Van Rensselaer (family)

Van Rensselaer

Van Rensselaer coat of arms originally had the Dutch motto: niemand zonder; no one without it (the cross). Modern motto: omnibus effulgemus; we shine for all.
Current region	United States
Place of origin	Netherlands
Connected families	Schuyler family Bayard family Livingston family Van Cortlandt family
Estate	Manor of Rensselaerswyck

Rensselaerswyck series
Dutch West India Company
The Patroon System
Map of Rensselaerswyck
Patroons of Rensselaerswyck: Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1630–40s) Various (1640s–52) Jan Baptist van Rensselaer (1652–58) Jeremias van Rensselaer (1658–74) Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1674–87) Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1687–1719)[1] Jeremias van Rensselaer (1719–45) Stephen van Rensselaer I (1745–47) Stephen van Rensselaer II (1747–69) Abraham Ten Broeck (1769–84, de facto) Stephen van Rensselaer III (1784–1839)

The Van Rensselaer was a prominent Dutch family in New York in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose descendants played a critical role in the formation of the United States, in leading government and business in North America, and served as leaders in business, politics and society.

History

The Van Rensselaer family is of Dutch origin.^[2] Most of the Van Rensselaers emigrated from the Netherlands to a large area along the Hudson River in the present day area of Albany, New York. The Van Rensselaers and other patroons named this young colony New Netherland. Many members of the family have been active in politics and in the military.^[3][4]

Herman Melville descended from the Van Rensselaer family. In his novel Moby-Dick he wrote about it in the first chapter:

"It touches one's sense of honor, particularly if you come of an old established family in the land, the Van Rensselaers, or Randolphs, or Hardicanutes."

Patroons of Rensselaerswyck

• Kiliaen Van Rensselaer (1586–1643), the first Patroon
• Johannes Van Rensselaer (1625–1663), the second Patroon
• Jan Baptist van Rensselaer (1629–1678), Director of Rensselaerwyck from 1652 to 1658 and third Patroon^[5]

Lords of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck

• Kiliaen Van Rensselaer (died 1687), son of Johan, fourth patroon and first Lord of the Manor
• Kiliaen Van Rensselaer (1663–1719), son of Jeremias, fifth patroon and second Lord of the Manor
• Jeremias Van Rensselaer (1705–1743), son of Kiliaen, sixth patroon and third Lord of the Manor
• Stephen van Rensselaer I (1707–1747), son of Kiliaen, brother of Jeremias, seventh Patroon and fourth Lord of the Manor
• Stephen van Rensselaer II (1742–1769), son of Stephen, eighth Patroon and fifth Lord of the Manor
• Stephen Van Rensselaer III (1764–1839), US Representative from New York and Lt. Gov. of New York, founder and namesake of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, son of Stephen II, ninth Patroon and sixth Lord of the Manor
• Stephen Van Rensselaer IV (1789–1868), son of Stephen III, tenth and last Patroon and seventh and last Lord of the Manor

Family tree

• Hendrick van Rensselaer (d. 1602) ∞ Maria Pafraet
  • Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1586–1643) ∞ (1) 1616: Hillegonda van Bijler (ca. 1598–1626); ∞ (2) 1627: Anna van Wely (ca. 1601–1670)
    • Hendrick van Rensselaer (b. ca. 1620)
    • Johan van Rensselaer (1625–1663) ∞ 1655: Elizabeth van Twiller
      • Kiliaen van Rensselaer (d. 1687) ∞ Anna van Rensselaer (b. 1665)
      • Nella van Rensselaer
    • Maria van Rensselaer (d. 1627)
    • Jan Baptist van Rensselaer (1629–1678) ∞ Susanna van Wely
    • Maria van Rensselaer (1631–1654)
    • Jeremias van Rensselaer (1632–1674) ∞ 1662: Maria van Cortlandt (1645–1689)
      • Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1663–1719) ∞ 1701: Maria van Cortlandt (1674/80–1747/50); After van Rensselaer died in 1719, Maria van Cortlandt ∞ 1728: John Milne.
        • Jeremias van Rensselaer (1705–1745)
        • Stephen van Rensselaer (1707–1747) ∞ 1729: Elizabeth Groesbeck (1707–1756)
          • Elizabeth van Rensselaer (1734–1813) ∞ 1763: Abraham ten Broeck (1734–1810)
          • Stephen van Rensselaer II (1742–1769) ∞ 1764: Catherine Livingston (1745–1810); After van Rensselaer died in 1769, Catherine Livingston ∞ 1775: Eilardus Westerlo (1738–1790).
            • Stephen van Rensselaer III (1764–1839) ∞ (1) 1783: Margarita Schuyler (1758–1801); ∞ (2) 1802: Cornelia Paterson (1780–1844)
              • Stephen van Rensselaer IV (1789–1868) ∞ Harriet Bayard (1799–1875)^[6]
                • Margaret Schuyler van Rensselaer (1819–1897) ∞ (1) 1837 (div. 1851): John de Peyster Douw (1812–1901); ∞ (2) Wilmot Johnson (1820–1899)^[7]
                • Cornelia Patterson van Rensselaer (1823–1897) ∞ Nathaniel Thayer, Jr. (1808–1883)
                • Stephen van Rensselaer V (1824–1861) ∞ 1858: Annie Louise Wild in 1858
                • Catherine van Rensselaer (1827–1909) ∞ Nathaniel Berry (1811–1865)
                • Justine van Rensselaer (1828–1912) ∞ 1853: Dr. Howard Townsend (1823–1867)
                • Bayard van Rensselaer (1833–1859) ∞ Laura Reynolds (1830–1912)
                • Harriet van Rensselaer (1838–1911) ∞ John Schuyler Crosby (1839–1914)
                • Eugene van Rensselaer (1840–1925) ∞ Sarah Boyd Pendleton (1846–1923)
              • Cortlandt van Rensselaer (1808–1860)
                • Alexander van Rensselaer (1850–1933) ∞ 1898: Sarah Drexel (1860–1929), widow of John Ruckman Fell (1858–1895).
              • Henry Bell van Rensselaer (1810–1864)
            • Philip van Rensselaer (1767–1824) ∞ 1787: Anne van Cortlandt (1766–1855)
            • Elizabeth van Rensselaer (1768–1841) ∞ (1) 1787: John Bradstreet Schuyler (1765–1795); ∞ (2) 1799/1800: John Bleecker (1763–1833), widower of Jane Gilliland.
        • Jacobus van Rensselaer (1713–1762)
        • Gertrude van Rensselaer (born 1714) ∞ (1) Adonis Schuyler; ∞ (2) 1766: Robert Livingston (1708–1790)
        • Jan Baptist van Rensselaer (1717–1763)
        • Anne van Rensselaer (1719–1791) ∞ John Schuyler (1708–1773)
      • Johannes van Rensselaer
      • Anna van Rensselaer (born 1665) ∞ Kiliaen van Rensselaer (died 1687)
      • Hendrick van Rensselaer (1667–1740) ∞ 1689: Catharina van Brugh (1665–1730)
        • Catryn van Rensselaer (1691–1770) ∞ 1714: Johannes ten Broeck (1683–1765)
        • Anna van Rensselaer (1696–1756) ∞ 1717: Peter Douw (1692–1775)
        • Elizabeth van Rensselaer (1700–1779) ∞ 1731: John Richard (died 1763)
        • Helena van Rensselaer (1702–1792) ∞ 1728: Jacob Wendell (1702–1745)
        • Johannes van Rensselaer (1707/08–1783) ∞ (1) 1734: Engeltje Livingston (1698–1746/47); ∞ (2) Gertrude van Cortlandt
          • Catherine van Rensselaer (1734–1803) ∞ 1755: Philip Schuyler (1733–1804)
            • Margarita "Peggy" Schuyler (1758–1801) ∞ Stephen Van Rensselaer III (1764–1839)
          • Jeremiah van Rensselaer (1738–1810) ∞ (1) 1760: Judith Bayard; ∞ 1764: Helena Lansing (1743–1795)
          • Robert van Rensselaer (1740–1802) ∞ 1765: Cornelia Rutsen (1746/47–1790)
            • Jacob van Rensselaer (1767–1835) ∞ Cornelia de Peyster
            • James van Rensselaer (1784–1847) ∞ Susan De Lancey Cullen (1786-1863)
              • John Cullen van Rensselaer (1812–1898) ∞ Cornelia Josepha Codwise (1810-1890)
                • Mary Van Rensselaer (1839-1871) ∞ Andrew K. Cogswell (1839-1900)
                • Schuyler van Rensselaer (1845–1884) ∞ 1873: Mariana Griswold (1851–1934)
                • Susan De Lancey Van Rensselaer (1851-1931)
        • Hendrick van Rensselaer (1712–1793) ∞ (1) 1735: Elizabeth van Brugh (1712–1753); ∞ (2) 1762: Alida Livingston (1716–1798), widow of Jacob Rutsen (1716–1753).
        • Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1717–1781) ∞ (1) 1742: Ariaantie Schuyler (1720–1763); ∞ (2) 1769: Maria Low
          • Henry van Rensselaer (1744–1816) ∞ Alida Bratt
            • Solomon van Rensselaer (1774–1852) ∞ 1797: Arriet van Rensselaer (1775-1840)
            • David van Rensselaer (1797–1880)
              • Henry Kilian van Rensselaer (1821–1897)
                • Martha van Rensselaer (1864–1932)
          • Philip Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1747–1798) ∞ 1768: Mary Sanders (1749–1830)
            • Arriet van Rensselaer (1775-1840) ∞ 1797: Solomon van Rensselaer
          • Nicholas van Rensselaer (1754-1848) ∞ 1780: Elsie van Buren (1759–1844)
          • Elsie van Rensselaer (1758–1796) ∞ 1774: Abraham Lansing (1752–1822)
          • Maria van Rensselaer (1760–1841) ∞ 1777: Leonard Gansevoort (1754–1834)
          • Killian van Rensselaer (1763–1845) ∞ 1791: Margaret Sanders (1764–1830)
            • John Sanders van Rensselaer (1792–1868) ∞ Ann Dunkin (1795–1845)
              • Charles van Rensselaer (1823–1857)
      • Maria van Rensselaer (1673–1713) ∞ 1691: Pieter Schuyler (1657–1724), widower of Engeltie van Schaick (1659–1689).
    • Hillegonda van Rensselaer (1633–1654)
    • Leonora van Rensselaer (1635–1695?)
    • Nicholas van Rensselaer (1636–1678) ∞ 1675: Alida Schuyler (1656–1727/29); after van Rensselaer died in 1678, Alida Schuyler ∞ 1679: Robert Livingston (1654–1728).
    • Susanna van Rensselaer (1638–1680)
    • Ryckert van Rensselaer (1639–1692/95) ∞ 1681: Anna van Beaumont
  • Maria van Rensselaer ∞ Ryckaert van Twiller
    • Wouter van Twiller (1606–1654)

See also

• Van Rensselaer (surname)
• Manor of Rensselaerswyck

References

1. Spooner 1907, p.17
2. U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual; Chapter 3 - Capitalization Rules; Rule 3.14: "In anglicized names such particles are usually capitalized...but individual usage...should be followed."
3. Van Rensselaer, Maunsell (1888). Annals of the Van Rensselaers in the United States, especially as they relate to the family of Killian K. Van Rensselaer C. Van Benthuysen & Sons, p. 215
4. Bonney, Catharina V. R. (Catharina Van Rensselaer)(1875). Alegacy of Historical Gleanings J. Munsell
5. Van Rensselaer, Jeremias. Correspondence of Jeremias Van Rensselaer, 1651-1674, University of the State of New York, 1932
6. Spooner, Walter Whipple (1 January 1900). "Van Rensselaer family". American Historical Magazine. [S.l. : s.n. (Vol. 2 Issue 1). Retrieved 8 November 2016.
7. Reynolds, Cuyler (1911). Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: A Record of Achievements of the People of the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys in New York State, Included Within the Present Counties of Albany, Rensselaer, Washington, Saratoga, Montgomery, Fulton, Schenectady, Columbia and Greene. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. Retrieved 9 November 2016.