Baltus Van Benthuysen

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Baltus Van Benthuysen was born in March 1742. He was the son of Jacobus (James Parker) and Sara Cooper Van Benthuysen. He was named for his grandfather - a long-dead Albany businessman. Baltus grew up a member of the large family of a first ward woodworker.

In August 1762, he married a "Mrs. Sara Viele" at the Dutch church in Schenectady. He married again in December 1768. His second wife was Albany native Eizabeth Rumney. By 1786, ten children had been born to the two marriages. He was a regular baptism sponsor.

By mid decade, this Van Benthuysen homestead was a fixture on first ward assessment rolls. Baltus was a member of a city militia company and was paid for services from the Albany treasury. In 1769, he was named firemaster for the first ward.

In June 1769, he was named along with seven living siblings in the will filed by his father. He also was appointed co-executor.

In his early thirties at the outbreak of hostilities in 1775, we expect to uncover more of his wartime service record. Afterwards, he was accorded a land bounty right in conjunction with the Albany militia company.

In 1779, his house and property were valued on the first ward assessment rolls. In 1785, he was elected collector for the third ward. About that time, he began to be involved with building the ferry house and then leasing it from the city of Albany. He held the ferry lease at least thru 1788.

In 1790, his household included eight members and a slave and was located near that of his widowed mother. However, after that, the name of Baltus Van Benthuysen seems to have dropped from Albany rolls.


biography in-progress


notes

the people of colonial Albany Sources: The life of Baltus Van Benthuysen is CAP biography number 5348. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.




first posted: 7/10/09