Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/264

 VAN DYKE

VAN ELTEN

in 17G5; settled in practice in his native county, and became prominent in local politics. He was a member of tiie committee of thirteen to confer with the other colonies regarding the Boston port bill; a deputy to the state constitutional con- vention of July, 1770; a delegate to the Continen- tiil con-'ress, 1777-S3, signing tiie Articles of Con- federation, and serving as a member of the com- mittee of five to consider the admission of New Hampshire into the Union in 1781. He was a member of the council of Delaware in 1777, and its speaker in 1779; appointed judge of admiralty, Feb. 21. 1777. and president of Delaware on Feb. 1, 1783, to succeed John Cook (who, as speaker of the council, had succeeded John Dickinson, resigned), and served till his death in New Castle county. Del.. Feb. 10. 1789.

VAN DYKE, Nicholas, senator, was born in Newcastle, Del., Dec. 20, 1769; son of Nicolas Van Dyke (q.v). He was graduated from the College" of New Jersey, A.B., 1788, A.M., 1791; and was admitted to the bar at New Castle, in April, 1792. He was married to a daughter of Kensej- and Susannah (Galloway) Johns, and their daughter, Dorcas Montgomery, was married in 1824 to Charles I. DuPont (q.v.). Nicholas Van Dyke was a representative in the state legis- ture in 1799; Federal representative in the 10th and 11th congresses, 1807-11; state senator, 1815- 17, and a member of the U.S. senate from Dec. 1, 1817, up to the time of his death in New Castle, Del.. March 21. 1^26.

VAN DYKE, Theodore Strong, author, was born in New Brunswick, N.J., July 19, 1842; son of Judge John (q.v.) and Mary (Dix) Van Dyke. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1863, A.M., 1866; studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1866, and practised in Wabasha, Minn., 1866-76, serving as a member of the state legislature, 1872. lie removed to Cal- ifornia in 1876 for the benefit of his health; be- came a contributer to the press on irrigation, field sports and out-of-door subjects, and in 1884 visited Mexico as a special correspondent for New Y'ork papers. He served as engineer for several large irrigation works, and is the author of: The Rifle, Rod and Gun in California {188]); The Still Hunter (1883); Southern California (1886); Millionaires of a Day (1889), and Game Birds at Home (189.^)).

VANE, Henry, colonial governor, was born at Hadlow in Kent, England, in 1612; son of Sir Henry and Frances (Darcy) Vane. His ances- tors, of Welch origin, liad played important parts in English history for three centuries. He at- tended Westminster, was a gentleman com- moner at Magdalen college, Oxford, and after three years, left to visit the continent, where he became interested in the Reformed church.

Upon his return to England in 1632, he found life in the gay court of Charles I. intolerable, and also disapproved of both the government and the cere- monials of the Anglican church. Con.sequently, in 1635, at the age of twenty-three, he left his home and fortune " for conscience's sake," and sailed on the Abigail, arriving at Boston, Mass., Oct. 6, 1635. He soon rose to a position of in- fluence, and on March 25, 1636. was elected gov- ernor of the colony, the ships of the harbor signal- izing his election with a volley of shot. During his administration, Musketaquid (Concord) was first projected. Thomas Hooker (q.v.) settled in Connecticut, and Harvard (college was estab- lished; but the Anne Hutchinson (q.v.) contro- versy bade fair to wreck the little colony, Vane and John Cotton standing practically alone among the influential colonists in defence of Mrs. Hutchinson's teachings. In the election of 1637 he was defeated for governor by John Winthrop, the foremost man of the colony, and with whom Vane disputed concerning the advisability of the colony's deciding who should be allowed to settle within its borders. He was chosen a deputy in the great and general court, and though at first denied his seat by that body, he was returned by his constituents the following day and duly seated. He returned to England in August, 1637, and quickly rose to prominence, still remaining kindly disposed toward the Massachusetts colony and aiding it materially. He served in the long par- liament, figuring in the trial of Stafford and finally joining in the popular movement against Charles I. He quarrelled with Cromwell, when he thought he was tampering with the rights of the people, and upon the hitter's death, became the leader of the Republican part}'. Upon the ascension of Charles II. to the throne. Vane was tried for treason and beheaded. He published a Brief Answer to a Certain Declaration made of the Intent and Equity of the Order of Court that None should be received to inhabit within tin's Jurisdiction but such as as should be alloived by some of the Magistrates. His life was written by George Sikes, a contemporary, in Sparks's "American Biography" (1835), and also by James K. Ilosmer, entitled: " The Life of Y'oung Sir Henrj' Vane, governor of Massachusetts Bay and Leader of the Long Parliament " (1888), He was executed in London. June 14. 1662.

VAN ELTEN, (Hendrik Dirk) Kruseman, artist, was born in Alkmaar, Holland. Nov. 14, 1829; son of Daniel Nicolaas and Elizabeth Fred- erica (Kruseman) Van Elten. He studied art under C. Lieste. at Haarlem, and at the Academy of Design, and in 1849 estahlislied a studio of his own at Amsterdam. In 1865 he came to the United States, and settle<l in New York city. He was married in Jul}-, 1874, at Amsterdam,