Sara Jansen Kierstede

Based on a number of family-based resources, Sara Jansen was born in Europe perhaps in June 1621. She was the daughter of New Netherland pioneers Roeloff Jansen and the legendary Anneke Jans. Perhaps in 1630, her parents emigrated to America and settled in New Amsterdam. She was also known as Sara Roeloffse.

Sara appears to have married three times. In June 1642, she wed Dr. Hans Kierstede in New Amsterdam. The marriage produced a number of children before his death about 1667. In September 1669, she married Cornelis Van Borsem. That union also produced children even though she would have been in her forties. In July 1683, this twice widowed woman appears to have married one Elbert Elbertsen also of New York.

During the 1650s, her husband owned real property in and appeared in court at Beverwyck. During those years, Anneke Jans was living in the community as well. We are not certain of the strength of Sara's attachment to village that became Albany in 1664.

In 1663, she was named first among the heirs in the will filed by her famous mother. Married to Kierstede at the time, she was bequeathed a share of Anneke Jans's substantial estate.

Through three marriages and perhaps a dozen children, Sara appears to have lived most of her life on Manhattan. A number of her children are part of the early Albany story.

In May 1664, "Sara Kiersteede" was among those identified as interpreters in New Amsterdam who witnessed a peace treaty between Governor Stuyvesant and other officials and the "Esopus savages."

However, Elbert Elbertse was dead when Widow Sara filed her will in July 1692. It referenced her three marriages and left bequests to her living children and grandchildren. Most of those grants were of servants (Negro and Indian) to nine or more individual descendants. The will passed probate in October 1693.

By all accounts, Sara Jansen Kierstede lived a remarkable and well documented life. However, most of it was set in locations beyond Beverwyck/Albany and thus outside the scope of our active concern - especially since much of it is unverifiable by our standards. Fortunately, substantial and creditable insight is available on her overall life. Understanding that we probably cannot add much more to her Albany context, we move on for now.

Sources: The life of Sara Jansen Kierstede is CAP biography number 8565. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources. The most notable and comprehensive of the historical narratives has been produced by Meta F. Janowitz.