The Van Rensselaer family (/ˈrɛnslər,-slɪər/) is a family of Dutch descent that was prominent during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries in the area now known as the state of New York. Members of this family played a critical role in the formation of the United States and served as leaders in business, politics and society.
History
The Van Rensselaers were of Dutch origin,[3] and the family originally migrated from the Netherlands to a large area along the Hudson River in the present-day area of Albany, New York. The Van Rensselaers and other patroons named this young colony New Netherland. Many members of the family were active in politics and in the military.[4][5] They are best known for the Rensselaerswyck estate of roughly a million acres, which although broken up by the Anti-Rent Revolt in the 1840s, had long cemented the Van Rensselaer family as one of the wealthiest in early America.
Herman Melville, a descendant of the Van Rensselaer family, mentioned them in the first chapter of his novel Moby-Dick: "It touches one's sense of honor, particularly if you come of an old established family in the land, the Van Rensselaers, or Randolphs, or Hardicanutes." Edith Wharton, a Van Rensselaer cousin, is said to have based the Van der Luydens in The Age of Innocence on the Van Rensselaers.
Kiliaen Van Rensselaer (1663–1719) ⚭ 1701: Maria Van Cortlandt (1674/80–1747/50); After van Rensselaer died in 1719, Maria Van Cortlandt ⚭ 1728: John Milne.
Elizabeth van Rensselaer (1734–1813) ⚭ 1763: Abraham Ten Broeck (1734–1810)
Stephen Van Rensselaer II (1742–1769) ⚭ 1764: Catherine Livingston (1745–1810); After van Rensselaer died in 1769, Catherine Livingston ⚭ 1775: Eilardus Westerlo (1738–1790).
Stephen Van Rensselaer III (1764–1839) ⚭ (1) 1783: Margarita Schuyler (1758–1801); ⚭ (2) 1802: Cornelia Paterson (1780–1844)
Elizabeth Van Rensselaer (1768–1841) ⚭ (1) 1787: John Bradstreet Schuyler (1765–1795); ⚭ (2) 1799/1800: John Bleecker (1763–1833), widower of Jane Gilliland.
Catharine Westerlo Bleecker ⚭ Cornelius Van Rensselaer (1801–1871)
Jacobus Van Rensselaer (1713–1762)
Gertrude Van Rensselaer (born 1714) ⚭ (1) Adonis Schuyler; ⚭ (2) 1766: Robert Livingston (1708–1790)
Jan Baptist Van Rensselaer (1717–1763)
Anne Van Rensselaer (1719–1791) ⚭ John Schuyler (1708–1773)
Maj. James Van Rensselaer (1747–1827) ⚭ (1) Catharine Van Cortlandt, ⚭ (2) 1789: Elsie Schuyler Bogert
John Van Rensselaer (1784–1870) ⚭ Elizabeth Van Cortlandt (1787–1868)
James Van Rensselaer (1812–1840) ⚭ Margaret Duxbury (1810–1879)
James Van Rensselaer ⚭ Margaret Rutgers Birch
Elizabeth Van Cortlandt Van Rensselaer (b. 1868) ⚭ Charles Boel (b. 1870)
Sarah Schuyler Van Rensselaer (b. 1870)
James Henry Van Rensselaer (b. 1872) ⚭ Florence N. Smillie
Marie Antoinette Van Rensselaer (b. 1874) ⚭ Fritz Unger
Margaret Rutgers Van Rensselaer (b. 1878) ⚭ Dr. Antonie Voislawsky
Rebecca Coffin Van Rensselaer (b. 1885) ⚭ 1913: Clarence B. Tippet
Stephen Van Cortlandt Van Rensselaer ⚭ Sarah Schuyler
Stephen Van Rensselaer, who died young.
Catharine Van Cortlandt Van Rensselaer ⚭ Gratz Van Rensselaer (b. 1834)
Angelica Van Rensselaer
Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer (b. 1797) ⚭ Henrietta Ann Schuyler
Gratz Van Rensselaer (b. 1834) ⚭ Catharine Van Cortlandt Van Rensselaer
Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer, who died unmarried
Cortlandt Schuyler Van Rensselaer (1859–1927) ⚭ 1891: Horace Macaulay
Cortlandt Van Rensselaer (b. 1900)
Elizabeth Van Rensselaer ⚭ Dr. George L. Hull
Dr. John Van Rensselaer ⚭ Mary Johnston
Margaret Van Rensselaer
James Van Rensselaer, who died unmarried
Hendrick Van Rensselaer (1712–1793) ⚭ (1) 1735: Elizabeth van Brugh (1712–1753); ⚭ (2) 1762: Alida Livingston (1716–1798), widow of Jacob Rutsen (1716–1753).
Kiliaen Van Rensselaer (1717–1781) ⚭ (1) 1742: Ariantje "Harriet" Schuyler (1720–1763); ⚭ (2) 1769: Maria Low
Catharine Van Rensselaer (d. 1778) ⚭ 1771: William Henry Ludlow (1740–1803), no issue
^De Vries, W. (1949). "De Van Rensselaer's in Nederland". De Nederlandsche Leeuw. 66. The Hague: Koninklijk Nederlandsch Genootschap voor Geslacht- en Wapenkunde: 153. De naam Van Rensselaer is ongetwijfeld een herkomstnaam, ontleend aan de thans nog bestaande kapitale hofstede 'de Renselaar' in de buurschap Hell onder Putten.