This page conforms to the XHTML standard and uses style sheets. If your browser doesn't support these, you may not see the page as designed, but all the text is still accessible to you.

SCHENECTADY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE

Bringing the heritage of Schenectady County, New York to the world since 1996

You are here: Home » Families » HMGFM Home » Van Rensselaer

Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs:
Van Rensselaer

Index to All Families | Index to Families by County: Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, Washington

Go to previous family: Terry | next family: McClellan

[This information is from Vol. IV, pp. 1814-1821 of Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs, edited by Cuyler Reynolds (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911). It is in the Reference collection of the Schenectady County Public Library at R 929.1 R45. Some of the formatting of the original, especially in lists of descendants, may have been altered slightly for ease of reading.]

The line of descent of General Stephen Van Rensselaer and Cornelia Paterson, descending from Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, the first Patroon:

General Stephen Van Rensselaer was the eighth Patroon of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, which became Albany, New York, on the province of New York, passing from the Dutch to the English rule. He was sixth in descent from Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, the first Patroon. He was born in the house of his respected grandfather, Philip Livingston, the signer, in New York City, November 1, 1764, and died in the Manor House at Albany, January 26, 1839, having lived a life which brought him great respect throughout his state and nation, for he had not only been elected lieutenant-governor of New York state, in 1795, and sent to Congress, in 1823, but he had served his country as an officer on the battlefield in the war of 1812. Besides this, he was a philanthropist in the cause of education. His father was Stephen Van Rensselaer, baptised, Albany, June 2, 1742; died there, October 19, 1769, who married, New York, New York, January 23, 1764, Catherine Livingston, born New York, August 25, 1745, died, Albany, April 17, 1810.

General Stephen Van Rensselaer married (first) at Schuylerville, New York, then called Saratoga, June 6, 1783, Margaret Schuyler, third daughter of General Philip and Catherine (Van Rensselaer) Schuyler, who was born at Albany, New York; baptised there September 24, 1758, and died there March 14, 1801. By this marriage there were three children:

  1. Catherine Schuyler, born at Albany, July ——, 1784, baptised there August 9, died there April 26, 1797.
  2. Stephen, born at Albany, June 6, 1786, died there in 1787.
  3. Stephen, born at Albany, March 29, 1789, died at the Manor House in Albany, May 25, 1868; married, New York, New York, January 2, 1817, Harriet Elizabeth Bayard.

(The line of descent of the third child, Stephen, has been carried down elsewhere, the other two of the above children having no issue.)

General Stephen Van Rensselaer had twelve children, fifty-one grandchildren, and fifty-eight great-grandchildren, and one or two generations before 1910.

General Stephen Van Rensselaer married (second) at New Brunswick, New Jersey, May 17, 1802, Cornelia Paterson, who was born at New Brunswick, June 4, 1780, died at New York, August 6, 1844. Cornelia Paterson's father was Justice William Paterson (son of William Paterson), a resident of New Brunswick, New Jersey, who was born December 24, 1745, died while on a visit at the Manor House in Albany, New York, September 9, 1806. He was a member and secretary of the first provincial congress of New Jersey, 1776; attorney-general of that state, 1776-86; a framer of the federal constitution; United States senator, 1789; was chosen the second governor of New Jersey in 1791, and General Washington appointed him a justice of the United States supreme court in 1793, which position he held when he died. He married, February 9, 1779, Cornelia, daughter of John Bell.

General Stephen and Cornelia (Paterson) Van Rensselaer had issue, born at Albany, New York:

  1. Catherine, born in the Manor House, October 17, 1803, died at New York, November 5, 1874; married, Albany, June 2, 1830, Gouverneur Morris Wilkins, who died in New York, New York, February 7, 1871, and was the son of Martin and ———— (Nutter) Wilkins; no issue.
  2. William Paterson, born March 6, 1805, see forward.
  3. Philip Stephen (or Philip Schuyler), born October 14, 1806; died at New York, New York, June 1, 1871; married, October 17, 1839, Mary Rebecca Tallmadge.
  4. Cortlandt, born May 26, 1808; died at Burlington, New Jersey, July 25, 1860; married, Hartford, Connecticut, September 13, 1836, Catherine Ledyard Cogswell.
  5. Henry Bell, born May 14, 1810; died at Cincinnati, Ohio, March 23, 1864; married, Jamaica, Long Island, August 22, 1833, Elizabeth Ray King.
  6. Cornelia Paterson, born July 8, 1812; died at New York, New York, January 16, 1890; married, New York, New York, February 16, 1847, Robert James Turnbull, M. D.
  7. Alexander, born November 5, 1814, died at New York, New York, May 8, 1878; married (first) October 21, 1851, Mary Howland; married (second) June 30, 1864, Louisa Barnewell.
  8. Euphemia White, born September 25, 1816, died at Cruger's Island, Barrytown, New York, April 27, 1888; married Burlington, New Jersey, May 2, 1843, John Church Cruger.
  9. Westerlo, born March 14, 1820, died at Albany, July 8, 1844, without issue.

(VI) William Paterson, second child of General Stephen and Cornelia (Paterson) Van Rensselaer, was born in the Manor House at Albany New York, March 6, 1805, died at New York, New York, November 13, 1872. He received a thorough preparatory education and then entered Yale College, graduating in the class of 1824. On leaving college he went to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he studied law through four years, completing his studies in Paris. He was a scholarly man, with intellectual tastes, eminent as a philanthropist and, as was said of him, "was regarded widely as an ideal Christian gentleman." He built the handsome residence on the brow of the wooded hill on the east side of the Hudson opposite the northern end of Albany, around 1840, or about the time of his marriage. It was a mansion comparing favorably with that of his elder brother, Stephen Van Rensselaer, who had inherited the Manor House in Albany. He laid out the extensive grounds with the idea of making the place one of the finest estates in the entire state. He furnished the interior with objects of art gathered abroad, and his library was a notable feature of his home. The winding staircase of selected Italian marble has been greatly admired by critics of architecture. On the southern side, as a wing, he built a mammoth conservatory. The stables were at the further end of a lawn extending nearly half a mile eastward. The west entrance faced upon a plateau which dropped abruptly to the river, affording a charming vista of the Hudson and the city of Albany spread along its shore, while in the far distance were the Catskill mountains as a background for the picture. Owing to the serious "Anti-Rent Feuds" which disturbed the conduct of the Van Rensselaer landed estate, he left this home to take up his residence in New York City and at Manursing Island, Rye, New York. The above property was finally purchased by Paul Forbes, and for many years thereafter was popularly known as the "Forbes Manor," and for the twenty-five years previous to 1910 was practically unoccupied excepting by caretakers.

William Paterson Van Rensselaer married (first) New York, New York, May 13, 1833, Eliza Rogers, who was born at New York City, in 1812, died in Cuba, March 20, 1836. He married (second), New York, New York, April 4, 1839, Sarah Rogers, who was born at New York City, October 29, 1810, died at Manursing Island, Rye, New York, November 19, 1887. The two wives were sisters, daughters of Benjamin Woolsey and Susan (Bayard) Rogers, and the latter was a sister of Harriet Elizabeth Bayard, who married William P. Van Rensselaer's half-brother, Stephen Van Rensselaer, whose mother was Margaret Schuyler and not Cornelia Paterson. Of the following nine children, one was by the first wife, Eliza Rogers, and eight were by the second wife, Sarah Rogers. Children:

  1. William Paterson, born at New York, New York, January, 1835, died at Rye, New York, July, 1854.
  2. Susan Bayard, born at New York, New York, January 31, 1840, died at Rye, New York, July 19, 1863.
  3. Cornelia, born at Albany, New York, September 22, 1841, see forward.
  4. Walter Stephen, born at Albany, New York, November 2, 1843, died at Rye, New York, May 14, 1865.
  5. Kiliaen, born at Albany, New York, February 14, 1845, see forward.
  6. Sarah Elizabeth, born at New York, New York, January 18, 1847, died at Rye, New York, June 29, 1859.
  7. Arthur, born at New York, New York, September 28, 1848, died at New York City, March 4, 1869.
  8. Catherine Goodhue, born at Norwalk, Connecticut, July 25, 1850; married, Rye, New York, June 11, 1891, Rev. Anson Phelps Atterbury; no issue.
  9. Eleanor Cecilia, born at Rye, New York, November 3, 1853, see forward.

(VII) Cornelia Van Rensselaer, daughter of William Paterson and Sarah (Rogers) Van Rensselaer, was born at Albany, New York, September 22, 1841. She married, New York City, April 22, 1862, John Erving, born at Philadelphia, Penn., July 6, 1833; lawyer, practicing in New York City in 1911; son of Colonel John Erving, United States army, and Emily Langdon (Elwyn) Erving. Children:

  1. Susan Van Rensselaer, born at New York, New York, May 11, 1863; unmarried.
  2. Cornelia, born at New York, New York, April 6, 1865; married (first), Albany, New York, June 11, 1895, John V. L. Pruyn, Jr.; children:
    1. John V. L., Jr., born at Florence, Italy, June 6, 1896, died at Albany, May 17, 1897;
    2. Erving, born Albany, October 26, 1897;
    3. Hendrik, born New York City, December 28, 1900.

    John V. L. Pruyn, Jr. died Sept. 22, 1904. She married (second), New York City, April 6, 1908, Hamilton L. Hoppin.

  3. John Langdon, born at Rye, New York, July 31, 1866; associated with the Mexican Telegraph Company, New York City, in 1911; married, New York, November 3, 1904, Alice H. Rutherford; children:
    1. Alice Rutherford, born at New York City, May 23, 1906;
    2. Cornelia Van Rensselaer, born at New York, November 24, 1907;
    3. John Langdon, Jr., born at Islip, Long Island, August 1, 1909.
  4. Emily Elwyn, born at Rye, New York, June 29, 1868; married, New York City, January 22, 1895, Henry Woodward Cooper; children:
    1. Cornelia Van Rensselaer, born at Rye, New York, February 6, 1896, died September 20, 1898;
    2. Lamberton, born at Stuttgart, Germany, February 16, 1899;
    3. John Erving, born at Rye, New York, September 30, 1906.
  5. Sarah Elizabeth, born at New York, New York, May 4, 1870; married, New York City, April 22, 1895, James Gore King; children:
    1. James Gore, Jr., born at New York City, May 25, 1898;
    2. Eleanor Erving, born at New York City, November 29, 1900;
    3. Edward Ramsay, born at New York City, May 20, 1905, died at New York, September 21, 1907;
    4. Cornelia Van Rensselaer, born at New York City, February 7, 1911.
  6. William Van Rensselaer, born at New York, New York, November 15, 1871; practicing law at Albany in 1911; unmarried.
  7. Catherine Van Rensselaer, born at New York, New York, November 19, 1873; unmarried.
  8. Eleanor Cecilia, born at New York, New York, September 20, 1875; unmarried.
  9. Shirley, born at Rye, New York, January 3, 1880; unmarried.
  10. Justine Bayard, born at Albany, New York, December 22, 1882; unmarried.
  11. Philip Livingston, born at Bermuda, March 12, 1884; died at Rye, New York, May 11, 1885.

(VII) Captain Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, son of William Paterson and Sarah (Rogers) Van Rensselaer, was born at Albany, New York, February 14, 1845, died at New York, New York, November 26, 1905. He served during the civil war and was a captain; member of the Loyal Legion, the Holland and St. Nicholas societies, and was prominent in religious and philanthropic work. He married, New York City, December 13, 1870, Olivia Phelps Atterbury. She was born at New York, New York, February 15, 1848, daughter of Benjamin Bakewell Atterbury, a descendant of Bishop Atterbury, of England, and Olivia Egleston Phelps, daughter of Anson G. Phelps. Children:

  1. Olivia Atterbury, born at New York, New York, September 21, 1871; married, New York City, October 31, 1899, Lewis Brown Gawtry; children:
    1. Olive, born at New York City, April 29, 1901;
    2. Beatrice, born at New York City, May 25, 1904.
  2. Sarah Elisabeth, born at New York, New York, April 7, 1873; married, New York City, November 5, 1903, Benjamin Walworth Arnold, Jr., of Albany, New York, born there April 30, 1865, son of B. W. and Frances Treat (Avery) Arnold.
  3. Katharine Boudinot, born at New York, New York, January 8, 1875, died there February 18, 1896.
  4. Edith Bayard, born at New York, New York, March 22, 1877, died there, April 2, 1885.
  5. Kiliaen, born at Seabright, New Jersey, May 21, 1879; married, New York City, November 23, 1905, Dorothy Manson; child:
    1. Barbara, born at New York City, April 13, 1908.
  6. Melissa Atterbury, born at New York, New York, March 14, 1883, died there April 28, 1884.
  7. William Stephen, born at New York, New York, April 7, 1886.

(VII) Eleanor Cecilia Van Rensselaer, daughter of William Paterson and Sarah (Rogers) Van Rensselaer, was born at Manursing Island, Rye, New York, November 3, 1853. She married, Rye, New York, June 1, 1887, Hamilton Rogers Fairfax, born at Alexandria, Virginia, March 2, 1852, son of John Walter and Mary Elizabeth (Rogers) Fairfax. Children:

  1. Katharine Van Rensselaer, born at New York, October 26, 1888.
  2. Hamilton Van Rensselaer, born at New York, January 26, 1891.

(VI) Philip Stephen Van Rensselaer, third child of General Stephen and Cornelia (Paterson) Van Rensselaer, was born in the Manor House at Albany, New York, October 14, 1806, died at New York, New York, June 1, 1871. He married, in Washington Square, New York City, October 17, 1839, Mary Rebecca Tallmadge, born May 16, 1817, died at Albany, August 3, 1872, daughter of General James and Laura (Clinton) Tallmadge. Children, born at No. 6 Washington Square, New York:

  1. James Tallmadge, born February 3, 1842, died at Boston, Massachusetts, August 28, 1899; married, New York, July 15, 1897, Mrs. Minnie (Sackett) Parker, widow of General Parker; no issue.
  2. Cornelia Paterson, born October 6, 1843, died at Florence, Italy, December 30, 1857.
  3. Philip Stephen, born November 11, 1844, died at New York, New York, March 22, 1882; married, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 5, 1872, Edith, daughter of Edward Biddle; no issue.
  4. Clinton, born April 29, 1846, died at New York, New York, April 24, 1851.
  5. Franklin, born May 26, 1852, died at New York, New York, April 29, 1853.
  6. Cortlandt, died in New York.

(VI) Cortlandt Van Rensselaer, fourth child of General Stephen and Cornelia (Paterson) Van Rensselaer, was born in the Manor House at Albany, New York, May 26, 1808, died at Burlington, New Jersey, July 25, 1860. Rev. Cortlandt Van Rensselaer graduated from Yale in 1827, and took up the study of law, being admitted to the bar of New York state in 1830. He decided to enter the ministry, studying at Union Theological Seminary of Prince Edward county, Virginia, and at the Princeton Theological Seminary; was ordained in 1833 as a Presbyterian minister.

He devoted himself to arduous missionary work among the Virginia slaves, and in 1837 was installed pastor of the First Presbyterian Church at Burlington, New Jersey, but three years afterward resigned. He then resided for three years at Washington, D. C., and in 1843 was persuaded to undertake the work of increasing the endowment fund of the Princeton Seminary. He accepted, and inaugurated the effort by contributing $2,000, and his efforts resulted in augmenting the fund by $100,000. He was corresponding secretary and principal executive officer of the Presbyterian board of education from 1847 until his death, and during this time extended the scope of the work, also founding and editing the "Presbyterian Magazine," and "The Home, the School and the Church." The University of New York conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1845. Whatever money he received for services, he donated to charitable causes and added other sums from his resources. A number of his writings were published in 1861, entitled "Miscellaneous Sermons, Essays and Addresses," which included his oration delivered at the centennial celebration of the battle of Lake George.

Rev. Dr. Cortlandt Van Rensselaer married, at Hartford, Connecticut, September 13, 1836, Catherine Ledyard Cogswell, born at Hartford, September 22, 1811, died December 24, 1882, daughter of Dr. Mason Fitch (Yale, 1780) and Mary Austin (Ledyard) Cogswell. Children:

  1. Cortlandt, born January 5, 1838; captain in Thirteenth Infantry, United States army, serving with distinction in the civil war; died at Nashville, Tennessee, October 7, 1864, from wound received in the battle of Mission Ridge; unmarried.
  2. Philip Livingston, born November 24, 1839, died at Vevey, Switzerland, March 10, 1873; was major in Second New Jersey Cavalry; married, Boston Massachusetts, Anne, daughter of Charles O. and Lovice (Ayres) Whittemore; no issue.
  3. Charles Chauncey, born January 16, 1842, died May 17, 1843.
  4. Ledyard, born November 20, 1843; physician practicing in Burlington, New Jersey; died March 26, 1893.
  5. Alice Cogswell, born March 19, 1846, see forward.
  6. Elizabeth Wadsworth, born February 22, 1848, see forward.
  7. Alexander, born October 1, 1850; graduate of Princeton, 1871; resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; married, Philadelphia, January 27, 1898, Sarah, daughter of Anthony Joseph and Ellen (Rozet) Drexel, and widow of John Fell; no issue.

(VII) Alice Cogswell Van Rensselaer, fifth child of Rev. Cortlandt and Catherine Ledyard (Cogswell) Van Rensselaer, was born March 19, 1846, died April 18, 1878. She married, May 7, 1868, Rev. Edward Blanchard Hodge, D.D., who was born February 5, 1841, died June 15, 1906, son of Hugh L. Hodge, M.D., LL.D., and Margaret Elizabeth (Aspinwall) Hodge. He was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, in 1859, and of Princeton Theological Seminary, in 1863; pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Burlington, New Jersey, from 1864 to 1893; corresponding secretary of Presbyterian board of education; trustee and director of the Princeton Theological Seminary, from which he received the degree of D.D., in 1893. Children:

  1. Margaret.
  2. Cortlandt Van Rensselaer, medical missionary of Presbyterian church, killed in China during the "Boxer" uprising of 1890; married, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Elsie Sinclair.
  3. Edward Blanchard, Jr., married Gretchen Green.
  4. Catherine.

(VII) Elizabeth Wadsworth Van Rensselaer, sixth child of Rev. Cortlandt and Catherine Ledyard (Cogswell) Van Rensselaer, was born February 22, 1848, died April 17, 1886. She married, October 6, 1868, General Edward Burd Grubb, born at Burlington, New Jersey, November 13, 1841, son of Edward Burd Grubb, Sr., descendant of the family which obtained a large estate by patent from William Penn. He graduated with honor from Burlington College, 1860; served in civil war with distinction, rising finally to rank of brigadier-general; was the Republican candidate for governor of New Jersey in 1888, and President Harrison appointed him the next year United States minister to Spain, in which capacity he participated actively in negotiating the treaty with Spain. Child:

  1. Euphemia Van Rensselaer, married, November 20, 1895, Charles Day Halsey; children: Van Rensselaer, and Charles Day, Jr.

(VI) Henry Bell Van Rensselaer, fifth child of General Stephen and Cornelia (Paterson) Van Rensselaer, was born in the Manor House at Albany, New York, May 14, 1810, died at Cincinnati, Ohio, March 23, 1864. He was educated at West Point Military Academy, graduating in 1831; resigned to engage in farming near Ogdensburg, New York, and inherited land in Saratoga county from his father. He was a congressman in 1841-43; was associated with mining enterprises, and upon the outbreak of the civil war re-entered the service, and was appointed General Winfield Scott's chief of staff, with rank of brigadier-general, but on the general's retirement was made inspector-general, with rank of colonel, serving in the Department of the Rappahannock from April until August, 1862, and afterwards in the Third Army Corps as well as in the Department of Ohio, from September 17 until his death.

General Henry Bell Van Rensselaer married, at Jamaica, New York, August 22, 1833, Elizabeth Ray King, born at New York, New York, August 17, 1815, died there March 5, 1900, daughter of Governor John Alsop and Mary (Ray) King. Children:

  1. Mary, born in 1834, died in New York, New York; married, New York, New York, April 28, 1874, Church of the Holy Communion, New York City, John Henry Screven, born at Charleston, South Carolina. Child,
    1. Elizabeth Ray, born in New York; married, January 5, 1897, Ernest E. Lorillard; children: Mary Van Rensselaer and John Screven.
  2. Cornelia, born in 1836, died in New York, New York, in 1864; married, April 26, 1859, James Lenox Kennedy, who died in 1864. Child, Henry Van Rensselaer, born in New York City; married, New York City, March 4, 1886, Marion Robbins; children: Rachel, Marion, Maud.
  3. Stephen, born at Ogdensburg, New York, October 29, 1838, see forward.
  4. Henry, died in infancy.
  5. Euphemia, born in 1842; became a Sister of Charity, and took the name Marie Dolores.
  6. Elizabeth, born in 1845, died at Staten Island, 1911; married, in Church of the Holy Communion, New York, New York, June 3, 1873, George Waddington, son of William Waddington; child,
    1. Mary E., born in New York City; married, at Venice, Italy, Christopher B. Wyatt.
  7. John King, born at Ogdensburg, New York, July 17, 1847, see forward.
  8. Katharine, born in 1849; married, January 17, 1870, Dr. Francis Delafield, son of Dr. Edward Delafield; children:
    1. Elizabeth Ray, born in New York City; unmarried;
    2. Julia Floyd, born in New York City, married, New York, November 11, 1896, Frederick S. Crosby; children:
      1. Katharine Van Rensselaer and
      2. Floyd, born in New York City.
  9. Rev. Henry, born in 1851; joined the Society of Jesuits, and died in New York City.
  10. Westerlo, born in 1853, died in 1857.

(VII) Stephen Van Rensselaer, third child of General Henry Bell and Elizabeth Ray (King) Van Rensselaer, was born at Ogdensburg, New York, October 29, 1838, died at New York, New York, January 20, 1904. He was a captain in the United States army during the civil war, and a member of the Union Club, St. Nicholas Society and other leading organizations of New York City. He married, New York, New York, December 9, 1863, Mathilda Coster Heckscher, born in New York City, December 18, 1838, daughter of Charles Augustus and Georgiana Louisa (Coster) Heckscher. Children:

  1. Charles Augustus, born at New York, New York, June 28, 1867; merchant of New York City in 1911; married, Brookline, Massachusetts, December 12, 1899, Caroline Elizabeth Fitz Gerald, born at Brookline, Massachusetts, April 4, 1871, daughter of Desmond and Elizabeth (Salisbury) Fitz Gerald, of Brookline, Massachusetts; children:
    1. Charles Augustus, Jr., born at Brookline, September 29, 1902, and
    2. Stephen, born at New York City, November 28, 1905.
  2. Elizabeth Ray, born at Orange, New Jersey, April 13, 1870; married, New York City, February 27, 1900, John Magee Ellsworth, born at Penn Yan, New York, son of Stephen S. Ellsworth; children, born in New York City:
    1. Elizabeth Van Rensselaer, born December 8, 1900;
    2. Mathilda Coster, born January 25, 1904;
    3. Stephen Van Rensselaer, born March 15, 1905.
  3. Stephen, born at Orange, New Jersey, December 29, 1871; married, at Elizabeth, New Jersey, July 25, 1905, Marian Watson Farlin, born at Elizabeth, New Jersey, July 25, 1884, daughter of James Augustus Farlin; child,
    1. Marian, born April 23, 1907.
  4. Mathilda, born at Orange, New Jersey, April 11, 1879: married, October 29, 1908, George Curtis White, Jr., born at Brooklyn, New York, October 29, 1871, son of George Curtis and Cordelia (Curtis) White.

(VII) John King Van Rensselaer, seventh child of General Henry Bell and Elizabeth Ray (King) Van Rensselaer, was born at Ogdensburg, New York, July 17, 1847, died at Hoboken, New Jersey, October 16, 1909; married, New York City, October 4, 1871, May Denning King, born at New York, New York, May 25, 1848, daughter of Archibald Gracie and Elizabeth Denning (Duer) King. Children, born at New York City:

  1. John Alexander, born July 5, 1872; married, January 30, 1896, Helen F. Galindo.
  2. Frederick Harold, born January 6, 1874, died at Long Beach, New York, August 6, 1903; married, New York City, April 23, 1898, Josephine Lucy Grinnell, born at New York City, August 16, 1876, daughter of Robert Minturn and Sophie (Van Alen) Grinnell; child,
    1. L. Sylvia Grinnell, born at New York City, January 19, 1899.

(VI) Cornelia Paterson Van Rensselaer, sixth child of General Stephen and Cornelia (Paterson) Van Rensselaer, was born in the Manor House at Albany, New York, July 8, 1812, died in New York City, January 16, 1890. She married, New York, New York, February 16, 1847, Robert James Turnbull, M.D., born at Charleston, South Carolina, October 3, 1807, died at Cincinnati, Ohio, June 4, 1854, son of Robert James Turnbull, of Charleston, and Claudia Butler (Gervais) Turnbull, of a Huguenot family of South Carolina. Dr. Turnbull's father was one of the most prominent publicists and respected statesmen of his state, and was the intimate friend and coadjutor of Calhoun. Although Dr. Turnbull studied medicine and graduated as a physician, he was not a general practitioner, as he early inherited from his father the latter's extensive estates in Issaguena county, Mississippi, comprising six thousand acres of productive cotton plantations. It was on these he passed his winters, personally superintending the details of business management and caring for the welfare of his dependents, among whom his knowledge of medicine was most useful and highly appreciated. His summer residence and the family home was "Everton," at Throgg's Neck, now incorporated in Greater New York. On his way north in June, 1854, he stopped at Cincinnati, where cholera was then prevalent; was seized with sudden illness, and expired after a few hours. He was buried in old St. Philip's historic churchyard, Charleston, South Carolina. Children:

  1. Cornelia Paterson, born in New York City, December 2, 1848, died Westchester, N. Y., May 29, 1850.
  2. Katharine Euphemia, born in New York City, March 6, 1851; unmarried; residing in 1911, at "Paterson Lodge," Princeton, New Jersey.

(VI) Alexander Van Rensselaer, seventh child of General Stephen and Cornelia (Paterson) Van Rensselaer, was born in the Manor House at Albany, New York, November 5, 1814, died in New York City, May 8, 1878. After his early education, he studied medicine and took his degree, but never practiced. He traveled much and was highly esteemed. He married (first), October 20, 1851, Mary Ann, born August 4, 1830, died May 13, 1855, daughter of Samuel Shaw and Joanna Esther (Howe) Howland; two children:

  1. Samuel Howland, born in 1852; died at Nice, Italy, November 26, 1859, and
  2. Mary Howland, born November 24, 1854, died at Nice, Italy, November 26, 1859.

He married (second) at New York, New York, June 30, 1864, Louisa, daughter of William and Clementina (Rutgers) Barnewall, who was born at New York, New York, October 12, 1836. Children:

  1. Louisa, born at Paris, France, December 18, 1865; married, New York City, January 18, 1886, Edmund Lincoln Baylies, born in New York City, December 2, 1857, son of Edmund Lincoln Baylies, born in Boston, Massachusetts, May 18, 1829, died in Geneva, Switzerland, November 28, 1869, who married, November 27, 1856, Nathalie Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Ray, who was born at New York, New York, September 9, 1837. No issue.
  2. Mabel, born at New York, New York, November 19, 1868; married, April 26, 1899, Rev. James LeBaron Johnson; no issue.
  3. Alice, born at New York, New York, December 22, 1872; unmarried.

(VI) Euphemia White Van Rensselaer, eighth child of General Stephen and Cornelia (Paterson) Van Rensselaer, was born in the Manor House at Albany, New York, September 25, 1816, died at Cruger's Island, Barrytown, Dutchess county, New York, April 27, 1888. She married, at "Stone Cottage," Burlington, New Jersey, May 2, 1843, John Church Cruger, born at Union Hall, October 13, 1807; died in New York City, November 16, 1879, son of Bertram Peter Cruger, born at St. Croix, D. W. I., March 25, 1774, died at Brompton, England, September 3, 1854, who married, March 25, 1802, Catherine Church, born in Boston, Massachusetts, November 4, 1779, died in New York City, 1839. Children, born in New York City:

  1. Stephen Van Rensselaer, born May 9, 1844, died at "Idlesse," Bayville, Long Island, June 23, 1898; married, New York City, April 21, 1868, Julie Grinnell, daughter of Thomas Wentworth and Sarah (Paris) Storrow, and she married (second) Wade Chance.
  2. Cornelia, born January 19, 1847; residing in 1911 at Cruger's Island, New York; unmarried.
  3. Catherine Church, born February 7, 1851, residing in 1911 at Cruger's Island, New York; unmarried.

(Hendrick Van Rensselaer Descent)

(II) Hendrick Van Rensselaer, third child of Colonel Jeremias (the third Patroon) and Maria (Van Cortlandt) Van Rensselaer (q.v.) was born in Rensselaerswyck, October 23, 1667, died there, July 2, 1740. His eldest brother, Kiliaen, was the fourth Patroon, and was known as the "Second Lord of the Manor," being the second patroon to reside in and manage affairs of the colony. Besides Kiliaen, he had no other brother, and only two sisters, consequently to him came an important share in the vast landed property of the Manor. A settlement was made in New York City, November 1, 1695, with all those living in Holland in any way concerned through blood relationship with the estate in this country, and following that solution of the future status of the land, a division was made by Kiliaen, as the oldest child, by which he conveyed to Hendrick, on June 1, 1704, the Claverack patent and some one thousand five hundred acres on the east side of the Hudson river, in Columbia county, located opposite Albany. This was commonly called the "Lower Manor." The name Greenbush was derived from the Dutch, Greyne Bosch, a title applied to the woods covering this tract, by the first patroon when corresponding with his managers residing in the colony.

Hendrick Van Rensselaer married, New York, New York, March 19, 1688, Catharina Van Brugh (Van Bruggen or Verbrugge), daughter of Johannes Pieterse and Catharina (Roeloffse) Van Brugh, the latter the daughter of Annke Jans. She died at her home in Greenbush (later known as Rensselaer), New York, December 6, 1730. Children:

  1. Maria, baptised in New York City, March 29, 1689; married Samuel Ten Broeck.
  2. Catrina, baptised in Albany (as were the following children), January 1, 1692; married Jonathan Ten Broeck.
  3. Anna, baptised October 1, 1693, died young.
  4. Anna, baptised February 2, 1696; married, October 8, 1717, Petrus Douw.
  5. Elizabeth, baptised May 8, 1698, died young.
  6. Elizabeth, baptised July 21, 1700; married John Richard.
  7. Helena, baptised October 4, 1702; married, December 19, 1728, Jacob Wendell.
  8. Jeremias, baptised April 29, 1705; buried October 5, 1730.
  9. Johannes, born February 11, 1708, see forward.
  10. Hendrick, born April 20, 1712, baptised May 8, 1712; died July 9, 1793; married (first) October 16, 1735, Elizabeth Van Brugh; married (second) November 20, 1762, Mrs. Alida (Livingston) Rutsen.
  11. Kiliaen, baptised November 27, 1717.

(III) Johannes, ninth child (and second son) of Hendrick and Catharina (Van Brugh) Van Rensselaer, was born in the Crailo house at Greenbush, New York, February 11, 1708, died in 1783. Jeremias, his elder brother, died about ten years before the death of their father, hence he inherited the Crailo, which was the name given to the house built close to the east bank of the Hudson river, and was constructed with the idea of being a place of defence in case of attack by the Indians, for in several places in the brickwork were stone pieces, pierced for the operation of a gun. It has been said that the bricks were brought from Holland in 1642, and the house then erected, by Van Rensselaer; but one should notice in this connection that Colonel Jeremias Van Rensselaer was born in Amsterdam, Holland, only ten years previous to this date, and did not come to Rensselaerswyck (or America) until 1658, and the first of the name to come to this country was his older brother, Jan Baptist, who came in 1651, or nearly ten years after the date attributed to the erection of this house, mostly by tradition. He was a member of the twenty-first provincial assembly; was appointed captain of a company of foot in 1743, and promoted to be colonel. Although at the time of the revolution he was too aged to participate in its conflicts, he was a strong patriot, and three of his sons took active part, as commissioned officers. It was here that General Abercrombie made his headquarters, with his troops encamped upon his property along the river shore, in June, 1758, on which date "Yankee Doodle" was composed by Surgeon Shackburg, while seated in Van Rensselaer's garden, before the army proceeded northward against Montcalm, All his children were born in this house and all were by his first wife.

Johannes Van Rensselaer married (first), January 3, 1734, Angelica Livingston. She was baptised July 17, 1698, daughter of Mayor Robert Livingston, Jr., who married Margarita Schuyler, August 26, 1697. He married (second) Gertrude Van Cortlandt. Children:

  1. Catherine, born November 4, 1734, died in the Schuyler Mansion at Albany, March 7, 1803; married, Claverack, New York, September 17, 1755, Major-General Philip Schuyler.
  2. Jeremias, born in 1738, see forward.
  3. Robert, born December 16, 1740; was a general, commissioned June 16, 1780; fought at Ticonderoga; participated in defeat of Sir John Johnson, when on his Mohawk valley raid in 1780; died in the Crailo, Greenbush, [married?] Cornelia Rutsen.
  4. Hendrick Johannes, born October 23, 1742, died Claverack, March 22, 1814; was a captain of foot in the British army, and in 1777, commissioned colonel of Continental army; married, November 16, 1765, Rachel Douw.
  5. James, born in 1747; was aide-de-camp, rank of captain, under Major-General Richard Montgomery in 1775, serving in the entire Canadian campaign; in April, 1776, made captain in the Second Regiment, New York, under Colonel James Clinton, and aide-de-camp, rank of major, under General Philip Schuyler; died at "Crystal Hill," February 1, 1827; married (first) Catherine Van Cortlandt; married (second) June 24, 1789, Mrs. Elsie (Schuyler) Bogert.

(IV) Jeremias, second child of Johannes and Angelica (Livingston) Van Rensselaer, was born in the Crailo at Greenbush, New York, in 1738, died in 1769. As his death occurred about fourteen years before that of his father, he did not, of course, inherit the Crailo property as the oldest son; but it was given instead, by will, to his only son as his by right of primogeniture. He married, July 3, 1758, Judith Bayard, by whom one child; and after his death, his widow married Archibald Bruce, M.D., of New York City, and thus much of the Van Rensselaer silver and household effects passed into another family.

(V) Johannes Jeremias, only son of Jeremias and Judith (Bayard) Van Rensselaer, was born about 1769 in the Crailo, died there, September 22, 1828. He inherited the property under the will of his grandfather, and made some important changes to the interior of what had been a fortified residence. He was a soldier, as so many of his relatives had been before his day, serving as lieutenant-colonel of the Fourteenth Regiment, Albany county militia. He married Catharina Glen, born in 1765, died September 23, 1807, daughter of Johannes and Katarina (Veeder) Glen. Children:

  1. Catharina Glen, baptised March 31, 1785, died in Greenbush, July 5, 1865; married Johannes Visscher.
  2. John Jeremias, born June 6, 1790, died young.
  3. Dr. Jeremias, born August 4, 1793, died in New York City, March 7, 1871; married (first) Charlotte Foster, of Boston, Massachusetts; by whom Jeremias and Francis; married (second) Anne F. Waddington.
  4. Glen, born June 22, 1795, died at Greenbush, January 9, 1871, unmarried.
  5. Elizabeth Bayard, born September 15, 1797, died in New York City, August 28, 1807.
  6. Cornelius Glen, born July 27, 1801, see forward.
  7. Archibald, born February 6, 1803, unmarried.

(VI) Cornelius Glen, sixth child of Lieutenant-Colonel Johannes Jeremias and Catharina (Glen) Van Rensselaer, was born in Greenbush (Rensselaer), New York, July 27, 1801, died there, June 27, 1871. He married, Albany, New York, October 31, 1826, Catherine Westerlo Bleecker, born at Albany, October 1, 1809, died at Greenbush, September 12, 1886, daughter of John Bleecker, born Albany, May 11, 1766, who married, Albany, November 17, 1800, Elizabeth Van Rensselaer (Schuyler), the latter born at Albany, August 15, 1768, died at her home on North Pearl street, Albany, March 29, 1841, being the daughter of Seventh Patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer, and the widow of John Bradstreet Schuyler, son of General Philip Schuyler. Elizabeth Van Rensselaer's mother was Catherine Livingston, daughter of Philip Livingston, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Children, born in Greenbush:

  1. John, born August 29, 1827, died an infant.
  2. Stephen Bleecker, born September 26, 1828, died young.
  3. Cornelia, born March 19, 1831; married, September 11, 1856, Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton, of Pelham, New York; no issue.
  4. Katharine Westerlo, born October 22, 1834; residing in 1911, in the old mansion on Riverside avenue, Rensselaer, New York, facing the Hudson river; unmarried.
  5. John Jeremiah, M.D., born September 13, 1836; residing in Swartswood, New Jersey, in 1911; married, Baltimore, Maryland, October 20, 1864, Florence Taylor; children:
    1. Florence, born at Baltimore, Maryland, November 7, 1865, and
    2. Lyndsay, born at New Brighton, Staten Island, New York, September 21, 1870, who married Lolita A. Coffin, and had Catherine Glen.
  6. Visscher, born October 12, 1838.

(VII) Visscher, sixth child of Cornelius Glen and Catherine Westerlo (Bleecker) Van Rensselaer, was born in Greenbush (Rensselaer), New York, October 12, 1838, and was residing there, with his wife, in 1911. He married, Schoharie, New York, September 5, 1866, Mary Augusta Miller, born at Schoharie, New York, April 22, 1847, daughter of Charles L. and Sarah (Markle) Miller. Children:

  1. Katharine Westerlo, born at Esperance, New York, September 3, 1867, died in Albany, New York, February 12, 1896; married, Greenbush, New York, January 23, 1894, Benjamin Walworth Arnold, Jr., born in Albany, April 30, 1865, son of Benjamin W. and Frances Treat (Avery) Arnold; child,
    1. Katharine Westerlo Van Rensselaer, born at No. 13 Ten Broeck street, Albany, January 28, 1896.
  2. Cornelius Glen, born in Esperance, New York, September 24, 1869; married, New York, New York, October 8, 1898, Genevieve, daughter of Philip John and Nancy Stewart (Keating) Vesel, born at Ilion, New York, October 20, 1868; children:
    1. Katharine Stewart, born at Schenectady, New York, June 4, 1903, died at Rensselaer, New York, February 15, 1909, and
    2. Justine Livingston, born at Schenectady, February 26, 1907.
  3. Cornelia Livingston, born at Quaker Street, New York, June 5, 1879; she married at Rensselaer, New York, March 21, 1900, Hon. Theodore Strong, of "Stronghold," New Brunswick, New Jersey, son of Hon. Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge and Harriet A. (Hartwell) Strong; children, all born at New Brunswick, New Jersey:
    1. Theodore, Jr., born January 3, 1901;
    2. Cornelia Livingston Van Rensselaer, born November 16, 1902;
    3. Katharine Van Rensselaer, born November 10, 1904;
    4. Stephen Van Rensselaer, born November 30, 1906;
    5. Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge, born May 17, 1910.

Go to top of page | previous family: Terry | next family: McClellan

You are here: Home » Families » HMGFM Home » Van Rensselaer

https://www.schenectadyhistory.org/families/hmgfm/vanrensselaer-3.html updated June 4, 2022

Copyright 2022 Schenectady Digital History Archive — a service of the Schenectady County Public Library

W3C XHTML 1.0 √
W3C CSS √
W3C WAI-AAA WCAG 1.0 √

Statcounter