Cornelis Cuyler or Cornelius Cuyler (baptized February 14, 1697 – March 14, 1765) was a prominent American 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 ...

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 C ...

, from 1742 to 1746.

Early life and family

Cuyler was born in 1697 and baptized in the

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

Dutch Church in the then

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 ...

of British America. He was the oldest surviving son of twelve children born to Albany Mayor Johannes Cuyler (1661–1740) and Elsje ( née Ten Broeck) Cuyler (d. 1752). His father was an admitted freeman of New York City and served for 22 years as a

Commissioner of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and ...

. His siblings included Anna Cuyler (who married Anthony Van Schaick), Christina Cuyler, Hendrick Cuyler (who died unmarried), Sara Cuyler (who married Mayor Johannes Hansen), Elsie Cuyler (who married Hendrick Johannes Rosenboom), Johannes Cuyler (who married Catherine Glen, daughter of Johannes Jacob Glen), Maria Cuyler (who married Cornelius Cuyler Ten Broeck, son of Wessel Ten Broeck), and Elizabeth Cuylter (who married Jacob Sanders Glen and were the parents of Henry Glen). His paternal grandparents were Hendrick Cuyler, 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, and Annatje ( née Schepmoes) Cuyler. His maternal grandparents were 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 ...

and Christyna ( née Van Buren) Ten Broeck.

Career

Following his father, he became a prominent fur trader. In 1717, he served as a constable in the Second Ward. In 1724, he swore not to trade with the French and was, therefore, sent into Mohawk country and Canada to represent Albany's interests. From 1729 to 1735, he was elected and served as Alderman for the Second Ward. In 1742, Cuyler was appointed and served as the

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 Johannes de Peyster III who was re-nominated but did not take the oath of allegiance required of officeholders. He served from October 14, 1742, to September 28, 1746, and was himself succeeded by Dirck Ten Broeck. For a total of fourteen years, he served as

for the

, appointed in 1734, 1739, 1742, 1745, 1752, and 1754, which brought him into contact with

Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet of New York ( – 11 July 1774), was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Ireland. As a young man, Johnson moved to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Royal Na ...

, both as a client and adversary. During the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

, which took place from 1754 to 1763, he was a supplier to the troops.

Personal life

On December 9, 1726, he was married to 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, 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 Alb ...

, 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 ...

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 ...

. Together, Cornelius and Catharina were the parents of eleven children, including: * Johannes Cuyler (1729–1749) * Elizabeth Cuyler (1731–1815), who married Jacobus Van Cortlandt (1726–1781), son 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 t ...

, 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 ...

and first cousin of

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguati ...

and

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 f ...

, in 1752. * Philip Cuyler (b. 1733), who married Sarah Tweedy (1739–1825), of Newport, in 1757. He was also a fur trader. * Hendrick "Henry" Cuyler (1735–1803), who married Catharina Lydius (1743–1818), daughter of

John Henry Lydius John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

(1704–1791), in 1767. * 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 ...

, another son of Frederick Van Cortlandt, in 1760. * 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, in 1760. *

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 Cuyler ...

(1740–1819), who married Anne Wendell in 1763, and became the first Baronet of St John's Lodge. * Abraham Cornelius Cuyler (1742–1810), who married Jannetje "Janet" Glen, who was sister to Henry Glen (1739–1814), in 1764. Cuyler died on March 14, 1765, in Albany. He was buried in Church cemetery but later moved to

Albany Rural Cemetery The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Colonie, New York, United States, just outside the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the U.S., at over . Many historical A ...

Descendants

Through his daughter Margarita, he was the grandfather of Helena "Lena" Low (1760–1837). She was first married to Dirck Hansen (1743–1799), a Captain in the Revolutionary War, in 1781, with whom she had at least seven children. After his death, she remarried to Rev. William Adolphus Linn (1752–1808), the 1st Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives and the 2nd President of Queen's College (now

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

), in 1800. They were the parents of Archibald Ladley Linn (1802–1857), a member of the New York State Assembly and the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

. Though his son Cornelius, he was the grandfather of Sir Charles Cuyler, 2nd Baronet (1794–1862). Through his son Abraham, he was the grandfather of Jacob Glen Cuyler (1773–1854), who became a British army officer who was instrumental getting the

1820 Settlers The 1820 Settlers were several groups of British colonists from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, settled by the government of the United Kingdom and the Cape Colony authorities in the Eastern Cape of South Africa in 1820. Origins After ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

References

External links

Cornelis 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, Cornelius 1697 births 1765 deaths Mayors of Albany, New York People of New Netherland Cuyler family Schuyler family American people of Dutch descent 18th-century American politicians