Jane Van Schaack Silvester
by
Stefan Bielinski

Jane Van Schaack was born in 1739. She was the daughter of Kinderhook residents Cornelis and Lydia Van Dyck Van Schaack. She was the younger sister of Albany postmaster-turned-Tory Henry Van Schaack and also of Peter Van Schaack who may have studied in the Albany office of her future husband.

In 1764, she married Peter Silvester, a prominent Albany attorney. Their son Francis was born in 1767. During those yeears, she was a pewholder at the Albany Dutch church.

After living in Albany during the 1760s, Jane brought her husband home to Kinderhook where she had inherited some of her father's property. Anchored by Peter's legal practice and connections to the provincial government, these Silvesters flourished in Kinderhook.

Peter Silvester died in 1808. Jane Van Schaack Silvester may have survived him!

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notes

the people of colonial Albany Sources: The life of Jane/Jannetje Van Schaack Silvester is CAP biography number 2176. This profile is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.




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first posted 8/25/02; last revised 3/3/19