Wouter N. Groesbeck

This Wouter Groesbeck was born in August 1714. He was the son of Nicholas and Maria Quackenbush Groesbeck. He sometimes was called "Walter N. Groesbeck" perhaps to prevent confusion with same-named contemporaries particularly with a slightly older resident of Schaghticoke who had business with the Albany city council during the 1750s and 60s.

In December 1739, he married shipwright's daughter Maria Bogardus at the Albany Dutch church. By 1750, five children had been christened in Albany. Perhaps his first wife died and he remarried in 1761. Thus, the second marriage would have produced a number of children as well. However, we must back off of further family connections due to the existence of same-named contemporaries and an indistinct picture painted by traditional sources.

At this point, we believe that this Wouter N. Groesbeck was an Albany resident.

In April 1754, we believe that this individual was among those paid by the city for "rideing a great Gun." Five years later, Wouter N. Groesbeck's account again was paid from the city treasury.

In 1756, "Mr. Walter Groosbank" was identified as a wheelmaker on a census of Albany householders compiled by the British army. His house appears to have been located next to that of his widowed mother-in-law.

By the mid-1760s, the name of Albany native Wouter N. Groesbeck no longer was found in the community-based record. We seek information on his later life and passing.

Sources: The life of Wouter Groesbeck is CAP biography number 3379. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.