John R. Bleecker, Jr.

by


John R. Bleecker, Jr. was born in December 1771. He was the son of Rutger and Catherine Elmendorph Bleecker. Until the 1800s, he was called "John R. Jr." to distinguish him from a widely known and much older uncle who acknowledged him by name in the will he filed in March 1782..

By October 1800, he had married Eliza Bridgen (aka Atwood) when their son was christened at the Dutch church in Albany. Perhaps his wife was buried in March 1805 - unless that person was the wife of his prominent uncle. In May 1808, he married "Mrs. Hester Linn" at the Albany Dutch church. A number of his children became prominent citizens including a daughter who married future Governor Horatio Seymour in 1835.

In 1808, he joined a number of kinsmen and neighbors who were invited to the elaborate funeral of a younger cousin.

This merchant made his home on North Market Street where the third ward census of 1800 first configured his household. Beginning in 1813, city directories identified his home at 90 and then 354 North Market and the store of Barent (his older cousin) and John R. Jr. at 72 Quay Street. They also held substantial dock space on the Albany riverfront.

In 1798, he first served as a fire inspector. He later served on the city council. He was an officer in the Bank of Albany and a number of city-based enterprises as well.

This prominent businessman remained a North Market Street fixture for several decades.

John R. Bleecker, Jr. was dead by May 12, 1849 when letters of administration were granted on his estate.


biography in-progress


notes

the people of colonial Albany Sources: The life of John R. Bleecker, Jr. is CAP biography number 208. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources. Beginning with the grandson of the first Albany Bleecker, a number of individuals were known as "John R. Bleecker" across several generations. We urge caution in seeking to assign qualitative information and offer that in defense of our unwillingness to attempt to fit material into their biographies.




first posted: 7/15/09