Maria Vosburgh Van Alystyne
by
Stefan Bielinski


Maria Vosburgh probably was born during the mid-1650s. She was the daughter of Beverwyck pioneers Abraham Pieterse and Geertruy Coeymans Vosburgh. However, her father was killed in 1659 leaving a widow and several small children to carry on in the community that became Albany in 1664.

By the late 1670s, widow Geertruy had taken her family to the new settlement at Kinderhook where these Vosburghs set down roots. The Vosburghs continued to hold property in Albany and Maria and her family were members of the Albany Dutch church.

In October 1689, Maria married Kinderhook resident Isaac Jans Van Alystyne at the Albany church. Perhaps this first marriage for both partners produced only one child, a son christened in June 1695.

This Van Alstyne family made its home in Kinderhook as well. An adult woman was not accounted for in the census of Rensselaerswyck households taken in 1697. Maria would have been in her early forties at that time. However, two children were specified in the record.

Maria Vosburgh Van Alstyne was dead by February 1698 when her husband re-married. At that time, he was identified as the "widower of Marietje Vosburgh."

biography in-progress


notes

the people of colonial Albany Sources: The life of Maria Vosburgh Van Alystyne is CAP biography number 6559. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.

We are indebted to Vosburgh genealogist Michelle Lyons for compiling and sharing existing biographical information and for pointing out several significant mistakes in our previous expositions.




first posted: 6/30/05; re-cast and corrected 1/20/12