Rebecca Kidney Elliot

Rebecca Kidney was born in May 1723. She was an older daughter of Roeloff and Engeltie Burger Kidney. She grew up in a very large family on the Southside of Albany where her father practiced the cooper's trade. "Ralf Kitnie" lived well into her adulthood as did a number of her siblings.

In April 1743 and July 1744, Rebecca "Kitnie" was still single when she witnessed christenings at the Albany Dutch church.

Probably during the late 1740s, she married newcomer James Elliot. It appears that their marriage produced children. We have not documented christenings for these parents in the extant records of early Albany churches. However, it appears that their daughter was baptized in Dutchess County in November 1747.

These Elliots lived on what became South Pearl Street from where James would be known as the city marshall. In 1790, only one other person (female) was listed on the census of their first ward household. A decade later, her household included only one young boy.

Rebecca Kidney Elliot died in February 1809 and was buried from the Dutch church. This Albany native had lived 85 years, 9 months and 13 days. Her epitaph elicited the comment "She died in hope of a glorious resurrection" in the church records. Her onetime newcomer husband survived until 1816.

Sources: The life of Rebecca Kidney Elliot is CAP biography number 5996. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.