sen, born January 28, 1873; Alice May, born November 10,
1874; Irene, born February 4, 1877; Ella, born September 12,
1878; Sarah Louise, born October 10, 1880; Arthur, born Sep-
tember 13, 1882; Susie Bird, born March 27, 1884; Jessie, born
March 27, 1884; Henry, born June 14, 1885.
James Egbert, son of Jacob Burbanck Miles Egbert, married
Sarah - , has children and resides at Clifton, Staten Island.
Lavina Egbert, second daughter of Jacob Burbanck Miles
Egbert, married William Ease and has children.
Ann Eliza Egbert, first daughter of Abraham and Ann Egbert,
married Nathan Britton, have children: Anna and John.
Margaret Jane, second daughter of Abraham and Ann Eg-
bert, married Nathaniel Swaim, had children: a son George and
a daughter who died in infancy.
Abraham Edward, second son of Abraham and Ann Egbert,
married Mary Jane Burgher. They have one daughter Mari-
anna, who married - - Franklin, of Brooklyn, N. Y., and
they have one daughter named Mabel. Abraham Edward re-
sides at Stapleton, Staten Island.
Rebecca Maria, third daughter of Abraham and Ann Eg
bert, married John Barnes. No children.
James, fourth son of Abraham and Ann Egbert, married
Amelia Laforge. Has children as follows: Pauline, Alice,
HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY. 509
Herbert, (Elizabeth and Percy died). James Egbert resides at
Tompkinsville.
Abraham Burbanck, the third son of Abraham Burbanck,
second, married Catherine Houghwout, and had children as fol-
lows: Margaret, born 1800; married Nicholas Youngman;
Catherine, born 1808; Charlotte, born 1820 (by second wife),
married - - Mink of Albany, N. Y. ; Richard C., born 1822,
married Catherine M. Douglas, and had children as follows:
Margaret, Louisa, Emma, Sarah and Catherine; George, married
Catherine Relyea, and resides in Albany, N. Y. ; Joseph; Ann,
married George Holt, of Chicago, Illinois.
Isaac Burbanck, son of Abraham second, married Sarah Eg-
bert, and had children as follows: Mary Ann, married Vincent
Bodine, and had two sons, Jacob and Vincent. Her husband
died. She then married Stephen Mart-ling, and had two
daughters. She died and her second husband married her
sister Sarah Jane, and she had children, Elizabeth and Mary
Ann. Isaac Burbanck had three children: Mary Ann, Sarah
Jane and Edward.
Edward, son of Isaac and Sarah Burbanck, married and has
a son Edward married and living at New Dorp.
Elizabeth Martling, first daughter of Stephen and Sarah Jane
Martling, married James Vreeland of New Dorp; has children
and resides at New Dorp.
Mary Ann Martling, second daughter of Stephen and Sarah
Jane Martling, married - - Bogart.
John Burbanck, son of Abraham the second, married, and
had children as follows: Ann, Mary, Daniel, Henry, John and
Catherine.
John and Peter Burbanck, sons of Abraham second, reside
at New Brighton.
Rebecca Burbanck, first daughter of Abraham second, mar-
ried Austin Barton, had children : Sarah, and one, name not
known. Sarah married - - Conklin, living at Patchogue,
Long Island, and has one daughter.
Mary Ann Burbanck, second daughter of Abraham second,
married John Deeker.
Jacob Lockman Burbanck, second son of Jacob and Ann,
married Martha Washington Graham, August 4, 1830. Born
June 1, 1799; died December 5, 1879. Was married by Rev.
John Ernest Miller, and had children as follows: Elizabeth
510 HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
Anderson, born July 29, 1831; George Edgar, born June 27,
1833, died December 30, 1834; Margaret Ann, born January
31, 1836; Frances Louise, born July 19, 1838, died July 4, 1880;
William Dudley, born September 14, 1841, was married May
17, 1870, to Susan Jane Wood, of Pleasant Plains, who was
born October 18, 1840, and has children as follows: Jacobson
Lockman, born May 10, 1871; William Dudley, born May 1, 1874;
George Graham, born August 1, 1877; Mary Eleanor Wood,
born June 18, 1880; David Morris Ware, born April 19, 1883,
died January 24, 1884.
John William Burbanck, third son of Jacob and Ann, was
twice married; his first wife was Gertrude Egbert, and his sec-
ond wife Ann Egbert, sisters. Ann died December 19, 1878; had
children as follows: By first wife, Hiram A., Ferdinand and
and Mary Adelaide; by second wife, Evelina, Anna and John
Alfred. John William resides at Castleton Corners, and is the
oldest living descendant of Jacob Burbanck the first.
Hiram A. Burbanck, son of John William and Gertrude,
married Mary - , and had one son, John William, and a
daughter, who died. Hiram resides with his father at Castle-
ton Corners.
Evelina Burbanck, daughter of John William and Ann, mar-
ried William Alston, and has one son, Theodore.
Anna Burbanck, daughter of John William and Ann, mar-
ried Sylvester Cobb. and has children Mabel and Edward.
John Alfred Burbanck, son of John William and Ann, died
March 28, 1873.
Aletta Eliza Burbanck, second daughter of Jacob first and
Ann, married Samuel Wood, and has children as follows: Cath-
arine Ann, Ellen, Jane Louisa, Benjamin, Jacob, Augustus B.,
and Beekman.
Samuel Wood died, and his widow resides at City Island,
Westchester county, New York.
Catharine Ann Wood, daughter of Samuel and Aletta E.
Wood, married Joseph Brown, and has children and grand-
children, resides at Astoria, N. Y.
Ellen Wood, daughter of Samuel and Aletta Eliza Wood,
married Benjamin Van Clief, had one son Charles, now living
at West New Brighton, married and has children. His parents
are dead.
Benjamin Wood, son of Samuel. and Aletta Eliza Wood, mar,-
HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY. 511
ried and has children and grandchildren residing at Astoria,
N. Y.
Augustus B. Wood, son of Samuel and Aletta Eliza Wood,
married and has children and grandchildren, residing at City
Island, Westchester county, N. Y.
Samuel Burbanck, Jacob Lockman Burbanck's cousin, resides
at South Beach, and his son, Samuel Burbanck, resides at New
Dorp.
BURGHER, BURGER. These, at the present day, are two dis-
tinct families, who write their names as, above.
Johannes Burger, from Giesman, came over in the ship
" Stettin," September, 1662; but where he settled is not known.
There was an Elias Burger and Susanna Whitman, his wife,
who had a son Nathan, baptized February 23, 1724, and this is
the first record of the name in the county.
Colonel Nicholas Burgher was born January 23, 1768, and
died May 23, 1839; he was the father of Matthias, John, James
G., David and several other children. John was the father of
David Burgher, of Edge water, the present representative of the
family spelling their name with an h.
The other family, who eschew the 7^, and adhere to the origi-
nal orthography, are of comparatively recent connection with
the island.
David D. Burger was born in South Carolina in 1777, and
settled on Staten Island in 1814, where he died in February,
1831. He left several sons, of whom Nicholas, of Four Corners,
and Samuel, of Bull's Head, survive.
BUSH. This name, written BoscJi in the Dutch records, is
found here early in the last century. This family was never
very numerous nor prominent, consequently the notices of its
members are very few.
Joshua, or Josiah, had a son Samuel, baptized 1706; Nicholas
and Elizabeth Drinkwater had the following children: Edward,
baptized November 24, 1728; Barent, baptized September, 1734;
Nicholas, baptized July 13, 1740. Garret had a daughter Mary,
baptized September 30, 1787, and a daughter Elizabeth, baptized
August 30, 1789. Joseph and Mary Johnson were married De-
cember 10, 1792. Lambert and Mary Stillwell were married
January 27, 1795. The family name, though not as old as some
others on the island, was in the province at an early date.
Among the emigrants who came over in the ship "Fox" in
512 HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
August, 1662, we find the name of Jan Bossch from West-
phalen.
There was another family of this name descended from John
Bush, an Englishman, who fought at Banker Hill on the side
of the Americans, and subsequently took up his residence on
Staten Island, where he married, and had at least one son,
whose name was William, who was the father of the late Mr.
John Bush, of Watchogue, Northh'eld, and of Mrs. S. D. Ken-
nison, of West New Brighton.
BUTLER, This was another of the royalist families which
was here before and during the revolution. The earliest men-
tion of the name in the church records is in 1732, when James
and Sarah Carem had a son John, baptized March 26. In St.
Andrew's records we find the following: Henry and Balaesha
(Baletta) had a son James, born May 8, 1759 ; and a son Na-
thaniel, born March 23, 1768. Thomas and Mary had a sou
James, born October 19, 1758, and a son Antony, born Novem-
ber 17, 1769. John and Rachel had a son Daniel, born October
29, 1758. John and Mary had a son Henry, baptized March 11,
1776. Thomas and Susan had a daughter Maria, baptized May
13, 1790. Thomas and Mary Herod married December 20, 1789.
Daniel and Elizabeth Pray married December 29, 1807.
The family is at present in part represented by Mr. Talbot
Butler, of Port Richmond, whose father was Thomas, and
mother Eleanor Crocheron, daughter of Abraham. Thomas had
several brothers James, John, Elias and Henry, and they were
the sons of John and - - Kingston his wife. Thomas was
twice married, his second wife being a widow Blake, maiden name
Wood.
CANNON. On Staten Island the name is usually accented on
the last syllable. The family was here as early as 1680, but it
was never very numerous or prominent ; its members appear to
have been of a retiring nature, and are never found mentioned
in any official character, except in one instance where one of
them held a minor military office. Andreas ^Andrew) was
plaintiff in a suit in 1680, and was probably the progenitor.
We find no further mention of them until John and Maria Egbert
had a son Abraham, baptized May 7, 1741 ; a daughter, April
22, 1746, and a son Jacobus, July 19, 1748.
David and Aeltje (Alida) Prall had the following children .
A daughter, baptized May 2, 1753 ; a son, Arent, baptized No-
HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY. 513
vember 2, 1754 ; a son, David, January 29, 1758, and a son, An-
dries, August 26, 1759.
David is also mentioned in 1755 as owner of a slave.
Andrew and Mary Wright were married in December, 1795.
CHRISTOPHER. The original of this name is Christoffel, which
is the Dutch for Christopher. The earliest mention of the family
occurs in a church record, as follows : Barent and Anna Cath-
arina Stilwell had the following children baptized : Nicklaas,
August 4, 1703 ; Catharyna, April 23, 1706, died young ; Re-
becka, April 20, 17 ; Maria, , 1710; Susanna, January
11,1719; they had twin children, Catharinaand Barent, baptized
August 13, 1716.
This Barent is mentioned in the county records as having sold
land in 1704. Stoffel also sold land the same year. Catharine
Christopher, widow of Albert Rykman, had a posthumous
child, Albert, baptized October 26, 1729.
Hans (John) and Jane Arrowsmith had the following child-
ren baptized : Johannes, April 16, 1732 ; Barnt, April 14, 1734;
Joseph, August 8, 1736 ; Richard, September 30, 1739. Nicolas
and Christina Bowman had a son, Barnt, baptized November 27,
1726, and a daughter, September 26, 1731.
Richard (above) and Esther his wife, had the following child-
ren : John Garrison, born September 18, 1770 ; James Grover,.
born August 30, 1772 ; Joseph, born May 9, 1775. Joseph, son
of John, had a son, Joseph, who was father of Capt. Richard
Christopher, of West New Brighton.
COLE. We have nowhere found the slightest allusion to the
origin of this family, but an individual of the same name was
on the island before the beginning of the last century ; in the
county records we find I lie name of Abraham Cole as having
sold land in 1695, which, of course, he must have purchased at
an earlier date. In the church records we find no further men-
tion of the name for more than half a century, though the name
of Abraham appears to have been perpetuated.
Abraham and Hannah had a daughter Ann, born May 11,
1762 ; a son Abraham, born March 6, 1766, and a son John Be-
dell, born July 31, 1770. Peter and Susannah Latourette had
a son Henry, born February 6, 1765. Richard lived in the
county in 1766, and Cornelius in 1772. Cornelius and Ann
Dyelland were married in May, 1766. Stephen and Ann had a
daughter Ann, born July 22, 1768; a son Stephen, born Septem-
514 HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
ber 11, 1771; a son John, February 5, 1775, and a daughter Mar-
garet, who married Samuel Holmes. Stephen, the son, married
Jane Mersereau, October 16, 1796, and John, the son, married
Mary Winant, April 1, 1797. Isaac and Esther, his wife, had a
son Edward, born April 8, 1770. Richard and Mary Sprang
were married in October, 1774, and had a son Abraham, born
March 6, 1775. John and Catharine, his wife, had a son Abra-
ham, born April 6, 1775. Cornelius and Frances Cole were mar-
ried November 11, 1797. John and Eliza Drake were married
December 24, 1801. William, the pioneer of Methodism on
Staten Island, was born in 1769, and died in 1843. Abraham,
born , 1751, died February 19, 1798.
ABRAHAM COLE. Isaac Cole, the great-grandfather of the
subject of this biography, and one of the earliest residents of
Staten Island, was an extensive farmer and land owner at
Prince's bay. Among his children was a son, Abraham, who
inherited a portion of the ancestral estate, and followed farm-
ing pursuits. He married Abagail Johnson, and had children :
William, Ann, Isaac, Lydia, Abraham, Esther and Phoabe.
Abraham, of this number, was born in 1778, and died in 1833.
By occupation a sea-captain, his voyages were chiefly to south-
ern ports, where for many years he engaged in trade. He mar-
ried Ann, daughter of David Jolmson, of Staten Island. Their
children were : Johnson, Isaac, Abraham, Susan Ann, Harriet,
Mary, Jacob W. and Abagail. Of these Abraham was born
September 23, 1810, on the homestead adjacent to the old
church at Woodrow, Staten Island. After enjoying such ad-
vantages as the schools of the neighborhood afforded he became
interested in his father's pursuit, and at the age of twenty-one
took command of a packet-schooner sailing for southern ports.
He gradually acquired by thrift a considerable interest in the
vessels he commanded, and continued thus employed until
1856, when, retiring from the perilous life of a mariner, he es-
tablished near Tottenville, Staten Island, the coal and lumber
business, now successfully conducted by his sons. Here he was
actively engaged during the remainder of his life, his sons
being admitted to a partnership, and later assuming entire
charge of the increasing trade. Mr. Cole was, on the 30th of
September, 1840, married to Ann M., daughter of Cornelius
Disosvvay, of Staten Island. Their children are : Cornelius,
married to Harriet K., daughter of James C. Robinson ; Jacob
HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY. 515
W., married to Mary C. (deceased), daughter of George H.
Pendexter ; Susan A., wife of Paul M. Van Name; James T.,
married to Elmira De Hart, and Abram, married to Blanche,
daughter of Captain Abel Martin. Mr. Cole, in his political
sentiments, was an old line whig, and later joined the ranks of
the republican party. Politics were little to his taste, and as a
consequence he rarely gave an active support to his party, and
never aspired to the offices within its gift. His energies found
a more congenial field of labor in the Bethel Methodist Epis-
copal church, of which he was treasurer, trustee and steward.
The following tribute to his memory, from a leading periodical,
may with propriety be quoted.
"His religious life was uniform, and was not, as is too often
the case, marred with frequent relapses. He professed no extra-
ordinary attainments in piety, but all who knew him took
knowledge of him that he had been with Jesus. He was faith-
ful and systematic in his home duties, and regular in his attend-
ance at the church and the means of grace when able to go.
He was ready with his means to contribute his share toward
the support of the church. As a husband and father he was
considerate and kind. He was even in temper, a lover of peace,
and a promoter of harmony. His confidence in the promises of
God never failed."
The death of Mr. Cole occurred September 14, 1876.
WILLIAM A. COLE. The direct ancestor of William A. Cole
was Col. William Cole, colonial secretary of Virginia, who em-
igrated from London about the year 1650, and whose descend-
ants settled early in 1700 in Maryland, from whence they later
removed to Staten Island. In the direct line from this progen-
itor of the family was Abraham Cole, born in 1736, grandfather
of the subject of this sketch. Among his children was John
B. Cole, born in 1770, who was twice married. His two sons
by the first marriage, Henry and George Cole, each represented
their district for two terms in the state legislature and were act-
ive in promoting the interests of Richmond county.
His second wife was Mary A. Cole, a descendant of the Cool
family, who emigrated from England to Holland, and about
the year 1680 came to America. Her father, Rev. William Cole,
was well known as the pioneer of Methodism on Staten Island.
His memory is still fresh, his influence still apparent, and his
name cherished by the church to which his life-work was ded-
516 HISTOKY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
icated. William A., the only son of John B. and Mary A. Cole,
was born October 15, 1836, at New Dorp, Staten Island, and re-
ceived an academic education at Pennington Seminary, New
Jersey. Deciding upon a business career, he came to New
York in 1855 and accepted a position as cashier with a mercan-
tile house. This thorough experience was of inestimable value
in the busy commercial life which subsequently opened to him.
In 1862 he organized, and has since been the active member
of, the house of W. J. Wilcox& Company, extensively engaged
in foreign exports. The firm have been since their organization
large exporters of manufactured products, and early gave their
attention to the production of a superior quality of lard, uni-
form in color and sweetness and capable of withstanding cli-
matic influences. To the well directed and untiring energy of
Mr. Cole must be attributed the gratifying success which has
attended their efforts. For his zeal in furthering the interests
of Franco-American commerce the French government, in 1879,
conferred upon him the decoration of the Legion of Honor. In
1875 the firm of W. J. Wilcox & Company became a corpora-
tion, with Mr. Cole as president, which office he still fills. He
has for some years been a leading factor in commercial circles,
having during the years 1877-78 filled the office of president of
the New York Produce Exchange. He is at present one of the
trustees of the Bowery Savings Bank and the Corn Exchange
Bank of New York. His interest in the cause of education
prompted his acceptance of the position of commissioner of the
board of education of New York. He is chairman of its build-
ing committee, as also of that of the New York College. Mr.
Cole was married June 12, 1860, to Mary E. Hiscox, and has
three children living: Mary A., Frederick A. and Helen.
COLON. James Colon, George Colon and John (elsewhere
written Jonas) Colon, were naturalized in May, 1770. These were
probably the progenitors of the family of that name, which
once were numerous, but now nearly extinct. There was also
a Peter Colon in the county in 1774.
CONNER. Richard Conner came to Staten Island from Ire-
land about 1760, as he purchased his landed estate at that
time. He was a man of respectable acquirements, and superior
business qualifications. His worth appears to have been soon
discovered, for he was almost immediately placed in responsible
offices, and continued to serve the public in various capacities
HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY. 517
until the time of his death. He was born in 1723, and died Feb-
ruary 1, 1792. His wife Catherine died June 24, 1787, at the
age of 62. He made his will February 4, 1790, proved February
6, 1792, in which he speaks of his daughter Ann, deceased, and
of Catharine and Elizabeth, and his son Richard. One of his
daughters married into the Garrison family, and was the
mother of Mr. John C. Garrison, of Garrison's Station, S. I. R. R.
His only son Richard, universally known as Colonel Conner,
was for many years a prominent surveyor in the county, and
held various offices of trust. He was born in 1763, and died
April 5, 1853, leaving several sons, of whom Mr. A. V. Conner,
once clerk of the county, is one. The family were always
attached to the Moravian church. There was another family
of the same name in the county in 1761, as appears by a record
of a baptism of Adam, son of Jeremiah and Ann, in October
of that year, but they were of a distinct family.
CORSEN. This is one of the oldest and at one time among the
most influential families on the island. In this instance, as in
most of the other old families, we have been able to obtain
only shreds of its history, none of those now bearing the name
being in possession of a genealogical descent. From 1650 to
1690 we find the names of Hendrick, Peter, Jan, Philip, etc. , as
residents of New York, or some parts of Long Island. The
first mention of the name in connection with Staten Island
occurs December 80, 1680, in a patent bearing that date, con-
veying to Cornelius Corsen, Andries Juriansen, Derrick Cor-
nel ison and John Peterson 180 acres of land, 60 acres of which
belonged to Corsen, and 40 acres to each of the others. This
land is referred to in the patent of Governor Dongan to Palmer,
and mentioned as land belonging to Cornelius Corsen and com-
pany. Another patent to the same parties, of the same date,
conveyed 320 acres of land lying westward of and bounded by
the Mill creek, besides 32 acres of salt meadow "where most
convenient. 1 ' This Cornelius is designated as captain in a
record in Albany, dated December 21, 1680. We find him men-
tioned again in the county records as being plaintiff in a suit in
January, 1681. He died December 7, 1693, as his will was proved
on that day. He had at least three sons; Christian, second
judge and lieutenant-colonel in 1738, Cornelius, a justice, and
Jacob, who made his will October 8, 1742, by which he makes
the following bequests : his homestead to his son Jacob, 70
581 HISTORY OF KICHMOND COUNT?.
(8175) to his daughter Suster, wife of Johannes Simonson; 70
to his daughter Mary, wife of Joshua Mersereau; 70 to his son
Don we: 70 to his son Benjamin; 70 to his daughter Rebecca,
wife of John Blom; to his sons Douwe and Benjamin all his
lands in Hunterdon county, N. J. ; to his daughter Snster all
his lands on the west side of Staten Island; to his son Jacob
his silver-hilted sword and silk sash, and all his other goods to
his children equally. Daniel Corsen, who was county clerk in
1739, was probably another son of Captain Cornelius.
In the church yard of the Reformed church at Port Richmond
there are still to be seen two headstones with the following in-
scriptions in the Dutch (Holland) language :
Hier onder rust het lyk. van
CORNELIUS CORSEN, Esq.,
overleden den 26 Maart
A. D. MDCCLV on
ynde LIU.
Here under rests the body of
CORNELIUS CORSEN, Esq.,
who died the 26 March, 1755,
in his 53d
Hier legt het Lighaam van
JANNETIAVAN BOSKERK,
Huys vrouw van Cornelius
Corsen
Overleeden den
MDCCXLIX
Zyiide L Jaar
Here lies the body of
JANE VAN BUSKIRK,
wife of Cornelius Corsen
died the , 1749, in her 50th year.
This good old lady was probably a native of Bergen, N. J.,
where there were several families of the Van Bnskirks, there
being none of that name on the island at that date.
Cornelius and Jannetje Van Buskirk had the following child-
ren : a daughter, baptized November 24, 1723 ; Peter, baptized
August 13, 1725; Christian, baptized February 26, 1727; Cor-
nelis, baptized February 23, 1729, died an infant; Cornells,
baptized February 21, 1731 ; Jacobus (Jacob), baptized Oc-
tober 22, 1732 ; Daniel, baptized March 9, 1735, died May 22,
1801; a daughter, baptized September 19, 1736; and a daughter,
baptized September 23, 1738.
HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY. 519
We append the following, collected chiefly from church
records : Cornelius, son of Benjamin, baptized May 4, 1714 ;
Daniel, born 1714, died January 26, 1761; Captain Jacob, born
1707, died 1772; Benjamin and Blaudina Vile (Viele) had a son
Benjamin, baptized August 3, 1718; Jacob and Cornelia Cruser
had the following children : Jacob, baptized October 13, 1747,