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 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 ...

from 1710 to 1711 and again from 1719 to 1720.

Early life

Jacobus Van Cortlandt was born in 1658 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 ...

, a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of

Manhattan Island Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

in what was then

New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva ...

. He was the son of

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

-born Annetje (

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 ...

Loockermans) Van Cortlandt (b. 1618) and Dutch born Captain Olof Stevense van Cortlandt (d. 1684), who arrived in

in 1637. His father was originally a soldier and bookkeeper that rose to high colonial ranks through his work with the

Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ...

, eventually serving many terms as

burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chie ...

and

alderman An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members ...

. Reportedly, his mother, known as "Anna", began the "

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

" tradition in America. Jacobus was the second of four children born to his parents, including

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' ...

, who married Geertruy van Schuyler; Maria van Cortlandt, who married

Jeremias van Rensselaer Jeremias van Rensselaer (Amsterdam, 16 May 1632 – October 12, 1674) was the third son of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, one of the founders and directors of the Dutch West India Company who was instrumental in the establishment of New Netherland a ...

; and Catherine van Cortlandt, who first married Johannes Derval and after his death, married

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 Lord ...

, the 1st Lord of Philipsborough Manor. Philipse was previously married to

Margaret Hardenbroeck Margaret Hardenbroeck de Vries Philipse ( – ) was a prominent and wealthy merchant in the colonial Province of New York. She inherited great wealth from her first husband after his early death, and later married another merchant and landowner, F ...

and during that marriage, had adopted her daughter, Eva de Vries, who changed her last name to Philipse and eventually became Jacobus' wife.

Career

Van Cortlandt, who became a wealthy merchant, purchased a parcel of land in what is now

Van Cortlandt Park Van Cortlandt Park is a park located in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, it is managed with assistance from the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. The park, the city's third-lar ...

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 ...

, from John Barrett after the death of John's father, Samuel Barrett, around 1691. At that time, the plantation was considered Yonkers. From 1710 to 1711 and again from 1719 to 1720, Van Cortlandt served as the 30th and 33rd Mayor of

Personal life

Van Cortlandt was married to Eva de Vries (born 1660-year of death unknown), the daughter of

and Peter Rudolphus de Vries, and the adopted daughter of

, the 1st Lord of the

Philipsburg Manor Philipsburg Manor (sometimes referred to as Philipse Manor) was a manor located north of New York City in Westchester County in the Province of New York. Netherlands-born Frederick Philipse I and two partners made the initial purchase of land ...

. Together, Jacobus and Eva were the parents of: * Frederick Van Cortlandt (1699–1749), who married Francina Jay, daughter of Auguste Jay and Anne Marika

Bayard Bayard may refer to: People *Bayard (given name) * Bayard (surname) *Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard (1473–1524) French knight Places * Bayard, Delaware, an unincorporated community * Bayard (Jacksonville), Florida, a neighborhood * Bayard ...

. Frederick built the Van Cortlandt House in 1748. * Mary Van Cortlandt, who in 1728 married Peter Jay (b. 1704), the brother of Francina Jay. * Augustus Van Cortlandt, the last Clerk of the City and County of New York under British rule. * Margaret Van Cortlandt, who married

Abraham de Peyster Abraham de Peyster (July 8, 1657 – August 3, 1728) was the 20th mayor of New York City from 1691 to 1694, and served as Governor of New York, 1700–1701. Early life De Peyster was born in New Amsterdam on July 8, 1657, to Johannes de Peyst ...

, a son of mayor

. Van Cortlandt died in 1739 in Bergen, New Jersey.Significant Dates

Descendants

Through his son Frederick, he was the grandfather of Augustus Van Cortlandt (1728–1823), who married Elsie Cuyler, daughter of Albany mayor

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 ...

in 1760. After her death in 1761, he married Catherine Barclay, daughter of Andrew Barclay and Helena (

Roosevelt Roosevelt may refer to: *Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), 26th U.S. president * Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), 32nd U.S. president Businesses and organisations * Roosevelt Hotel (disambiguation) * Roosevelt & Son, a merchant bank * Rooseve ...

) Barclay. Through his daughter Mary, he was the grandfather of Dr.

James Jay Sir James Jay (October 16, 1732 – 1815) was an American physician and politician. He was brother of John Jay, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. While initially a supporter of American independence, he later changed his views b ...

(1732–1815), a noted physician, 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 ...

(1745–1829), a

Founding Father of the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States, known simply as the Founding Fathers or Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the war for independence from Great Britai ...

and first Chief Justice of the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

. Through his grandson Dr. James Jay, Van Cortlandt is the 3x great-grandfather of the 19th century strategist

Alfred Thayer Mahan Alfred Thayer Mahan (; September 27, 1840 – December 1, 1914) was a United States naval officer and historian, whom John Keegan called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His book '' The Influence of Sea Powe ...

(1840–1914).

References

External links

Information about Jacobus Van Cortlandt
from the

New York City Department of Parks and Recreation The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also called the Parks Department or NYC Parks, is the department of the government of New York City responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecolo ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cortlandt, Jacobus van 1658 births 1739 deaths American people of Dutch descent Mayors of New York City People of the Province of New York People of New Netherland

Jacobus A Jacobus is an English gold coin of the reign of James I, worth 25 shillings. The name of the coin comes from the Latin inscription surrounding the King's head on the obverse of the coin, IACOBUS D G MAG BRIT FRA ET HI REX ("James, by the grace ...

Members of the New York General Assembly