Cornelis Van Deusen

Cornelis Van Deusen probably was born during the 1720s. He probably was a member of one of the Van Deusen branches spread out in greater Albany County.

By 1752, he had married Lea Ostrander. By 1771, seven children had been christened at the Albany Dutch church.

In June 1755, his name appeared on Albany rolls when he agreed to open and shut the city gates. He was on the Albany payroll the following January.

In March 1761, he was named co-executor of the estate of his wife's uncle.

Beginning in 1766, his second ward house and property were accorded the most modest of assessments. In 1767, he was identified as a sergeant in an Albany militia company. During the 1780s, he was called a "watchman," had charge of the "town bulls," and was paid by the city on a number of occasions in a variety of ways.

By the end of the 1780s, the name of Cornelis Van Deusen had dropped from Albany rolls. His name does not appear to have been included on the census of 1790 anywhere in New York State. One source noted that he died in 1792.

Sources: The life of Cornelis Van Deusen is CAP biography number 5514. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources. We struggle to connect his children with the names of known Van Deusen parents. We seek more definitive information on his background and later life.