Willem Vandenbergh was born in September 1701. He was the first son born to the marriage of Albany residents Cornelis Willemse and Maria Winne Vandenbergh. He grew up in a cartman's home in Albany's third ward.

He was identified as the eldest son in a will written by his father in 1707. He was left a gun, pistols, and holsters to satisfy the "eldest son" requirement of English inheritance law. In 1714, he also was named among the heirs in the will filed by his grandfather.

After that, the name of this Willem Vandenbergh appears to be absent from Albany rolls. He was not named in the will filed by his mother in 1745 - a document in which his younger brother, Adam, was called her eldest son.

Sources: The ostensibly short life of Willem Vandenbergh is CAP biography number 5862. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.