Johannes Vanderheyden

by


This Albany resident named Johannes Vanderheyden probably was born in New York City in July or August 1702. Thus, he would have been the son of Johannes and Mary Woodard Vanderheyden. He is said to have been sent to Albany following the death of his father (in September 1702) to live with the family of his father's kinsman, Albany mainstay Dirck Vanderheyden who had married Rachel Ketelhuyn Vanderheyden. This sketch presents information on the life of the Albany attorney who died in 1771 and was sometimes known as "Johannes Vanderheyden, Jr."

According to family-based resources, Johannes was part of a group sent to trade in the Indian country during the summer of 1723.

In January 1724, this individual married his cousin Rachel Vanderheyden at the Albany Dutch church. By 1748, that marriage had produced nine children who were christened at the Albany church where both parents were regular baptism sponsors. However, Rachel died a few years later in 1754. In August 1758, Johannes may have re-married. His second wife would have been Mary Butler. That wedding took place at the Dutch church in Schenectady and identified the groom as an "advocatt van Albany."

In 1749, he was licensed to practice law in New York. In 1756, this Johannes Vanderheyden was identified as an attorney and would practice law in Albany for more than twenty years, Except for a time during the early 1730s, he lived in the first ward and was qualified to vote and headed the list of Albany freeholders in 1763.

He served the community in a number of offices and was elected alderman in 1737.

Johannes filed a will in March 1771. It named four children as his heirs. According to the family bible, Johannes Vanderheyden died on July 24, 1771.


biography in-progress


notes

the people of colonial Albany Sources: The life of this Johannes Vanderheyden is CAP biography number 5697. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.

Origins: We think that the Johannes born in 1707 (most likely did not survive to adulthood) would not have married his older sister who was born in 1703. This exposition on his background relies on a family-based work that we currently find plausible.





first posted: 9/5/06