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Cornelius
Van Santvoord
Cornelius
Van Santvoord (there many variations of the spelling
of his family name) was christened on 8 Mar. 1723 in
the Reformed Dutch Church, Port Richmond, Richmond,
New York. He was the eldest son of Reformed minister
Cornelius Van Santvoord (his name appears on his headstone
in the Vale Cemetery, Schenectady) and his wife Anna
Staats. The family originally come from a town in Flanders
named Zandvoorde. In 1738, he was listed as a first
lieutenant on the roster of a Staten Island militia
company under the command of Capt. Paul Richards Company.
By 1740, his father had moved the family to Schenectady
to serve the Dutch congregation there. In 1746 he is
listed as a soldier in a company under the command of
Captain Albartus Tiebout (a company of volunteers recruited
in New York to serve in an expedition against Canada).
Cornelius Van Santvoord married Ariaantje Bratt on 31
Dec. 1747 at the Albany Dutch Reformed Church. His brother,
Staats Van Santvoord, married Willempie Bratt, the sister
of Ariaantje Bratt on 2 Dec. 1747 at the Albany Dutch
Reformed Church. By 1761, six of their children had
been baptized at the Albany Dutch church where both
parents were pewholders.
Cornelis
Van Santvoort was a Hudson River skipper and was known
as "Captain." For several decades he carried cargoes
between Albany and New York for a number of merchants
and businessmen including Sir William Johnson.
His civic career began in 1740 when he was appointed
chamberlain (treasurer) and posted a 500 pound bond.
He was reappointed in 1750. In 1755, he served as a
firemaster in the first ward. But, by 1766, he had settled
in the third ward where he owned a home and occasionally
kept boarders.
In
1775, he was elected to represent the third ward on
the Albany Committee of Correspondence and was active
in its operations. At the same time, he served as "Commissary
of Stores" - stating In 1777 that "it is a glory to
be in the Service for the defence of my country." However,
he constantly pointed out that he had been serving without
a commission. After initially refusing to sign the Association,
Cornelis Van Santvoort served the revolutionary cause
throughout the struggle even though he was exempted
from active duty in 1778 by virtue of his age.
Cornelis
Van Santvoort was listed in the Watervliet section of
the censuses of 1790 and 1800.
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Sources: The
life of Cornelis Van Santvoort is CAP biography number
6721. Shawn Wm. Price. This profile is derived chiefly
from family and community-based resources.
By
Stefan Bielinski, Colonial Albany Social History
Project [http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany]
With corrections by Shawn Wm. Price, 6th Grand-grandson
of Cornelius Van Santvoord
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