home, and there he met his death from injuries received from an infuriated bull. In 1800 he was a member of the New York legislature. He never married.
(III) Richardson, son of Francis and Susannah (Matthews) Thurman, was born in New York City, May 1, 1755, died at Thurman, New York, April 6, 1806. He located on the Thurman patent in Washington, now Warren county, New York, and was a large landowner. He served in the Washington county militia, and was commissioned major, November 6, 1793, by Governor Clinton. He married, in 1799, Catherine Low, and had issue.
(IV) James Low, second son of Richardson and Catherine (Low) Thurman, was born at Thurman, now Warrensburg, Warren county, New York, July 30, 1783, died there November 13, 1826. He was a man of wealth and importance in the county. He was sheriff of Warren county, receiving the appointment from Governor Clinton, March 16, 1818. In 1820 he was a member of the state legislature, representing the counties of Washington and Warren. During the war of 1812-14, he received a lieutenant's commission dated April 13, 1814, from Governor Daniel D. Tompkins, and was engaged at the battle of Plattsburgh. He was widely known among the public men of his day, and enjoyed the personal friendship of De Witt Clinton, Governor Tompkins, Aaron Burr and other eminent men. He married, September 27, 1802, Catherine Cameron, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, coming to Warrensburg, New York, when fifteen years of age. They were parents of five sons and five daughters, two of whom died in childhood.
(V) Richardson Harrison, third son of James Low and Catherine (Cameron) Thurman, was born in Warrensburg, Warren county, New York, July 12, 1811. He was educated in the schools of his native town and Lake George. His first employment was as a clerk in the store of George Pattison. After the death of his father in 1826, being then fifteen, he left home and went to Keeseville, Essex county, New York, where he was successively employed from January, 1827, until September 1, 1831, by Forsyth & Peabody, Pope & Ball and their successors. On the latter date he removed to Troy, New York, where for five years he was in the employ of Sillman, Grant & Company, and White, Baker & Monell, merchants of that city. In 1836 he became associated in business with Alsop and Jared H. Weed, which connection existed until 1854, when it was dissolved. From 1854 until 1863, he was engaged in mercantile business solely on his own account. From 1851 he had been identified with the banking interests of Troy and his natural aptitude for the details of that business caused him to finally engage permanently in banking business. In 1851 he had assisted in organizing the Union Bank of Troy, and was one of the first board of directors. In 1863 he organized the First National Bank of Troy, of which he was the first and only cashier from its organization, in 1863, until the charter expired and it passed out of existence, February 24, 1883. In 1866, he organized the State Knitting Company of Cohoes, New York, in company with others, and was one of the first trustees of this, also secretary and treasurer from its organization until his death, December 4, 1897. He was gifted in an eminent degree in all that pertained to trade and commerce and thoroughly posted in all laws and rules governing monetary transactions, this the result of years of close study and observation. His career was a successful one, well earned and deserved. He married, May 18, 1836, Catherine L. M., daughter of Philip Van Buskirk, of Troy. Two children were born to them: Harriet L., deceased, and Sarah, now (1909) a resident of Troy, New York. Mr. Thurman was a member of the Washington Volunteers, the first organized fire department in Troy, New York.
(The Van Buskirk Line)
Van Boskeick, Van Buskirk, Boskeick, Buskirk. This name is from Bos and Keick, and with the Van signifies "from the church in the woods."
The American ancestor of Catherine L. Van Buskirk (Mrs. Richardson H. Thurman) was Laurens Andriessen Van Boskeick (Van Buskirk), who came to America from Holstein, Denmark, in the summer of 1655. The first record of him is in New Amsterdam, in a deed made to him June 29, 1656, for a lot on Broad street of that town. He was then unmarried and was a turner by trade; afterward he was in business as a draper. Shortly after the settlement of Bergen, New Jersey, he purchased the tract of land previously granted to Claus Carstersen, the Norman, at Minkakwa, now Greenville, New Jersey. He took the oath of allegiance to the king of Great Britain, November 20, 1665. He was a man of more than ordinary ability for the times, and soon acquired great influence among his neighbors. When the country was recaptured by the Dutch and the people expected a forfeiture of their lands, he with three others appeared at Fort William Hendrick, August 18, 1672, that "then plantations be confirmed in the privileges which they obtained from the previous Patroons." When a contest arose between the town of Bergen and the inhabitants of Minkakwa and Pemprepogh concerning fences and the support of a schoolmaster, he again appeared before the council to plead the cause of his neighbors. Under the act of November 7, 1668, for the marking of horses and cattle, he was appointed "Recorder and Marker for Minkakwa," April 6, 1670, and "Marker General" for the town of Bergen, October 8, 1676. On the last named day he was also appointed "Ranger" for Bergen, with power to name deputies "to range the woods and bring in stray horses, mares and cattle". He was commissioned a member of the Bergen court, February 16, 1677, February 18, 1680, and president of the same, August 31, 1681, and president of the county court, August 31, 1682.
He was a member of the governor's council for many years, appointed first March 18, 1672. To him belongs the honor of holding the first commission to administer "Crowner's quest law" in the county, having been appointed January 18, 1672, to hold an inquest on a child who had died under suspicious circumstances. Jointly with others he purchased, January 6, 1676, a large tract of land, then known as "New Hackensack," upon which he resided as early as 1688. He married Jannetje Jans, widow of Christian Barentsen, September 12, 1658. With her he received a fortune consisting of about one hundred and forty-four florins "Heavy money, ten wampuns beads for one stiver." He also received with his wife, four sons, children of her first marriage. Laurens and Jannetje Van Buskirk both died in 1694, and left four sons:
- Andrus, a member of the sixth provincial assembly of New Jersey, 1710.
- Laurens (2), a member of the fifth provincial assembly of New Jersey, 1709.
- Pieter, married Trintje Harmanse.
- Major Thomas E., see forward.
(II) Major Thomas L. Van Buskirk, fourth son of Laurens A. and Jannetje Van Buskirk, was born about 1658. In a list of the members of the Hackensack (New Jersey) Dutch Church his name appears with that of his wife as members prior to 1700. His will, which is recorded in the office of the secretary of state at Trenton, New Jersey, is dated Hunterdon county, New Jersey. (Liber 5, page 539, 1743 to 1748). He probably was resident of Hackensack, Bergen county, New Jersey, as that was where his fourth son was born, and was the home of the two succeeding generations. Laurens and Andrus, his brothers, lived at Saddle River, Bergen county, while Pieter, the other brother, lived at Constapels Hoeck (Constable Hook), which he owned and where descendants yet reside. He married, about 1688, Marietje Hendrickje Van der Linde, who bore him children: John, Abraham, Pieter, Laurens (3), see forward; Isaac, Michael, Fitze, Geertruy and Margrietje.
(III) Laurens, fourth son of Major Thomas E. and Marietje H. (Van der Linde) Van Buskirk, was born at Hackensack, New Jersey, about 1704. He married, May 7, 1726, Sara, baptized in 1708, daughter of John Terhune, of Flatlands and Hackensack, and his wife Elizabeth Bartholf, daughter of Rev. Guillam Bartholf, the first settled pastor of the Dutch church of Hackensack. Sara survived him, and married (second) Cornelia de Reamer, June 2, 1741. Laurens and Sara Van Buskirk had three children living at the time of their father's death:
- Altje, baptized in 1727.
- Jan (John), baptized in 1729.
- Hendrickja, baptized in 1732.
See Hackensack marriages, and New York Genealogical and Biographical Records, page 159.
(IV) John, second child of Laurens and Sara (Terhune) Van Buskirk, was baptized at Hackensack, New Jersey, in May, 1729. He removed to Athens, Greene county, New York, and later settled on the Hoosick patent, at Hoosick, Rensselaer county, New York, With nine others, September 27, 1770, he petitioned the government for ten thousand acres of land in New Hampshire, county of Gloucester, and within the province of New York. (See New York Colonial Papers, vol. xxvii, page 102). He married, about 1750, Esther Van Horn, born about 1729, died April 4, 1807. (See Dutch Ref. Church, Athens and Greene county history).
(V) Martin, son of John and Esther (Van Horn) Van Buskirk, was born February 18, 1755, died May 18, 1828. He was a resident of Hoosick, New York, and built the first bridge across the Hoosick river at that point. The village is now called "Buskirks Bridge." He was a soldier of the revolution, in the Second Company, Fourteenth Regiment, New York, in active service from July 23 to October 13, 1779, from May 17 to June 17, 1780, and from October 10 to November 24, 1781. He was under Captain Jacob Yates, March 4, 1780, Colonel Peter Yates regiment, and under Colonel Lewis Van Woert. (See "New York Rev. War Rolls.") He married, February 8, 1780, Maria, born November 29, 1760, died February 17, 1842, daughter of Philip Van Ness, of an early Rensselaer county family. They were parents of ten children, among whom was Philip Van Ness, of whom further.
(VI) Philip Van Ness, eldest son of Martin and Maria (Van Ness) Van Buskirk, was born November 2, 1780, died October 28, 1865. He was a resident and in business at Lansingburg, Rensselaer county, New York. He married, April 22, 1801, Wealthea Ann Day, born August 31, 1780, died January 18, 1843.
(VII) Catherine L. M., daughter of Philip Van Ness and Wealthea Ann (Day) Van Buskirk, was born February 9, 1815, died December 9, 1884. She married, May 18, 1836, Richardson H. Thurman, of Troy, New York, and had issue. (See Thurman.)