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Hendrick
Hansen
Hendrick Hansen was born in Albany in 1665, the son of Beverwyck trader Hans Hendrickse and Eva Gillis de Meyer. He followed his father in the fur trade. That business often took the young man into the Indian country and thus postponed the start of his own family.
In
Albany to stay by 1691, Hendrick was appointed constable
and then high constable - designations that signalled
his entry into community life. In 1692, he wed Debora
Van Dam - the only daughter of an Albany carpenter.
Shortly thereafter, the couple moved into the Hansen
home on the east side of Market Street where they
raised seven children. Although a Dutch church member,
unlike most Albany city fathers, this Lutheran-ancestry
native son did not play a major role in its operations.
On
the death of his father, Hendrick inherited substantial
properties and was heir to numerous opportunities
as well. In 1693, he was elected to the city council
as assistant alderman for the third ward. Two years
later, he was elected alderman. Hansen served until
1698 when he was appointed mayor of Albany by the
royal governor. After a year, he was succeeded by
Pieter Van Brugh. But Hansen maintained a close connection
to the Albany government as a contractor and advisor.
That connection was formalized in 1703 when he again
was elected third ward alderman. Hendrick Hansen
held that position for much of the remainder of his
life. Throughout his municipal career, he was among
the most active participants in city business. His
major responsibilities included dealing with the
fort - for which he was a supplier, community infrastructure
issues, Indian diplomacy, and Albany's lands beyond
the city limits.
Unlike
most of his contemporaries, his officeholding transcended
the local level. While continuing to hold municipal
offices, in 1699 he was elected to represent Albany
in the provincial Assembly. At the time of his death,
he was serving a fifth term in the New York General
Assembly.
Hendrick
Hansen filed a will in September 1723. He called
himself an "Albany yeoman" and stated that he was "weak in body." It parceled out his substantial real estate in Albany, Schenectady, Fort Hunter, and beyond to his wife and children. He died in February 1724 and was buried beneath the Albany Dutch church.
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Notes: The life of Hendrick Hansen is CAP biography number
4939. This profile is derived chiefly from community-based
resources and from provincial records.
By Stefan Bielinski, Colonial Albany Social History Project [http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany]
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