Casparus Pruyn

Casparus Pruyn was born in May 1734. He was the son of Frans S. and possibly his second wife, Alida Van Iveren Pruyn. He grew up in a prominent businessman's home on Pearl Street

In December 1762, he married Catharina Groesbeck at the Albany Dutch church. By 1776, six of their children had been christened at the church where he was a member, pewholder, officer, and occasional baptism sponsor.

After living for a time with his widowed mother, this Pruyn family established itself at 74 Pearl Street where they lived for many years.

Like many members of his family, Casparus was a blacksmith. Beginning in 1759, he served as firemaster in the second ward. In 1785, he also served as assessor. In 1793, he was elected assistant alderman for the second ward. During the 1760s, he had belonged to an Albany militia.

In 1775, he was appointed lieutenant in the militia. In his fifties through most of the war, he was exempted from active duty in 1778. Afterwards, he was accorded a land bounty right in conjunction with the city militia regiment.

In March 1792, he witnessed the will of a Pearl Street neighbor.

Casparus Pruyn owned slaves (three in 1790) but had freed them by the census of 1800.

Casparus Pruyn died in October 1817. He had lived for more than eighty-three years. His son carried on at 74 North Pearl Street for a number of years. His will passed probate in 1825.

Sources: The life of Casparus Pruyn is CAP biography number 3518. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.