Landmarks of Albany County, New York online

son, also Stephen, 1789-1868, married Harriet, daughter of William Bayard and had a
son. Bayard Van Rensselaer, whose wife was Laura, daughter of Marcus T. Reynolds.
They were the parents of W. Bayard and Dr. Howard Van Rensselaer (see sketch of
latter for further genealogy). W. Bayard Van Rensselaer, born October 4, 1856,
attended the Albany State Normal School, the Boys' Academy, a boarding school at
Catskill and St. Paul's School in New Hampshire and graduated from Harvard College
in 1879. He attended Harvard Law School one year, read law with Marcus T. and
Leonard G. Hun in Albany and was admitted to the bar in 1882. He began active
practice, but the death of Charles Van Zandt in 1881 soon placed him in charge of
the Stephen Van Rensselaer estate. In 1885 the heirs conveyed their interests in this
property to the Van Rensselaer Land Company of which he has since been treasurer
and general manager. He is a director in the Cohoes Company (incorporated 18'23),
which supplies all the factories in Cohoes with water power; and is also a director in
the New York State National Bank, a trustee of the Albany Savings Bank, and presi •
dent of Albany Terminal Warehouse Co., a foundation member of the Fort Orange
Club and a member of the University and Reform Clubs of New York city. In 1880
he married Louisa G., daughter of Professor Lane of Harvard University.

Payn, jr., Samuel Giles, born February 4, 1845, in Albany, is a son of Samuel
Giles, sr., wh'o was born in Fort Miller, Washington county, N. Y., December22,
1815, who married Sarah Goodrich Noble of New York city in 1839, who was born in
New York city December 30, 1817, and who died in Albany July 8, 1854; she was a
descendant through her mother of the French Huguenot family of Emars, who early
came to this country. Samuel Giles, sr., was for many years a prominent business
man of Albany, being engaged in the flour and grain trade on lower Broadway. He
was one of the organizers of the Young Men's Association and the Board of Trade
of Albany, of which latter he was an early president. Their surviving children are
John Goodrich, George Alexander, Samuel Giles, jr., Cornelius Noble, Sarah Jane



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and Frederick Amar (Eniar); by his second wife he had one daughter, Catherine.
Benjamin Hawjey Payu, father of Samuel G. Payn, sr., who was born in Fort Miller,
Washington county, N. Y., in 1783, was a son of Noah, who took an active part in
the struggle for American Independence. Noah Payn was born in Pomfret, Conn.,
November 24, 1729, and settled in Fort Miller in 1766; he was the only son of Stephen
Pain 3d, born June 21, 1699, in Pomfret, Conn., who was the seventh son of Samuel
Paine of Rehoboth, Mass., who was born May 12, 1662, he being the fifth son of
Stephen Paine 2d, born in Norfolk, England, in 1629, and who came to New England
with his father when about nine years of age. He was the first son of Stephen
Paine, sr., who came from Great Ellingham near Hingham, Norfolk county, Eng-
land, in the year 1638, in the ship Diligent of Ipswich, John Martin, master, bringing
his family consisting of his wife Rose, three sons and four servants. Resettled first
in Hingham, Mass., but removed to Rehoboth, Mass., in 1644. From him many of
the Payn, Pain, and Paine families of America trace their descent, all being from
one common ancestry. Stephen 3d dropped the final c of his name, and Noah changed
the I to J'/ there are many of this family, cousins of Samuel G.. jr., who add a final
c- to Payn. Stephen Paine 1st was undoubtedly a descendant of the only Paine of
the time of William the Conqueror, who was enumerated or mentioned in the Domes-
bay Book, the great Survey or first Census of England, taken after the conquest by
order of King William in 1086, a copy of which is owned by the Boston Public
Library. Samuel Giles Payn, jr., attended the Albany Boys' Academy and Sand
Lake Collegiate Institute. September 4, 1861, he enlisted as a sharpshooter in Capt.
Elijah Hobart's Company of Berdan's 2d Regiment U. S. Sharpshooters. Governor
Morgan, fearing that as L^. S. troops they would not be credited to N. Y. State's
quota, forced the company into the 93d Regt. N. Y. Vols., as Co. B. He was with
the regiment continually except two weeks in hospital at Newport News, Va., six
weeks on detached service at Gettysburg, Pa., after that battle, and during his thirty
days' veteran furlough, from his enlistment until he received the wound that inca-
pacitated him from further active service, and from which he still suffers. His reg-
iment participated in all the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, from its forma-
tion to the clo-se of the war, and was engaged in the battles of Yorktown, Williams-
burgh. Fair Oaks, Fredericksburgh, Mine Run, Wilderness, Po River, Spottsylvania
Court House and North Anna River, Va., and Gettysburg, Pa. While carrying the
colors of his regiment in the charge of its brigade at North Anna River, Va. , May
23, 1864, he was severely wounded in the left leg just below the knee: Shortly after-
wards he was commissioned second lieutenant for his conduct on the battlefield,
being promoted over all the non commissioned officers of the regiment. He was
mustered out at the close of the war on July 28, 1865, while still suffering severely
from his wound, having served almost four years. In 1867 he engaged with his
brother Cornelius in the prepared flour business ; in 1869 began the study of art with
Prof. Alexander Francois of Albany. Later he opened a studio for pastel and
crayon portraiture, being the first artist in Albany to make life size crayon portraits;
afterwards he added the solar printing and enlarging process, and still later the
electric light and platinum process, and continued in this business until 1894. He
then engaged in the manufacture of magnetic garments and appliancesat 611 Broad-
way, Albany, N. V., under the name of " Suttonia" Magnetic Co. These consist of
magnetic jackets, belts, leggins, shields, insoles, etc., for the cure of lung troubles,



rheumatism, heart troubles, cold feet and cramp in limbs, etc. He is a charter mem-
ber of William A. Jackson Post No. 644, Department New York G. A- R-, and has
resided in Bath-on-Hudson since 1873. February 14. 1871, he married Isabella
Laing Hutton of Schuylerville, N. Y., a daughter of John Hutton of that place, who
was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 8, 1812, who was a son of David Hutton,
a merchant tailor of that place. John Hutton, her father, served during the war of
the Rebellion in the 125th Regt. X. Y. Vols., that went from Troy, N. Y. He was
.discharged for disability after serving almost two years. They have had three chil-
eren: Anna Goodrich and Albert Pond Payn, both deceased, and Samuel Giles 3d,
born at Bath on-Hudson, August 27, 1878.

Robinson, James A., son of Albert S. and Anna M. (Preston) Robinson, was born
in Brooklyn, N. Y., ia 1862. He moved to Albany with his parents in the early sev-
enties, and attended the public and high schools and the Albany Academy. He
afterward became a student in the law office of Cliflford D. Gregory and remained
there five years, in the mean time bemg admitted to the bar. He subseijuently be-
came connected with the Hon. Robert G. Scherer and remained with him three years.
Since then Mr. Robinson has practiced law at No. 68 State street. He is a member
of the Improved Order of Red Men and Capital City Lodge No. 440, I. O. O. F. In
1893 he married Genevieve Bigelovv of Albany.

Taylor, Robert B., was born in New Scotland, March 10, 1829. Robert, his grand-
father, was a native of Ireland, born in 1758 and came to America when a young
man and spent his life as a farmer in the town of New Scotland; his wife was Eva
Ann Hotaling, born in 1762 ; they reared four sons and five daughters. John Tay-
lor, the father, was born on the homestead in 1790, and spent his life in agricultural
pursuits; his wife was Christiana, daughter of Rev. Harmon and Rachel (Bogart)
Van Huysen; to them were born ten children; James, Mary J., Rachel, Harriet,
Sarah, John V., Robert, Eva Ann, Eliza, and Catharine; he died in 1850. His wife
was born in August, 1794, and lived to be eighty-six years of age. Her father, the
Rev. Harmon Van Huysen, son of Harmon, a native of Holland, was a Revolu-
tionary soldier, who ranked as captain, and after the war settled in New Scotland on
the farm now owned by his grandson, Robert B. Taylor; it being the donation of
his friends in that vicinity, each contributing ten acres. He entered the pulpit and
was the founder of the Dutch Reformed church in Guilderland and New .Scotland.
It was known as the Helderberg Reformed Church. He had three congregations
and preached for thirty-one consecutive years. Robert B. lived on his father's farm
and attended the common schools. When twenty-one years old Ijis father died, and
the following year he began for himself on the same place where he erected his
present sightly house. In 1853 he married Elizabeth (born in New Scotland), the
daughter of Peter R. and Mary (Ostrander) Furbeck, and granddaughter of John
Furbeck.of Germany, who was a prominent Revolutionary soldier in Washington's
army. To Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were born five children: Alfred J., John B., and
Rensselaer, all of whom are farmers in this town ; and Mary Anna, died when she
was eighteen years old, and Ellen, died when she was sixteen years old.

Court, Charles, was born in Coeymans in 1860, and is a son of Edward, who came
from England and settled at Aquetuck in about 1856, where he built a wagon shop
and carried on business until his death. Mr. Court, after attending the di.strict



213

school, went to the State Normal School at Albany, where he was graduated, and has
been a teacher for several winters. In 1882 he bought the store at Aquetuck, which
he has since carried on. and since 1892 he has been postmaster. He married Griffina,
(laughter of Isaac Tompkins, by whom two sons and one daughter have lieen born :
Jesse, Paul, Helen.

Crannell, Monroe. — Standing on the sidewalk on Broadway, New York, one may
look through the picket fence that surrounds Trinity church-yard, and read on a
tomb stone near the inscription marking the burial place of Robert Crannell and
Molly Winslow, his wife. From this English stock down through several genera-
tions of ancestors of Huguenot and Dutch blood, Monroe Crannell was born in the
city of Albany. He was educated at the Classical Institute, and at the Albany
Academy, and was graduated from the Albany Law School before he attained his
majority. He continued his studies in the law office of Judge Wolford and the Hon.
Worthington Frothingham, until he was admitted to the Albany county bar. He
was a member of the Albany Zouave Cadets, and served his full enlistment with
this famous military organization. In politics he was a Republican, and at various
times was importuned to accept nominations for public office; these overtures were
always firmly declined. Yet, while refusing to act in an official capacity, Mr. Cran-
nell labored earnestly and intelligently for all measures having for their purpose the
improvement of the city of Albany. He was one of the projectors of the Hawk
street viaduct, and when others lost courage, and sank into apathy at the seeming
indifference of the citizens of Albany to the proposed improvement, or were silenced
by the bitter attacks of those opposed to it, Mr. Crannell never faltered or wavered.
He worked for three years combating wrong impressions, and forcing his views on
the Legislature through representative speakers, until in June, 1888, he won his
cause, and secured for the city what has proven to be one of the most appreciated
improvements ever accomplished by Albanians. In testimony of his untiring efforts
he was presented with a valuable watch and chain by grateful citizens, among
whom were many of those who had opposed the construction of the viaduct. Mr.
Crannell never married. He made his home with his brother, Mr. W. Winslow
Crannell of Albany. He died suddenly April 26, 1893.

Slingerland, Cornelius, was born September 15, 1839, in the house erected by
Tunis Slingerland', his great-great-grandfather, in 1762. The first of the family in
.Vmerica was Tunis Cornelius Slingerland, born in Amsterdam, Holland, April 7,
1017, and came to America in 1650. In 1652 he purchased a tract of land lying east
of the present Chapel street in Albany, and in 1605, with his brother-in-law, Jo-
hannes Apple, bought of the Indians 8,000 acres of land east of the Helderberg
mountains, which comprised a portion of the present towns of New Scotland and
Bethlehem; in 1684 this purchase was confirmed by Governor Dongan. Of this tract
he retained 2,000 acres, the remainder going to the Van Rensselaers. His wife was
Engeltie Albertsie Bradt, and their children who reached maturity were Arent, Al-
bert, Cornelius and Elizabeth. Cornelius was born June 7, 1670, and married Eva
Mebie, May 28, 1696; of his children one was Tunis Cornelius, above mentioned, born
March 1, 1722; he spent his life clearing and improving the land, and the brick house
he erected in 1762 is still standing in excellent preservation ; he reared four sons; John,
Cornelius. Peter and Henry, of whom Peter was the grandfather of the subject and was



214

born February 5, 1759. He was an energetic man, built and operated mills and con-
verted the timber on his land into lumber; his wife was Gertrude Bloomingdale;
their children were Maus and Agnes; he died in 1847, in his eighty-ninth year.
Maus, the father of the subject, was born March 7, 1806; he owned 7O0 acres of land
and the saw and grist mills built by his father; he was public spirited and active in
the welfare of his town. He married Susanna, daughter of William Sayer of New
Scotland, and had four sons and four daughters. His wife died in 1856, and he died
July 7, 1892. Cornelius Slingerland, the subject of this record, has spent his life on
the homestead ; he has between 250 and 300 acres, on which he has made many im-
provements in the way of buildings, etc., having the best barn in the town. He has
recently bought the saw mill property adjoining his farm, consisting of thirty seven
acres, with two good houses, barns, etc. Aside from his farm interests he is con-
nected with other business enterprises. He is one of the original promoters and
now president of the Clarksville Telephone Company. Politically he is a Repub-
lican and declined the nomination by that party for sheriff. He married, Septem-
ber 9, 1863, Anna, daughter of Garrett and Eve (Van Derzee) Hotaling of Bethle-
hem. They have two children: Mrs. Susie Shear and Evelyn C. Mrs. Shear has
one son, Cornelius Slingerland. Mr. and Mrs. Slingerland are members of the Re-
formed church, in which he has been deacon and elder for several years. Mrs. Sling-
erland is a member of the Ladies" Missionary Society.

Hurst, David T., was born in the town of Knox, March 10, 1851. Francis Hurst,
his great-grandfather, was a native of England. Francis, his grandfather, was
born in England about 1787. He grew to manhood in Albany and moved to the
town of Knox where his father had provided him with a farm of 150 acres of land.
His wife was Magdalene Keenholts, and they reared three sons and seven daugh-
ters. He died when eighty-five years old and his wife died at about the same age.
Robert, his father, was born in the town of Knox, March 20, 1825, and when a small
boy went and lived among his relatives, with whom he grew up and worked for
until twenty-six years of age. He then bought his father's homestead, where he
lived for three years. He sold the farm and removed to New Scotland, where he
lived some thirty-seven years. In 1887 he retired from his farm to the village of
Altamont, where he purchased an acre of land and erected a nice residence. In
1850 he married Mary Ann Mathies, a native of New Scotland, and daughter
of Henry Mathies. Their children were Margaret, Ida, David T., Walter, Al-
verenns. Frank, and Ira and Luella, deceased. David T. moved on his father's
farm in 1872, and worked it on shares until 1880, when he purchased it. To
this he added, in 1893, another farm of seventy-three acres, and here Mr. Hurst has
done general farming. He is also a heavy fruit grower, having a fine large apple
orchard. In 1872 he was married to Louisa M., daughter of George I. and Anna
Reid, of New Scotland. Their children are Carrie G., Verner R., Lulu S. and
George I.

Greene, Lindsey, is the .son of Anson, and the grandson of Daniel, whose father,
William Greene, came from Connecticut to Coeyraans about 1788 and settled in
Coeymans Hollow. He had four sons: William, Russell, David and Anson. Anson
(ireene was for many years a merchant; he died in l398 leaving two sons, Stanley
and Lindsey, who still carry on the store where their father did business. In



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1886 they bought the paper mills at Alcove, where they continued until 1891 when
they were destroyed by fire. Mr. Lindsey studied law at the Albany Law School,
and was admitted to the bar in 1880, after which he practiced for some years at Ra-
vena, and, though now devoting most of his time to the mercantile business, has
some law practice.

Abrams, Augustus C. , was born in Rensselaerville in 1842. He is the son of Elijah,
who was born in Greenville. Greene county, in 1808, being one of four sons and four
daughters born to Benjamin, formerly a farmer in Long Island, who removed to and
settled in the town of Rensselaerville. w-here he spent his last days. Elijah, the
father, was a farmer and came to Guilderland in 1868, where he was successful,
He was a man of many peculiarities but well liked. His wife was Thankful Bouton,
daughter of David Bouton, by whom he had five sons and four daughters, four of
whom are now living. Augustus C. remained with his parents until he became of
age, when he went to California via the Panama route, where he remained for five
years; he interested himself in the mines, meeting with fair success. He returned
by request of his father in 1868. In 1870 father and son purchased a dairy farm of
180 acres in Guilderland, and farmed it together, selling milk in Albany city until
1889, when Augustus bought the father out. They had added fifty acres to the
place and made many improvements, erecting a fine house which has since been re-
modeled. The father lived mostly with Augustus until his death in 1891, and was
buried from the old homestead by special request; his wife died in 1884. Augustus
is a thorough, practical farmer. In 1869 he united with the M. E. church ; has been
a class leader ever since, also superintendent of the Sunday school for fourteen
years He has been a member of the Masonic order since 1864; also of the I. O.
G. T. Was a member of the Sons of Temperance when seventeen years of age. In
1871 he married Anna E. Herrick, daughter of Nathaniel and Nancy J. Herrick,
who died in 1893, leaving two children, Lilly M. and Charles E., who are at home;
Charles is engaged in the poultry and broiler business. His second wife is Anna
Wise, daughter of Martin Wise. They have two children, Jessie I. and Ethel M.
After many years of the closest and most friendly and affectionate relationship be-
tween father and son, which lasted until the dying day of the father, strange to say,
Mr. Abrams, through some unfortunate mistake was left entirely out of his father's
will.

Thornton, (Jeoige and Theron '1"., of Guilderland, are natives of Duanesburg,
Schenectady county. N. V. Their paternal grandfather was Thomas Thornton, who
married Betsey Richardson, both born in Londonderry, N. H. ; Thomas was a brother
of Dr. Matthew Thornton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence,
and also of Major John Thornton of Schenectady. Their maternal grandparents
were Joseph and Lydia (Thompson) Gaige. Their father was Charles Thornton,
born in Duanesburg in 1797, where he was a lifelong farmer. In 1854 he moved to
the Merry field farm and purchased it in 1856; this farm is now owned and operated
by George and Theron T. In 1822 he married Almira Gaige. who bore him seven
children, as follows: George, Lydia, Maria L., Theron T., Euretta. Charles W. and
Amanda. Mr. and Mrs. Thornton were both members of the Dutch Reformed church,
though Mrs. Thornton always retained a love for the Quaker religion, the faith of
her ancestors. She died September 12, 1878, and he November 6, 1880. The Thorn-



21(5

ton Brothers are conducting a general farming business on the homestead. Both
are staunch and ardent Democrats and thoroughly interested in the public affairs of
their town and county. Have been elected delegates to county, assembly and judicial
conventions and have the reputation of being true, fair and imjiartial jurymen.
George has remained unmarried, and Theron T. married Susan M. Lainhart; they
have one child, Amey L.

Che-sebro, Thaddeus, son of William Chesebro, was born in the village of Guilder-
land Center in 1832. Elijah, his grandfather, was a native of Stonington, Conu.,
born in 1759, and was of Welsh ancestry. • He was a soldier in the Revolutionary
war, and settled in the town of Knox, Albany, county, in 1789. He was married the
same year to Thankful Williams, who was born in 1769, and also of Welsh ancestry.
They had nine children; Eunice, who died when ten years of age; Hannah, Elijah,
Jane, Mary, Lucy, Williams. Esther, and Sarah Ann. He died May 6, 1808, and his
wife died May 22, 1858. Their son Elijah was a soldier in the war of 1812 and died
in 1860. Williams, the father of Thaddeus, was born in the town of Kno.x. July 22,
1802. He began life for himself when twenty-four years of age. He became a black-
smith by trade and about 1826 moved to the village of Guilderland Center and i)ur-
chased a blacksmith shop and carried on business there until 1836, when he .sold out
his shop and purchased 100 acres of heavy timber land, which now comprises the
farm of Thaddeus Chesebro. His wife was Roxana Chapman, daughter of Jonas
and Susan Chapman of Knox. The children are Thaddeus, Sarah, Esther, Mary,
Jesse and Charles. He died in 1877 and his wife died in 1881 at the age of seventy-
nine. Thaddeus received a common school education, and at the age of twelve his
father .set him to hauling cord wood and produce to the city of Albany. At this
pursuit he continued until he grew into manhood. Several years before the death of
his father he assumed full control of the farm business. Since then he has added to
his estate forty acres of woodland and erected a large wagon house and barns. For
some years past he has given considerable attention to dairying and possesses an ex-
cellent lot of grade Jersey cows. In 1856 he married Miss Gertrude, daughter of
Wendell Vine, who was a i)rominent man in Guilderland, where he was supervisor.
Mr. and Mrs. Chesebro have two children: Mrs. Edna Grafters of Newtonville and
Mrs. Carrie Goodrich of Pasadena, Cal.

Fearey, Jo.seph, & Son. — Thomas and Joseph Fearey, natives of England, engaged
in the retail boot and shoe busine.ss in Albany in 1844 and continued together until
1865, when Thomas and his two sons, George D. and Thomas H., established a shoe
manufactory. Joseph Fearey continued the retail business alone and soon ad-
mitted his son William H. as a partner, under the firm name of Joseph Fearey &
Son, which has ever since remained unchanged. Joseph Fearey died in 1890, and
his son, in January, 1895, and since then the business has been carried on by Mrs.
William H. Fearey, with William T. McMuUan as manager. The latter has been
with the house since 1871, and in 1882 was promoted to his present position. The
firm has two large stores in Albany and one in Troy, the latter being opened in
1894.

Terry, Washington C, was born in Coeymans, and is a son of Francis and Bar-
bara (Carhart) Terry, and grandson of John and great-grandson of Philip, whose
father was George Terry, who came from Rhode Island to Coeymans and settled



217

near Coeymans, and was mostly engaged in farming. Mr. Terry is a farmer on
the farm where his father settled m 1847, and where he died in 1869. He married
Sarah E., daughter of Daniel Carhart.

Van Allen, Richard B., was born in the town of Bethlehem. Albany county, in
1842. John Van Allen, the great-grandfather, was a native of Holland. John, the
grandfather, was born in the town of Bethlehem in 1780, and was a practical and
successful farmer. His wife was Anna Elmandorth, who was born in Kinderhook,
a daughter of Jacob Elmandorth. They reared nine children; John, Samuel, Gar-
rett, Philip, Jane, Catherine, Maria, Kaziah and Julia. He died in 1863 and his