Johannes Roosevelt (bap. February 27, 1689 – April 4, 1750), known as John Roosevelt, was a

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 ...

businessman and politician and the progenitor of the Oyster Bay

Roosevelts The Roosevelt family is an American political family from New York whose members have included two United States presidents, a First Lady of the United States, First Lady, and various merchants, bankers, politicians, inventors, clergymen, arti ...

, including

Theodore Theodore may refer to: Places * Theodore, Alabama, United States * Theodore, Australian Capital Territory * Theodore, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Banana, Australia * Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada * Theodore Reservoir, a lake in Sask ...

and

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

Early life and career

Johannes Roosevelt was baptized on February 27, 1689 in Esopus,

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 ...

(near Kingston) while his father Nicholas Roosevelt (1658–1742) and mother, Heyltje Jans Kunst (1664–1730), were living there. Nicholas, born 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 ...

, was the son of the Roosevelt immigrant ancestor, Claes Maartenszen van Rosenvelt (c. 1626-1659). He moved his family back to New York City, where he was born, by 1690. In 1730, Johannes became a

freeman Freeman, free men, or variant, may refer to: * a member of the Third Estate in medieval society (commoners), see estates of the realm * Freeman, an apprentice who has been granted freedom of the company, was a rank within Livery companies * Free ...

. He was assistant

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

from 1717 to 1727 and alderman from 1730 to 1733. According to one history, "he was successful in farming and business ventures, and took what seemed to his friends a strange and extravagant delight in works of art. He is said to have been one of the first to import paintings, fine furniture, and artistic metal ware from the Netherlands. He did it on so generous a scale that his home was viewed as a wonderland by his less enterprising fellow-citizens."

Slavery

Johannes Roosevelt's slave, Quack, was one of the accused conspirators in the alleged

slave rebellion A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by enslaved people, as a way of fighting for their freedom. Rebellions of enslaved people have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery or have practiced slavery in the past. A desire for freedo ...

that terrified New York City in 1741. He was convicted of setting fire to Fort George and executed by being burned at the stake.Lepore, pp. 59–60, 96–99, & 102–03.

Personal life

Johannes married Heyltje Sjoerts (Shourd) (1688–1752) on September 25, 1708 at the Reformed Dutch Church of New York. She was the daughter of Olvert Sjoerts (1661-1710), who was born in The Netherlands and emigrated to New Netherlands. Johannes and Heyltje had eleven children: *Margreta Roosevelt (1709–1776), who married William De Peyster (1701–1751) on May 5, 1730, son of

Johannes de Peyster Johannes de Peyster or Johannes de Peyster II (September 21, 1666 – September 25, 1711) was the 23rd Mayor of New York City between 1698 and 1699.Wilson, James Grant (ed.The memorial history of the City of New-York, Vol. II p. 54 (1892)Allaben, ...

. *Nicholas Roosevelt (bap. 1710, died in the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

) *Johannes Roosevelt (bap. 1712) *Heyltje Roosevelt (bap. 1714) *Olphert Oliver Roosevelt (1716–1785), who married Elizabeth Lounsbury in 1740. *Jacobus Roosevelt (bap. 1718, died in infancy) *Maria Roosevelt (1720–1755), who married Abraham Duryea (b. 1720) on February 11, 1743 *Jannetje Roosevelt (bap. 1723, died 1724) *Jacobus James Roosevelt (bap. 1724), who first married Annatje Bogart (b. 1728) on December 2, 1746. On July 14, 1774, he married Helena Gibson, widow of Mr. Thompson. *Aeltje Roosevelt (bap. 1726, died 1727) *Cornelius Roosevelt (bap. 1731), he married Margaret Haering (1733–1821) on December 9, 1751.

Descendants

Johannes was an ancestor of the

Oyster Bay branch The Oyster Bay Branch is a rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch splits from the Main Line just east of Mineola station, and runs north and east to Oyster Bay. The bran ...

of the

Roosevelt family The Roosevelt family is an American political family from New York whose members have included two United States presidents, a First Lady, and various merchants, bankers, politicians, inventors, clergymen, artists, and socialites. The progeny ...

. He was the grandfather of James Jacobus Roosevelt (1759–1840) and the great-grandfather of

Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt Cornelius Van Schaack "C.V.S." Roosevelt (January 30, 1794 – July 17, 1871) was an American businessman from New York City. He was a member of the prominent Roosevelt family and the paternal grandfather of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Ea ...

(1794–1871), 3x great-grandfather of

United States President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United State ...

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

and the 4x great-grandfather of

References

;Notes ;Sources * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Roosevelt, Johannes Johannes Roosevelt American people of Dutch descent 1689 births 1750 deaths People from Esopus, New York American businesspeople New York City Council members American slave owners

Early life and career

Slavery

Personal life

Descendants

See also

References