Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/269

 VAN RENSSELAER

VAN TWILLER

and fitted out the survey of the Erie canal from Albany to Buffalo, under Atnos Eaton in 1821-23. His connection with this survey impressed hini with the need of a school of theoretical and practical science, and in 1824 he founded Rens- selaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy, N.Y., de- fraying half of its expenses for several years. He was twice married; first in 1733, to Margaret, daughter of Gen. Philip Jeremiah and Anna Sybil (Sawyer) Scliuyler; and secondly, in 1802, to Cornelia, daughter of Judge William and Cornelia (Bell) Paterson of New Jersey. He was a corresponding member of the Massachusetts Historical society, and received the honorary de- gree of LL.D. from Yale in 1823. He is the author of: Aii Agricxdtttral and Geological Sur- vey of the District adjoining the Erie Canal (1824). He died in Albany, N.Y.. Jan. 2G. 1839.

VAN RENSSELAER, Stephen, patroon, was born in Albany, N.Y., March 29, 1789; son of Steplien and Margaret (Schuyler) Van Rens- selaer; grandson of Stephen and Catharine (Liv- ingston) Van Rensselaer and of Philip Jeremiah and Anna Sybil (Sawyer) Schuyler, and a de- scendant of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, first patroon of Rensselaer Manor and director of the Dutch West India company. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1808, where his father had also been a student before he went to Harvard, and on his father's death in 1839, he inherited the manor and was known as the last patroon. A large number of tenants of the es- tate having fallen in arrears for rent, owing to the indulgence of his father, he made an effort at collection, but was met with armed resistance, and troops were called out by the governor to quell the riot. In 1846 the New York state con- stitution abolished feudal tenures, such as the Van Rensselaer estate, and the property was divided into freeholds, being mortgaged for arrearages and assessed value. Stephen retained the manor house as his share, and at his death the property passed out of the family. He was married, Jan. 2, 1817, to Harriet Elizabeth, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Cornell) Bayard of New York. The date of her death is 1875. He died in Albany, N. Y., May 25, 1868, and was buried in the Albany Rural cemetery, where are the graves of all the Van Rensselaer famil3\

VAN SANT, Samuel R., governor of Minne- sota, was born in Rock Island. 111., May 11, 1844; son of John Wesley and Lydia (Anderson) Van Sant; grandson of Nicholas and Mercy (Moore) Van Sant, and of Elias and Catherine (Rogers) Anderson; great-grandson of John Van Sant, an officer in the Revolutionary war, and a descendant of Jacobus Van Zandt. who emigrated from Hol- land in 1607, and settled in New Amsterdam. He enlisted as a private in the 9th Illinois cavalry

in 1861, and served throughout the war; subse- quently attended Knox college, and engaged in the river transportation business. He was mar- rid, Dec. 7, 1868, to Ruth, daughter of William B. and Sidney (Ross) Hall of Le Claire, Iowa. He was a Republican representative in the state legislature, 1892-96; speaker of the house in 1895, and was nominated governor of Minnesota by the Republican state convention held at St. Paul, Sept. 5, 1900. He was elected by a plurality of 2254 over his Democratic opponent. Gov. Jolm Lind, and was re-elected in 1902 by nearly 60.000 plurality, the largest ever given a governor in the history of the state; his term of office expiring in January, 1905.

VAN SANTVOORD, George, author, was born in Belleville, N.J.. Dec. 8, 1819; son of the Rev. Staats Van Santvoord, minister of the Reformed Dutch church for fifty years, and a descendant of Cornelius Van Santvoord, who emigrated from Holland in 1637, and settled in Schenectady, N.Y. He was graduated from Union college in 1841, studied law in Kinderhook, and practised there, 1846-52. He was a member of the state assembly, 1852-56, and district attorney for Rens- selaer county, 1860-63. He is the author of: "Lives of the French Revolutionists" for the Democratic Review; The Indiana Justice (1845); Life of Algernon Sidney (1851); Principles of Pleading in Civil Actions under the Neio York Code (1852-54); Lives of the Chief-Justices of the United States (1854); Precedents of Pleading (1858), find Practice in the Supreme Court of New York in Equity Actions (1860-61). He died in East Albany, N.Y., March 6, 1863.

VAN SCHAICK, Qozen, soldier, was born in Albany, N.Y., in September, 1736; son of Sy- brant Van Schaick, mayor of Albany, 1756-61. He served as lieutenant in the British army in the Crown Point expedition of 1756; was promoted captain, 1758, participating in the siege of Forts Frontenac and Niagara; major of a New York regiment, 1759, and lieutenant-colonel of the 1st New York regiment, 1762, being wounded at Ticonderoga. Early in 1775 he was commis- sioned colonel of the 2d New York regiment, and assigned to the command of the 1st New York battalion, Nov. 22, 1775, and subsequently served in checking the Indian invasion of Cherry Valley. He held a command as brigadier-general under Lord Stirling at the battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778, and received the thanks of congress for his destruction of the Onondaga settlement in 1779. He died in Albanv. N.Y.. July 4, 1789.

VAN TWILLER, Walter (Wouter), col- oniel governor of New Netherlands, was born at Nieukirk, Holland, about 1580, and entered the employ of the Dutch West India company. Owing to influential friends, he became governor