Abraham Ten Broeck (May 13, 1734 – January 19, 1810) was a
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
politician, businessman, and militia
Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
of
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
descent. He was twice
Mayor of Albany, New York
From its formal chartering on 22 July 1686 until 1779, the mayors of Albany, New York, were appointed by the royal governor of New York, per the provisions of the original city charter, issued by Governor Thomas Dongan.
From 1779 until 1839, may ...
and built one of the largest mansions in the area, the
Ten Broeck Mansion
The Ten Broeck Mansion in Albany, New York was built in 1797. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. A decade later it was included as a contributing property to the Arbor Hill Historic District–Ten Broeck Triangl ...
, that still stands more than 200 years later.
Early life
Abraham Ten Broeck was the son of
Dirck Ten Broeck
Dirck Ten Broeck (November 3, 1765 – January 30, 1833) was an American lawyer and politician. The first name is sometimes given as Derick.
Early life
He was the only son of Abraham Ten Broeck (1734–1810) and Elizabeth (née Van Rensselaer) ...
(1686–1751) and Margarita (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Cuyler) (1682–1783). He was the brother of Catharine Ten Broeck Livingston, who was married to John Livingston (a son of
Robert Livingston the Younger
Robert Livingston the Younger (1663 – April 1725), sometimes known as Robert Livingston Jr., or The Nephew was a wealthy merchant and political figure in colonial Albany, New York.
Early life
Livingston was born in 1663 in Edinburgh, Scotland ...
), Anna Ten Broeck, and Christina Ten Broeck, who was married to
Philip Livingston
Philip Livingston (January 15, 1716 – June 12, 1778) was an American merchant and statesman from New York City. He represented New York at the October 1774 First Continental Congress, where he favored imposing economic sanctions upon Great B ...
, and New York State Senator
Dirck W. Ten Broeck, who married Anna Douw (a daughter of Mayor
Volkert P. Douw).
His father was a prominent merchant and politician who served as Albany's mayor beginning in 1746. His paternal grandfather Wessel Ten Broeck, was the son of former Albany mayor
Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck
Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck (December 18, 1638 – November 24, 1717), also known as Dirck Wessels, was a prominent early settler of Albany, New York. He is known as "the progenitor of the Albany family of Ten Broecks."
Early life
Dirck Ten Broeck ...
. His maternal grandparents were Abraham Cuyler, the brother of former Albany mayor
Cornelis Cuyler, and Caatje (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Bleecker) Cuyler, a daughter of former Albany mayor
Jan Jansen Bleecker
Jan Jansen Bleecker (July 9, 1641 — November 21, 1732) was a colonial era merchant and political figure who served as Mayor of Albany, New York.
Early life
Jan Jansen Bleecker was born in Meppel, Drenthe, Netherlands on July 9, 1641 and was t ...
.
Career
Abraham was sent to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
to learn business with his sister Christina's husband,
Philip Livingston
Philip Livingston (January 15, 1716 – June 12, 1778) was an American merchant and statesman from New York City. He represented New York at the October 1774 First Continental Congress, where he favored imposing economic sanctions upon Great B ...
. In 1751, at seventeen years old,
he was sent to
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
to learn international business after his father's death, returning to Albany in 1752.
Ten Broeck increased his wealth via trade while in Albany. During the 1750s, he was involved in the provincial militia. In 1759, he was elected to the Albany City Council and in 1760, he was elected to the
Province of New York
The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the Uni ...
Assembly while continuing to serve Albany.
In 1769, his brother-in-law died at age 27 and Ten Broeck was named co-administrator of the Manor of
Rensselaerswyck
The Manor of Rensselaerswyck, Manor Rensselaerswyck, Van Rensselaer Manor, or just simply Rensselaerswyck ( nl, Rensselaerswijck ), was the name of a colonial estate—specifically, a Dutch patroonship and later an English manor—owned by the va ...
,
a position he held until 1784 when his nephew,
Stephen Van Rensselaer III
Stephen Van Rensselaer III (; November 1, 1764January 26, 1839) was an American landowner, businessman, militia officer, and politician. A graduate of Harvard College, at age 21, Van Rensselaer took control of Rensselaerswyck, his family's mano ...
, came of age.
American Revolution
Ten Broeck continued his military involvement and was named colonel of the
Albany County militia The Albany County militia was the colonial militia of Albany County, New York. Drawn from the general male population, by law all male inhabitants from 15 to 55 had to be enrolled in militia companies, the later known by the name of their commanders ...
in 1775. He was Commander of Ten Broeck's Brigade (
New York Militia
The New York Guard (NYG) is the State Defense Force, state defense force of New York State, also called The New York State Military Reserve. Originally called the New York State Militia it can trace its lineage back to the American Revolution and ...
) at the Second
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led an invasion ...
(
Battle of Bemis Heights) on October 7, 1777, as part of the Left wing of Major General
Horatio Gates
Horatio Lloyd Gates (July 26, 1727April 10, 1806) was a British-born American army officer who served as a general in the Continental Army during the early years of the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory in the Battles ...
. On June 25, 1778, he was named Brigadier General of the
Tryon and Albany Counties of Militia and then
Albany County only. He resigned March 26, 1781.
He was a member of the
New York Provincial Congress
The New York Provincial Congress (1775–1777) was a revolutionary provisional government formed by colonists in 1775, during the American Revolution, as a pro-American alternative to the more conservative New York General Assembly, and as a repla ...
from 1775 to 1777 and was its chairman of its
Committee of Safety in 1777.
After war years
After the death of Mayor
John Barclay, Ten Broeck was appointed Mayor of Albany in 1779, remaining in office until 1783. In
March 1789, he ran for Congress but was defeated by
Jeremiah Van Rensselaer
Jeremiah Van Rensselaer (August 27, 1738February 19, 1810), from the prominent Van Rensselaer family, was Lieutenant Governor of New York and a member of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York in the 1st United Sta ...
. In 1796, Mayor
Abraham Yates Jr.
Abraham Yates Jr. (August 23, 1724 – June 30, 1796) was an American lawyer, civil servant, and pamphleteer from Albany, New York.
Early life
Yates was born on August 23, 1724, in Albany, New York. He was the ninth child born to Christoffel Y ...
died and Ten Broeck was again appointed Mayor of Albany, remaining in office until 1798 when he was succeeded by another nephew,
Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer (1767–1824).
Ten Broeck was a
Federalist
The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''.
History Europe federation
In Europe, proponents of de ...
presidential elector
The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...
in
1796
Events
January–March
* January 16 – The first Dutch (and general) elections are held for the National Assembly of the Batavian Republic. (The next Dutch general elections are held in 1888.)
* February 1 – The capital ...
, and cast his votes for
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...
and
Thomas Pinckney.
Personal life
![TenBroeckMansion](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/TenBroeckMansion.jpg)
In November 1763, he married Elizabeth
van Rensselaer (1734–1813),
a daughter of
Stephen van Rensselaer I (the 7th
Patroon
In the United States, a patroon (; from Dutch ''patroon'' ) was a landholder with manorial rights to large tracts of land in the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland on the east coast of North America. Through the Charter of Freedoms a ...
and 4th Lord of the
Manor of Rensselaerswyck
The Manor of Rensselaerswyck, Manor Rensselaerswyck, Van Rensselaer Manor, or just simply Rensselaerswyck ( nl, Rensselaerswijck ), was the name of a colonial estate—specifically, a Dutch patroonship and later an English manor—owned by the va ...
) and a sister of
patroon
In the United States, a patroon (; from Dutch ''patroon'' ) was a landholder with manorial rights to large tracts of land in the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland on the east coast of North America. Through the Charter of Freedoms a ...
Stephen van Rensselaer II.
Elizabeth and her brother were great-grandchildren of the first native-born
mayor of New York City
The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...
,
Stephanus van Cortlandt
Stephanus van Cortlandt (May 7, 1643 – November 25, 1700) was the first native-born mayor of New York City, a position which he held from 1677 to 1678 and from 1686 to 1688. He was the patroon of Van Cortlandt Manor and was on the governor' ...
. Together, they were the parents of five children, including:
*
Dirck Ten Broeck
Dirck Ten Broeck (November 3, 1765 – January 30, 1833) was an American lawyer and politician. The first name is sometimes given as Derick.
Early life
He was the only son of Abraham Ten Broeck (1734–1810) and Elizabeth (née Van Rensselaer) ...
(1765–1833), who married Cornelia Stuyvesant (d. 1825), a daughter of Petrus and Margaret (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Livingston) Stuyvesant.
* Elizabeth ten Broeck (1772–1848), who married Rensselaer Schuyler (1773–1847), a son of
Philip Schuyler
Philip John Schuyler (; November 18, 1804) was an American general in the Revolutionary War and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.
Born in Alb ...
and
Catherine Van Rensselaer
Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler ;, also known as "Kitty", (November 10, 1734 – March 7, 1803) was a Colonial and post-Colonial American socialite and the matriarch of the prominent colonial Schuyler family as wife of Philip Schuyler.
Early l ...
, and the younger brother of
Angelica Schuyler Church
Angelica Church (née Schuyler ; February 20, 1756 – March 6, 1814) was an American socialite. She was the eldest daughter of Continental Army General Philip Schuyler, and a sister of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton and sister-in-law of Alexander ...
,
Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton
Elizabeth Hamilton (née Schuyler ; August 9, 1757 – November 9, 1854), also called Eliza or Betsey, was an American socialite and philanthropist. Married to American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, she was a defender of his works and co- ...
,
Peggy Schuyler Van Rensselaer, and
Philip Jeremiah Schuyler
Philip Jeremiah Schuyler (January 21, 1768 – February 21, 1835) was an American politician from New York. His siblings included Angelica Schuyler, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, and Margarita Schuyler Van Rensselaer.
Life
He was the son of ...
.
* Margarita ten Broeck (1776–1812), who died unmarried.
By the mid-1760s, Ten Broeck was one of Albany's wealthiest men. The Ten Broecks lived in a house that was assessed equally with the
Schuyler Mansion
Schuyler Mansion is a historic house at 32 Catherine Street in Albany, New York. The brick mansion is now a museum and an official National Historic Landmark. It was constructed from 1761 to 1765 for Philip Schuyler, later a general in the Co ...
and Yates Mansion in 1788. In 1797, it was burned in a fire that destroyed several city blocks.
[Fire](_blank)
at the New York State Museum
The New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, United States. It is located on Madison Avenue, attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza, facing onto the plaza and towards the New York State Capitol. ...
web site. Construction was started on the new home soon after, and the family resided there beginning in 1798 calling the place "
Prospect". The historic mansion still stands in Arbor Hill more than 200 years later.
Ten Broeck died on Friday, January 19, 1810.
Legacy
The towns of
Ten Broeck, Alabama and
Ten Broeck, Kentucky
Ten Broeck is a home rule-class city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 103 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Ten Broeck is located in northeastern Jefferson County. It is bordered to the west by Manor Creek and Bro ...
as well as Tenbroeck Avenue in the
Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
were named after him.
See also
*
Manor of Rensselaerswyck
The Manor of Rensselaerswyck, Manor Rensselaerswyck, Van Rensselaer Manor, or just simply Rensselaerswyck ( nl, Rensselaerswijck ), was the name of a colonial estate—specifically, a Dutch patroonship and later an English manor—owned by the va ...
References
External links
*
Portrait of Abraham's wife, Elizabeth Van Rensselaer Ten Broeckby
Thomas McIlworth at the
Albany Institute of History & Art
The Albany Institute of History & Art (AIHA) is a museum in Albany, New York, United States, "dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and promoting interest in the history, art, and culture of Albany and the Upper Hudson Valley region". ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ten Broeck, Abraham
1734 births
1810 deaths
American people of Dutch descent
Mayors of Albany, New York
Members of the New York General Assembly
Members of the New York Provincial Assembly
Members of the New York Provincial Congress
Militia generals in the American Revolution
New York (state) militiamen in the American Revolution
New York (state) Federalists
1796 United States presidential electors
18th-century American politicians