Person Page - 266

[TOP]

[TOP]

Notes:

Rev. War: Pvt., NY Militia In Philip Schuyler's & Yates Regm'ts. (Also listed as Albany Co. militia, 3rd Regt. & 14th Regt.) Later Rev. War Service As Seaman On MA State Sloop, "Winthrop," 1782-83. Religion: Dutch Reformed Church.

---

Peter was the son of Bernard Romans and Maria Wendell. Peter accompanied his father on many expeditions. Peter was in the Rev war. He was a Pvt in the NY militia. 3rd Reg. & 14 reg. Later wasa seaman on MA sloop "Windthrop". 1782-83. Rel. Dutch reform church.
He married Catherine Van Deusen in 1785 they had 12 children.

---

Peter Romans sold 50 acres on the east side of his farm to his son Cornelius, and in 1810 they built a sawmill on the present Race St. in Schenevus near the Schenevus Creek. They also built a race to conduct the water to the mill.

Slingerlands bought a farm (a piece of the Romans farm) and built a house in 1825 at the corner formed by the Elk Creek and Schenevus Creek roads, and opposite the house of Peter Romans.

Ezekial Miller and Amos Brown opened a store about 1831 in a house on the south side of Main Street, Schenevus, built by Alexander Smith in 1822, on the Peter Romans farm, he being a son in law of Romans. (Which daughter married Alexander?)

In the late 1820?s C Romans sold out a boat and shoe shop on Main St., Schenevus.

1840 Census in Mendon, Monroe Co, New York and by the U.S. Census of 1850 they have moved to Bedford, Calhoun Co., Michigan. The birth state of the children listed on the later censuses indicates that the family moved to Michigan probably in 1843

(From Priscilla Hexter) In 10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834, p.215 from "Freemans Journal," Cooperstown, #7385, Apr. 21, 1823, "Roman, Peter, 60, died in Maryland, Otsego, New York." He may well have died on the earlier day, i.e., Apr. 1, 1823, (date provided by Elizabeth Thompson). It is hard to tell from the book whether Apr. 21 was the date of publication of that issue of the newspaper or his death date.

from E.A Thompson, 23 Mar 2004 p3.
" Data sent by Ruth Grimes, Town Historian, Rd #1, Boc 1613, maryland, NY 12116
To Anna Neuschafer, Route #1, Box 63, Enterprise, KS 67441
This was in 1988-89; so Ruth Grimes may not be town historian any longer.
Schenevus Village Cemetery, Town (ship) of Maryland, Otsego Co. NY

Peter Romans
died 1 Apr 1823
age 62 ys

Catherine Romans, his wife
died 29 mar 1812
age 47 "

Peter has been accepted by the DAR as Revolutionary War Patriot.

Peter Romans Sr. sold his land in 1822 but failed to execute a warranty deed with the buyer, John Wilcox before he (Peter) died 4 April 1823. This caused the required consent of all heirs. This lists (and adds to our knowledge) Charles Wilder (Leah), Beach Peck (Maria), Stephen Scudder (Margaret) and George A Chamberlain (Gertrude).

[TOP]

Notes:

Catherine Van Deusen was the daughter of Cornelius Van Deusen and Lea Ostrander. She married Peter Romans in 1795 in Albany, NY. Some of her famous family members were President Martin Van Buren and Franklin Roosevelt.
Peter and Catherine had 12 children.

[TOP]

Notes:

Sergeant in Capt. Hendrick M. Roseboom's Co. of Militia, "of ye city of Albany" in the First Battalion. Also an Ensign in Col. Stephen J. Schuyler's regiment.

1785.1786.1787- Paid as caretaker for ?tending Publick Bull? 12 1/2 bu of pease; Pounds 2:16:0 bu. of pease; one half load of hay; 3 bu of pease; Pounds2: 19; Pounds:14:4. Residence, Albany

Source: Cherry Laura Van Deusen Pratt, Genealogy of Rev. W. H. Van Deusen, Rockford Press, Rockford, Ohio, P. 17, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, 929.273 v286p (VAN HIS 041).

Baptism sponsors: Pieter and Jannetie Hoogeboon, Cornelius Muller, Mareytie Alen.

Cornelius has been accepted by the DAR as Revolutionary War Patriot.

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

Notes:

By 1715 Johannes had moved his family to Albany where over the course of time another thirteen
children were to be born. Also in that year Johannes was enrolled as a private in captain Johannes
Mingael's company of militia. Queen Anne's War had ended in the previous year, but peace with Indian allies of the French was still far from secure. In 1722 Johannes was elected assistant alderman in Albany's first ward, and in 1731 and 1732 he was elected to the same office in the third ward. Also in 1731 he was made a freeman of the city. Originally a title from the feudal times, the term "Freeman" in Albany conferred certain taxation and voting privileges on men of property who were elected to the title by the city council upon paying a license fee of six shillings. Source: Emmett Ostrander, Vinton P. Ostrander, and Collin Ostrander, Ostrander, A Genealogical Record 1660-1995, Ostrander Family Assn, Walsorth Publishing Co, Maarceline, Missouri, P. 415 and 416., Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, 929.273 Os7oe (OST HIS 002).

[TOP]

[TOP]

Notes:

CHR: Baptismal register of the,Amsterdam Oude Lutheran Kerke:
Den dage der 3 Julius (1657 bij0 do Paulus Cordes. Pieter, Va. Pieter Carstense, moeder, gesije Jans,
getu(ijgen) Annetje Jans.)
Translation:
(Baptized) this day July 3 (2657 by) Domine Paulus Cordes: Pieter, father: Pieter Carstensen, mother:
Geesje Jans, witness: Annetje Jans)
This would confirm that Geesje Jans gave birth to a child named Pieter Pietersen who would have
been nearly four years old when the family emigrated to New Netherlands. Coupled with the origin of
Pieter Carstensen at "Nortstrant" and that sons of Pieter Ostrander were at times designated Van
Noortstrant, there is little doubt that this is Pieter Pietersen Ostrander. Source:
Christopher A. Brooks, Parentage of Pieter Pietersen Ostrander and his Sister Tryntje Pieters (New York
Genealogical and Biographical Record (July 1999) Edited article on Internet), P. 9.,

---

MAR: Kingston Reformed Dutch Church records: Pieter Pieterse, j.m. of Amsterdam and Rebecca
Traphaghe, j.d. of Boswyck (Bushwyc, L. I.), both reside Westquansengh. Banns published three times
n the church. Christopher A. Brooks, Parentage of Pieter Pietersen Ostrander and his Sister Tryntje
Pieters (New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (July 1999) Edited article on Internet), P. 9.,
www.geocities.com/~cabrooks/ancestry.htm (OST HIS 001) P. 3.
HIS: The records of the Court and Secretary at Kingston in Ulster County, where Pieter Pietersen
ostrander and Tryntje Pieters lived, were checked a few entried for a Pieter Pietersen were found
between 1665 and 1668. he was a man with financial problems having trouble making ends meet.
However, in the Notrarial records at the Rijksarchief in Amsterdam provices an identify for this Pieter Pietersen:
April 1, 1658 before Notary Jacobus Hellerus:
Jan Jacobs, a bombazinworker, in the name of his son, Jacob Janss, who lives in Groot Esopus in New Netherland, takes for him into service, Pieter Pieterss, 17 years old, in order to work in agriculture there. This for 5 years, with free board, room and transportation there.

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

Notes:

Gysbert was also known as Van Breuckelen and aende Berg. He was living
in Beverwyck in 1646 on the Hoogenberch farm lying on the east side of
the Hudson River in what is now Greenbush, New York. In 1662, he was
"removed" to the farm of Martin Cornelise Van Buren on the west side of
the river south of Albany. He was found in records up to 1685. All of
his children were born too early to having surviving baptismal records.

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

Notes:

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Romans

Bernard Romans
(c. 1720-c. 1784) was born in Holland and trained as a civil engineer in England. Sent to the American colonies in that capacity in about 1756, he first worked as a "draughtsman" and as government botanist near St. Augustine, Florida. With the outbreak of war, he joined the colonists, first constructing fortifications in New York then serving with the Pennsylvania artillery.

In addition to his work as a civil engineer, artilleryman and botanist, Romans was the author of several important publications. The most noted is A Concise Natural History of East and West Florida, of which the first volume was published in New York in 1775. It included 12 copperplates etched by the author, and was dedicated to the naturalist and king's agent, John Ellis. Despite a pretentiousness of style and some typographical errors, the work contained highly valuable information. Although a second volume was projected, it was never published.

The appendix to Romans's History, entitled The Complete Pilot for the Gulf Passage, contained contributions from William Gerard De Brahm and other navigators. It was first published in 1789 and reprinted in 1794 as A New and Enlarged Book of Sailing Directions; in 1797 it was again reprinted with a slightly changed title.

Improvements To Mariner's Compass

Romans had produced an earlier work, Annals of the Troubles in the Netherlands from the Accession of Charles V, compiled and translated ?from the most Approved Historians,? the first volume of which was published in 1778 in Hartford, the first book to have been published in that city; the second volume was issued in 1782. Another of his important contributions was his paper on improvements of the mariner?s compass, which was published in the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. In it, Romans expressed concern with the unreliability of the brass bowl compass caused by its confinement resulting from the two brass rings of the gimbals. This restricted the movement of the bowl to two vertical motions at right angles to each other within the compass box, so that a sudden concussion or a series of them prevented the compass from recovering, resulting in the unshipping of the compass card as well. He experimented with various means of providing the box with a vertical motion at every degree and minute of the circle, and by compounding these motions, with a horizontal motion of the box as well as of the card. A compass of this type, in which the bottom of the compass had a raised cone instead of a bowl, was being produced in Holland.

Produced Many Maps

Of equal importance were Romans? printed maps. Plans of Pensacola Harbor, Mobile Bar, and Tampa Bay were included in the Appendix of his Concise Natural History. ?A Map of the Whole Navigation, Showing Lieut. Cook?s Tracks,? was published in 1774 as part of John Hawksworth?s A New Voyage Round the World. Romans? map of ?Part of the Province of East Florida,? first produced in 1774, was reprinted in the Concise Natural History; in 1775 he published ?A Map of the Seat of Civil War in America? showing Boston and surrounding regions. He also produced ?A Map of the Southern British Colonies in America? which was published in The American Military Pocket Atlas in 1776. In 1778 Romans advertised for sale ?A Chorographical Map of the Northern Department of North America? and ?A Chorographical Map of the Country Round Philadelphia.?

There are two varying accounts of Romans? final years and his demise. The account in the official British biography varies substantially from the American version. It stated that Romans had been captured in 1779 at Stony Point on the Hudson and was sent to England as a prisoner of war. His exchange was refused, and he remained in England, where he again practiced as a civil engineer following the conclusion of the war. In 1784 he sailed again for the United States, carrying a large sum of money. He was never heard of again, and it was assumed that he had been murdered during the ship?s passage.

Widow Attempted To Gain Pension

The American version, based on his wife?s application for a pension, states that in about July 1780 Romans sailed on orders from New Haven or New London to South Carolina to join the Southern Army. His vessel was captured by the British and he was conducted as a prisoner of war to Montego Bay in Jamaica, where he remained until 1781. Romans, who had with him a large sum of money, was then put aboard ship for some port of the United States. It was said that he died at sea. This account is related in some detail by Romans? widow, Elizabeth, in her attempts to obtain a widow?s military pension. In October 1846, at the age of 86 while residing in New York City, she had applied again under the Congressional act passed in 1832 relating to the granting of pensions to widows of Revolutionary War soldiers and officers who had been married prior to their last term of service. Her deposition before Judge Charles J. Dodge of the New York Court of Common Pleas, stated

. . . she believes her said husband engaged in the American service in the defence of the liberties of these United States at a great personal sacrifice, being at that time a pensioner under the crown of Great Britain, for extraordinary services rendered that government. And also was at that time a salaried surveyor in her then Colonial Provinces, and for further proof of the facts herein set forth she respectfully refers to the writings and books published by her said husband at or about the time of the American Revolution, and also to other historical works of that day. And she further saith, that her said husband, as she was informed and believes, . . .

had been ordered to go to the State of South Carolina, there to join the Southern Army, and shortly thereafter he sailed from New-Haven or New-London, in the State of Connecticut, for the place of his destination, and who, together with the vessel and the crew with which he embarked, were shortly thereafter, while on their passage, captured by the British, and her said husband was carried a prisoner of war to Montego Bay, Island of Jamaica, where he was held in captivity until the close of the war in 1783. The British authorities, in the meantime, were applied to, to deliver him up by exchange for their own men then held as prisoners of war by this government, which exchange they refused to make, on account of his, the said Romans, ability to do so much injury to the British interests. And she further saith, that her said husband, as she was informed and believes, was shipped by the British authorities, under the pretext of sending him thence to some port in the United States, and he was said to have died on his passage, though from circumstances attending his demise his friends had good reason to believe him to have been wilfully murdered . . . .

Elizabeth Romans never succeeded in obtaining her pension, despite many attempts that she made over a period of years before she died in New York in 1848. There are several irreconcilable inconsistencies in these accounts. Romans surrendered his military commission on June 1, 1778 and there is no evidence that he rejoined the Continental forces, nor is it likely that as a civilian he would have been taken prisoner and sent from the colonies. It may be presumed that neither account is entirely accurate, and thus Romans? closing years remain shrouded in uncertainty.

From http://www.famousamericans.net/bernardromans/
Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography, edited by James Grant Wilson and John Fiske. Six volumes, New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1887-1889 & edited Stanley L. Klos, 1999
ROMANS, Bernard, engineer, born in Holland about 1720; died probably at sea in 1784.

Bernard has been accepted by the DAR as Revolutionary War Patriot.

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

Notes:

Hendrick Van Rensselaer was born in Greenbush in 1667. He was the second son of Jeremias Van Rensselaer - head of his family's extensive holdings in America. His mother was Maria Van Cortlandt - daughter of one of the most prominent Manhattan merchants. Enduring the loss of his father in 1674 and his mother fifteen years later, Hendrick was raised under a family umbrella controlled mostly by the Van Cortlandts.

Two months after the death of his mother in 1689, Hendrick married Catharina Van Brugh - whose father also was a prosperous New York businessman. Following the birth of their first child that same year, the couple relocated to Albany where their last ten children were baptized in the Albany Dutch church. Almost immediately, Hendrick became a church mainstay - sponsoring more than two dozen baptisms, serving as an elder, and auditing the church's books.

Over the next decade, these Van Rensselaers were mainline Albany residents in every sense of the word. Standing in the shadow of his older brother, Killian - who became lord of Rensselaerswyck, Hendrick was known as an Albany merchant, storekeeper, and part owner of a ship that traded in the West Indies. In 1695, twenty-eight-year-old Hendrick was elected to the Albany city council as an alderman for the first ward. Four the next five years, he sat on the council and city court. In 1698, he purchased land at Schaghticoke from the Indians on Albany's behalf. In 1707, he sold that patent to the city.

In 1704, his life changed when Rensselaerswyck was partitioned with the southern and eastern portions known as the "Lower Manor" going to Hendrick. Before long, Hendrick Van Rensselaer and his family left Albany - setting down roots across the river in a new home called "Crailo."

In 1705, Hendrick Van Rensselaer was elected to represent Rensselaerswyck in the New York General Assembly. Re-elected four times, he served until 1715. During that time (from 1706 thru 1734), he was listed on the roster of the Commissioners of Indian Affairs.

As time passed, he retreated to his country home - leaving the active development of the "Lower Manor" to his sons, Johannes and Hendrick. Hendrick Van Rensselaer died at his Greenbush home in July 1740 at age seventy-four. He was buried from the Albany Dutch church.

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]

Notes:

Jeremias was the Third Director, Fourth Patroon, and Second Lord of the Manor of Rensselaerwyck. On August 3, 1654, he sailed from Holland to join his older brother, Jan Baptist, at Rensselearwyck. He returned to Holland in 1655 but came back to Rensselaerwyck in the following year. Upon the return of Jan Baptist to Holland, Jeremias assumed full control of the estate.

Maria's funeral spoon was engraved "4 Jann, Ano 1688/9" and is in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

From American Ancestry, Columbia County:
Jeremias Van Rensselaer came from Holland to America, and succeeded his brother, Jan Baptist, as "director of the colonie," 1658. He married July 12, 1662, Maria, dau. of Oloff Stevense Van Kortlandt, who died Jan. 29, 1689, leaving two sons, the eldest of whom, Kiliaan, was the first Lord of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, and the other, Hendrick, became first patroon of the "lower manor" of Claverack in Columbia county. From Kiliaan and Hendrick are descended the numerous members of the family in America; Jeremias, who died Oct. 12, 1674, was the son of Kiliaan Van Rensselaer, a merchant of Amsterdam, Holland, director of the Dutch West India Company of the Amsterdam chamber established in 1621, and who was sixth in descent from Henry Walters Van Rensselaer of Hemegseet, Holland, who does not appear to have ever visited America, but he is the progenitor of all the Van Rensselaers in the United States; he married 1st, Hillegonda Van Bylant, the mother of Johannes, who died without issue, 2nd, Anna Van Wely, by whom he had the following sons, Jeremias, above mentioned, Jan Baptist, the first of the family to visit the colonie, Nicolaas, the first Episcopal clergyman in Albany, and who preached in the Dutch church, 1675?1677, and was for a time director of Rensselaerswyck. Jan Baptist and Nicolaas died without male issue, Jeremias had two sons, Kiliaan and Hendrick. The crest of this historic family is an iron basket of flames, and the coat of arms the cross with the Dutch motto niemand zonder, no one without it, but some of the Albany family seem to have adopted the motto omnibus effulgemus, we shine for all. See Munsell's Collections; Munsell's Annals; O'Callaghan's History of New Netherlands.



From The Swartwout Chronicles:
As the site of Fort Orange began to be regarded about this time [1650] by the Van Rensselaers as a part of Rensselaerswijck, some of their colonists erected dwellings around it. The knowledge of this false impression having reached Director-General Stuyvesant, the circumspect official concluded that it would be well to efface it. He therefore, in 1652, peremptorily ordered the colonists to transfer the buildings beyond the range of a ball fired from a cannon on the ramparts of the fort. As a consequence, an area of ground six hundred paces north of Fort Orange, bordering the river, became in April, that year, the seat of the village (dorp) of Beverswijck (Beaver-district), which name was changed twelve years later to that of Albany.

[TOP]

[TOP]

[TOP]