Margaret Hardenbroeck de Vries Philipse ( – ) was a prominent and wealthy merchant in the colonial

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 U ...

. She inherited great wealth from her first husband after his early death, and later married another merchant and landowner,

Frederick Philipse Frederick Philipse (born Frederick Flypsen;Appleton, W.S. ''The Heraldic Journal, Recording the Amorial Bearings and Genealogies of American Families'', Wiggen & Lunt, Boston, 1867 1626 in Bolsward, Netherlands – December 23, 1702), first Lor ...

, who became 1st Lord of Philipse Manor.

Early life

Margareta Hardenbroeck was born in the Rhine Valley of 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 Neth ...

. She was the daughter of Adolph Hardenbruk (the surname later varied), a German emigrant who lived in

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

across from the Dutch colony of

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 ...

,Savery, Florence M., Cold Springs Recorder, 1912 along with her older brother Abel Hardenbroeck, who came as an

indentured servant Indentured servitude is a form of labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract, called an "indenture", may be entered "voluntarily" for purported eventual compensation or debt repayment ...

to the

Ten Eyck family The Ten Eyck family came from the Netherlands to New Amsterdam (today's Manhattan) in the 1630s.Cuyler Reynolds, Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911), 130-133. The patriarch of the Ame ...

Career

She established herself in the burgeoning city in the late 1650s working in as a debt-collecting agent for her cousin, Wolter Valck. She also worked as a business agent for several Dutch merchants, trading small items such as pins, cooking oils, and vinegar in exchange for furs.

British seizure

Margaret Hardenbroek's marriage to her second husband,

, was conducted under Dutch law that permitted women to maintain their legal identity and do business in their own name, called ''usus''. In addition, she signed a

prenuptial agreement A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement (commonly referred to as a prenup), is a written contract entered into by a couple prior to marriage or a civil union that enables them to select and control many of the le ...

with him ensuring that her daughter would inherit all her former husband's wealth, as well as all or part of his and theirs together. Margaret Hardenbroek owned house lots in Manhattan and Bergen, and several ships including the New Netherland Indian, Beaver, Pearl, and Morning Star. In 1664, the British seized control of New Amsterdam and under the new laws of the British many of her rights were taken away. Though an accomplished businesswoman and merchant,Appleton, W.S. ''The Heraldic Journal, Recording the Amorial Bearings and Genealogies of American Families'', Wiggen & Lunt, Boston, 1867 as a woman she was no longer considered legally independent. She was unable to purchase goods under her own authority or act as legal agent. In addition, all the profits that had been made by her thriving businesses were now legally her husband's. Hardenbroeck continued to run the businesses, and with her wealth her husband was able to expand his holdings and become one of the wealthiest men in New York. Together, the couple purchased many properties, and expanded their transatlantic trading ventures. From her first marriage, Margaret owned several ships, one of them the ''King Charles''. She made several voyages between Europe and America on these as

supercargo A supercargo (from Spanish ''sobrecargo'') is a person employed on board a vessel by the owner of cargo carried on the ship. The duties of a supercargo are defined by admiralty law and include managing the cargo owner's trade, selling the merchand ...

responsible for all the purchases and sales of goods. Among the Philipses' top cargoes were slaves, being regarded among the biggest slaver traders in the northern Colonies, who also used slave labor extensively in their businesses and operation of their 52,000 acre Manor. In 1698, though long a member of the governor's Executive Council, the British governor, Lord Bellomont, banned Frederick Philipse from government office for conducting a slave trade into New York.

Personal life

On October 10, 1659, she married Peter Rudolphus de Vries but continued to do business under her maiden name. In 1660, they had a daughter: * Eva de Vries (b. 1660), who married

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 ...

(1658-1739), a wealthy merchant who served as the 30th and 33rd

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 propert ...

and was the brother of

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's ...

. In 1661, her husband died, leaving considerable property. Through her daughter, she was the grandmother of

Frederick Van Cortlandt Frederick Van Cortlandt (1699 – February 2, 1749) was an American merchant and landowner. Early life Van Cortlandt was born in 1699 and christened on April 23, 1699. He was the only surviving son born to Jacobus Van Cortlandt (1658–1739) and ...

(1699–1749) and Mary Van Cortlandt (1705–1777), who married Peter Jay (b. 1701) in 1728, the parents of

Founding Father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

John Jay John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, patriot, diplomat, abolitionist, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as the second governor of New York and the firs ...

(1745-1829).

Second marriage

In 1662, she married

(1626-1702), in an usus marriage (under Dutch law). Philipse was merchant who through trade with the Indians and good relations with the governors had become one of the leading men of the Colony. Upon their union, the court of Orphan Masters of New Amsterdam required her to render an inventory of her child's parental inheritance. Owing to its unsettled state she was unable to do so. Her husband overcame what were considerable difficulties by adopting her two-year-old daughter Eva, promising that if he had no children of his own she would inherit half of his estate, and if other children were born she would share equally with them. Together the couple had several children, including: * Philip Philipse (1663-1699), who married Maria Sparks (d. 1698), daughter of Governor Sparks of Barbados. *

Adolphus Philipse Adolphus Philipse (1665–1750) was a wealthy landowner of Dutch descent in the Province of New York. In 1697 he purchased a large tract of land along the east bank of the Hudson River stretching all the way to the east to the Connecticut bor ...

(1665–1750), who died unmarried. * Annetje Philipse (b. 1667), who married Phillip French II (1666/7–1707), the 27th Mayor of New York City. * Rombout Philipse (b. 1669) Her grandson through her eldest son Philip, was

Frederick Philipse II Frederick Philipse II ( – July 26, 1751), was a colonial American merchant, landowner, and politician. Philipse was the only son of Maria Sparkes, daughter of the Governor of Barbados, and Philip Philipse, eldest son of Frederick Philipse I, 1 ...

(1698-1751), the 2nd Lord of Philipsburg Manor who married Johanna Brockholst (1700–1765), daughter of

Anthony Brockholst Major Anthony Brockholls (or Brockholst) ( – August 29, 1723) was and English born Commander-in-Chief (1677-8) and then acting Governor (1681-2) of New York. Career In 1677, he received a special commission as Commander-in-Chief and when Sir E ...

, acting Governor of Colonial New York. Johanna's sister, Susannah Brockholst (1696–1730) was married to Phillip French III, parents of Susanna French (1723–1789), who married

William Livingston William Livingston (November 30, 1723July 25, 1790) was an American politician who served as the first governor of New Jersey (1776–1790) during the American Revolutionary War. As a New Jersey representative in the Continental Congress, he sig ...

(1723–1790), " War-Governor" during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, and was the mother of

Henry Brockholst Livingston Henry Brockholst Livingston (November 25, 1757 – March 18, 1823) was an American Revolutionary War officer, a justice of the New York Court of Appeals and eventually an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Early life ...

, who was associate Justice of the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. Federal tribunals in the United States, federal court cases, and over Stat ...

from 1806 to 1823.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardenbroeck, Margaret 17th-century Dutch businesswomen 17th-century merchants 1630s births 1690s deaths Dutch slave traders People of the Province of New York People of New Netherland Margaret Hardenbroeck Women slave owners