Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/267

 VAN RENSSELAER

VAN RENSSELAER

Rutgers college and by the University of Penn- sylvania in 1861. He is the author of : Sig7is of the Times (1854) ; Repoi'ts of Union Church, Flor- ence (1868) ; Life of George W. Bethune (1869), and Eejjorfs of the Florence Orphan Asylum (1876). He also edited Cannon's " Pastoral Theo- logy " (1853), and Bethune's " Lectures on the Heidelberg catechism" (1864). He died in New- York city. June 3, 1892.

VAN RENSSELAER, Cortlandt, clergyman, was born in Albany, N.Y.. May 26, 1808 ; son of Gen. Stephen and Cornelia (Paterson) Van Rens- selaer, and grandson of Stephen and Catharine (Livingston) Van Rensselaer and of Judge Will- iam and Cornelia (Bell) Paterson. He was grad- uated from Yale, A.B., 1827, A.M., 1830; attended Union Theological seminary, Va., and Princeton Theological seminary, 1830-33, and engaged in missionary work among the slaves of Virginia, 1833-35. He was oixlained an evangelist by the presbytery of West Hanover, April, 1835 ; was pastor at Burlington, N.J., 1837-40, and at Wash- ington, D.C., 1841-42 ; agent of Princeton Theolog- ical seminary in 1844. and secretary of the board of education of the Presbyterian church, 1846-60. The honorary degree of D.D. was conferred on him by the University of the City of New York in 1845. He founded and edited the Presbyterian Magazine and Tlie Home, the School and the Church, and is the author of : Miscellaneous Ser- mons, Essays and Addresses, published posthu- mously by his son Cortlandt (1861). He died in Burlington, N.J., July 25. 1860.

VAN RENSSELAER, Jeremias, colonist, was born in Amsterdam. Holland, about 1632 ; son of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, a wealthy diamond mer- chant of Amsterdam, and a founder of the West India company, who bought from the Indians a vast tract of land in New Netherlands, now com- prising the counties of Albany, Columbia and Rensselaer, which he named Rensselaerswick. He remained in Aiiisterdam, managed the coloni- zation of his estate through agents, and was known as the first patroon of Rensselaerswick. Upon his death in 1644, the estate having de- scended to his eldest son Johannes, who was under age, the West India company, fearing the further growth of the colony, attempted to cut off the power of the patroon, but finally acknowl- edged their violation of the colony's charter. The controversy was carried on by Jan Baptist Van Rensselaer, second son of Kiliaen, and in 1658, Jeremias, another son, immigrated to America and succeeded to the charge of the col- ony of Rensselaerswick. When the province was threatened by the English, he was chosen president of the convention that assembled in New Amsterdam to take defensive measures. He swore allegiance to the Duke of York in 1664, but

was left in possession of his colony, which under the English law became a manor, and he con- ducted its affairs for ten years. The city of Albany was created from the village of Bever- wyck, a part of the manor. Van Rensselaer made peace with the Indians, and wrote to Holland accounts of the happenings in New Netherlands. He was married to Maria Van Cortlandt. He died in Rensselaerswick, N.Y., in October, 1674.

VAN RENSSELAER, Kiliaen K., representa- tive, was born in Greenbush, Rensselaer county, N.Y., June 9, 1763 ; son of Col. Kiliaen Van Rensselaer ; grandson of Hendrick Van Rensselaer, and great-grandson of Jeremias (q.v.). and Maria (Van Cortlandt) Van Rensselaer. He attended Yale college, studied law, and became private secretary to General Schuyler. He attained a distinguished place at the bar, and was a Demo- cratic representative in tlie 7th-llth congresses, 1805-11. He died in Albany. N.Y.. June 18. 1845.

VAN RENSSELAER, Mariana Qriswold, author, was born in New York city, Feb. 23, 1851 ; daughter of George and Lydia (Alley) Griswold ; granddaughter of George and Maria Matilda (Gumming) Griswold, and of Saul and Mary (Underbill) Alley, and a descendant of John Underbill, tJie famous Indian fighter of Massachusetts and New Netherlands, who arrived in Boston from England in 1630 ; and of the Gris- wolds, who were among the first settlers of Lyme, Conn. She received a private education in New York and Germany ; and was married, April 14, 1873, to Schuyler, son of John Cullen and Cornelia Josepha (Codwise) Van Rensselaer. She was elected president of the Public Education asso- ciation. New York city, contributed to periodicals and newspapers articles on art and architecture, and is the author of : American Etchers (1886) ; Henry Hobson Richardson and his Works (1888) ; Six Portraits (1888) ; English Cathedrals (1893) ; Art Out of Doors (1893) ; Should We Ask for the Suffrage ? (1894) ; 07ie 3Ian TTVio Was Content (1896), and in 1903 had been for some years en- gaged on a History of the City of Xeic York in Colonial Times.

VAN RENSSELAER, Haunsell, educator, was born in Albany, N.Y., April 15, 1819; son of Judge John S. Van Rensselaer ; grandson of Kiliaen K. Van Rensselaer, and in direct line of descent from the founder of the Van Rensselaer family in America. He attended the Albany academy and was graduated from Union college, A.B., 1838, A.M., 1841, and from the General Theological seminary. New York city, 1841. He w-as ordered deacon in St. Paul's chapel. New York city, June 27, 1841, and ordained priest in St. Paul's church, Whitehall, N.Y.. by Bishop Onderdonk in 1848. He was assistant in St. Peter's, Albany, N.Y., 1841-45, meantime having