Claes Van Woert

Claes (Nicholas) Van Woert was born in June 1684. He was the only child born to the marriage of Albany natives Jacob Teunise and Catharina Groesbeck Van Woert. His mother died while he was a young boy. Jacob Teunise re-married and was the father of ten more children.

In December 1708, Claes married Rensselaerswyck native Dirkje Barheit at the Albany Dutch church. By 1724, the marriage had produced seven children who were christened in the Albany church where, over the next two decades, both parents were occasional baptism sponsors.

In 1709, his first ward house was accorded a modest assessment. In 1710, he was appointed constable. The next year, he was named high constable. In 1715 and again in 1724, he served as firemaster in the first ward. In 1720 and in 1742, his name was included among the freeholders living in the first ward. In December 1734, he was one of those paid by the city government for making deliveries.

Claes Van Woert was last heard from in 1748 when he and Dirkje witnessed a baptism in Albany.

Sources: The life of Claes Van Woert is CAP biography number 2624. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.