Gerrit Van Vranken

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Several individuals christened Gerrit Van Vranken were born during the first decades of the eighteenth century to Van Vranken parents in Albany, Schenectady, and in-between. At this point, we are considering several individuals who became the Albany resident whose profile follows.

At this point, we are uncertain as to the identity of his wife or their children. However, we do believe that he married and raised an Albany family. Perhaps his wife was Susanna Egberts whose marriage to "Gerrit Van Vranken produced five daughters between 1746 and 1758 who were christened at the Albany Dutch church where Susanna, the wife of Gerrit Van Vranken, was a pewholder.

In November 1762, an Albany carpenter named "Gerritt Van Vrankie" was left a substantial bequest in the will of his third ward neighbor, Jacob Visscher.

Over then next three decades, his holdings were valued on Albany assessment rolls. His name appeared on the first Federal census in 1790 when his household consisted of only an adult couple.

His name was included on a list of Albany freeholders in 1763. In that year, he was named firemaster for the third ward. Over the next two decades, his accounts frequently were paid by the city government.

Gerrit Van Vranken was last heard from in 1797, when he was identified as a carpenter and freeholder living in the third ward. Later [perhaps (see p. 326) in late 1803], the Albany paper reported that he had died at the age of 97.


biography in-progress


notes

the people of colonial Albany Sources: The life of this Gerrit Van Vranken has not yet been assigned to a CAP biography number. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources. Perhaps he was the GeVVr christened in Albany on October 3, 1708.




first posted 4/5/07; updated 7/19/17