Johannes Cuyler (1661 – July 20, 1740) was a prominent American merchant of Dutch ancestry who served as the

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...

, from 1725 to 1726.

Early life and family

Cuyler was born in 1661 in

New Amsterdam New Amsterdam ( nl, Nieuw Amsterdam, or ) was a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''factory'' gave rise ...

in the Province of New Netherland, which in 1664 became 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 ...

. He was the eldest son of Hendrick Cuyler (1637–1690), and Annatje (

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 ...

Schepmoes) Cuyler (1642–1703). His father was a tailor who was born in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, came to America, and went to Albany in 1664 after the expansion of

British America British America comprised the colonial territories of the English Empire, which became the British Empire after the 1707 union of the Kingdom of England with the Kingdom of Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, in the Americas from 16 ...

. His siblings included Abraham Cuyler (d. 1747), who married Caatje Bleecker (1670–1734), Maria Cuyler (d. 1724), who married

New York Mayor 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 ...

John Cruger John Cruger (1678/1680 – August 13, 1744) was an immigrant to colonial New York with an uncertain place of birth, but his family was originally Danish. In New York from at least 1696, he became a prosperous merchant and established a successfu ...

(1678–1744), Sarah Hendrickse Cuyler (1666–1742), who married Albany Mayor

Pieter Van Brugh Pieter Van Brugh (1666 – July 1740) was the Mayor of Albany, New York from 1699 to 1700 and from 1721 to 1723. Early life and family Pieter Van Brugh was a member of the Dutch aristocracy of Albany. Pieter Van Brugh was the oldest son of J ...

(1666–1740) (the son of Johannes Pieterse van Brugh), and Henry Cuyler (1677–1763), who married Maria Jacobs. His paternal grandparents, who stayed in the

, were Isebrant Cuyler and Evertien Jansz. His father was a supporter of

Jacob Leisler Jacob Leisler ( – May 16, 1691) was a German-born colonist who served as a politician in the Province of New York. He gained wealth in New Amsterdam (later New York City) in the fur trade and tobacco business. In what became known as Leisler's ...

and his mother was born in

, to Dutch immigrants. Through his sister Maria, he was the uncle of

John Cruger Jr. John Cruger Jr. (July 18, 1710 – December 27, 1791) was the speaker of the Province of New York assembly and the 41st Mayor of New York City. He was born July 18, 1710, the son of John Cruger and Maria Cuyler. He was a New York City merchan ...

(1710–1791), also Mayor of New York and Provincial Assembly Speaker. Through his sister Sarah, he was the uncle of Catharina Van Brugh (b. 1689) who married

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 Bri ...

(1686–1749), second lord of

Livingston Manor Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the Province of New York granted to Robert Livingston the Elder during the reign of George I of Great Britain. History Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the colonial Province of New York granted ...

Career

Cuyler, a merchant in the fur trade, became an admitted freeman of

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 ...

. Before the establishment of Albany's government in 1686, Cuyler had already been a witness, plaintiff, and an attorney at the Albany court. In 1687, he was elected assistant Alderman for the Second Ward and, thus, he began his long association with Albany's government. He was an assistant Alderman until 1698 when he was elected Alderman and served in that role until 1710. While serving on the city council, his main areas of focus included improving relations with the Native Americans and ensuring the ongoing progress of real estate development within the city and its surrounding areas. In 1710, he was appointed as the Recorder (Deputy Mayor) of Albany. In 1705, he was elected to represent Albany in the

New York General Assembly The General Assembly of New York, commonly known internationally as the New York General Assembly, and domestically simply as General Assembly, was the supreme legislative body of the Province of New York during its period of proprietal colonia ...

. Notwithstanding two brief breaks, he was elected to five terms, serving from 1705 to 1727. In 1725, he was appointed

Mayor of Albany 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 ...

, succeeding

Myndert Schuyler Myndert Schuyler (January 16, 1672 – October 18, 1755) was a colonial trader and merchant with extensive real estate holdings who served as Mayor of Albany, New York, twice between 1719 and 1725. Early life Schuyler was born on January 16, 167 ...

. He served for a year until 1726 when Rutger Bleecker replaced him. For a total of twenty-two years, he served as a

Commissioner of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal government of the United States, federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, Department of the Interior. It is responsible for im ...

for the

, appointed in 1706, 1710, 1715, 1720, 1724, 1726, 1728, and 1732.

Personal life

On November 2, 1684, he was married to Elsje Ten Broeck (d. 1752). She was the daughter of 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 ...

(1638–1717) and Christyna (

Van Buren) Ten Broeck (1644–1729). Together, Johannes and Elsje were the parents of twelve children, including: * Anna Cuyler (1685–1741), who married Anthony Van Schaick (1682–1759). * Christina Cuyler (1689–1755) * Hendrick Cuyler (1692–1724), who died unmarried. * Sara Cuyler (b. 1693), who married Mayor Johannes Hansen (1695–1756). * Elsie Cuyler (1695–1752), who married Hendrick Johannes Rosenboom (1689–1754). *

Cornelis Cuyler Cornelis Cuyler or Cornelius Cuyler (baptized February 14, 1697 – March 14, 1765) was a prominent American of Dutch ancestry who served as the Mayor of Albany, New York, from 1742 to 1746. Early life and family Cuyler was born in 1697 and ba ...

(1697–1765), who married Catalyntie "Catharina" Schuyler (1704–1758). She was the daughter of

Johannes Schuyler Johannes Schuyler (October 15, 1668 – November 5, 1747) was a prominent American of Dutch ancestry who served as the 10th Mayor of Albany, New York from 1703 to 1706, and later was a member of the provincial assembly. He was the paternal grand ...

(1668–1747), of the prominent

Schuyler family The Schuyler family ( /ˈskaɪlər/; Dutch pronunciation: xœylər was a prominent Dutch family in New York and New Jersey in the 18th and 19th centuries, whose descendants played a critical role in the formation of the United States (especiall ...

, and Elizabeth Staats (1647–1737). She was also the sister of

Johannes Schuyler, Jr. Johannes Schuyler Jr. (October 1697 – November 5, 1741) was a prominent American of Dutch ancestry who served as the Mayor of Albany, New York from 1740 to 1741, and was a merchant, alderman, and Indian commissioner. Schuyler married Cornelia v ...

, making her aunt to Gen.

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 Alba ...

, as well as the niece of

Pieter Pieter is a male given name, the Dutch form of Peter. The name has been one of the most common names in the Netherlands for centuries, but since the mid-twentieth century its popularity has dropped steadily, from almost 3000 per year in 1947 to ...

and

Arent Schuyler Arent Philipse Schuyler (June 25, 1662 – November 26, 1730) was a member of the influential Schuyler family (among the first settlers to New Netherland). He was a surveyor, Native American trader, miner, merchant, and land speculator. Early l ...

. * Johannes Cuyler (1699–1746), who married Catherine Glen (b. 1699), daughter of Johannes Jacob Glen. * Maria Cuyler (1702–1788), who married Cornelius Cuyler Ten Broeck (1706–1772), son of Wessel Ten Broeck. * Elizabeth Cuylter (b. 1705), who married Jacob Sanders Glen (1703–1746) and were the parents of

Henry Glen Henry Glen (July 13, 1739 – January 6, 1814) was a merchant, military officer and politician who served as a Federalist Party, Federalist in the United States House of Representatives during the years immediately following the adoption of the ...

. Cuyler died on July 20, 1740, in Albany.

Descendants

Through his son Cornelis, he was the grandfather of Elizabeth Cuyler (1731–1815), who married Jacobus Van Cortlandt (1726–1781), grandson of

Jacobus Van Cortlandt Jacobus van Cortlandt (1658–1739) was a wealthy Dutch-born American merchant, slave owner, and politician who served as the 30th and 33rd Mayor of New York City from 1710 to 1711 and again from 1719 to 1720. Early life Jacobus Van Cortland ...

, Philip Cuyler (b. 1733), who married Sarah Tweedy (1739–1825), Hendrick "Henry" Cuyler (1735–1803), who married Catharina Lydius (1743–1818), Elsje "Elsie" Cuyler (1737–1761), who married

Augustus Van Cortlandt Augustus Van Cortlandt (August 3, 1728 – December 20, 1823) was an American lawyer who served as the last Clerk of the City and County of New York under British rule who hid the city records at his family's estate manor house in 1776. Early lif ...

(1728–1823), another grandson of

, Margarita Cuyler (1738–1802), who married

Isaac Low } Isaac Low (April 13, 1735 – July 25, 1791) was an American merchant in New York City who served as a member of the Continental Congress, where he signed the Continental Association. He later served as a delegate to the New York Provincia ...

(1735–1791), a prominent merchant,

Cornelius Cuyler General Sir Cornelius Cuyler, 1st Baronet (31 October 1740 – 8 March 1819) was a British Army officer who became Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth. Early life Cuyler was born in Albany, New York on 31 October 1740, the son of Cornelis Cuyle ...

(1740–1819), who married Anne Wendell in 1763, and became the first Baronet of St John's Lodge, and Abraham Cornelius Cuyler (1742–1810), who married Jannetje "Janet" Glen, who was sister to

(1739–1814), in 1764. Through his son Johannes, he was the grandfather of

Jacob Cuyler Jacob Glen Cuyler (1773-April 14, 1854) was an American of Dutch origin who was an important character in the settlement of the British 1820 Settlers to the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Early life Jacob Glen Cuyler was born in 1773 to Abraham Cu ...

(1741–1804), a prominent silversmith who participated in the Albany

Committee of Correspondence The committees of correspondence were, prior to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, a collection of American political organizations that sought to coordinate opposition to British Parliament and, later, support for American independe ...

, served as a delegate from Albany to 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 ...

, and was a member of the

Sons of Liberty The Sons of Liberty was a loosely organized, clandestine, sometimes violent, political organization active in the Thirteen American Colonies founded to advance the rights of the colonists and to fight taxation by the British government. It pl ...

References

External links

Johannes Cuyler
at

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. ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuyler, Johannes 1661 births 1740 deaths American people of Dutch descent Mayors of Albany, New York People of New Netherland 18th-century American politicians Members of the New York General Assembly Cuyler family