Jan Baptist van Rensselaer

Stained glass installed in the Manor House of Rensselaerswyck by Jan Baptist van Rensselaer

Jan Baptist van Rensselaer (Amsterdam 18 March 1629 [2]–Amsterdam, 24 October 1678[3]) was the second son of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, and his first son by his second wife, Anna van Wely.

Life

Van Rensselaer Stained Glass

Jan Baptist sailed from Amsterdam on the Gelderse Blom (Gelderland Flower) in the spring of 1651. With him travelled twelve employees hired by the Patroon,[4] recruited from places where the Van Rensselaers had other interests. Jan Baptist was the first Van Rensselaer to visit the colony. In May 1652 he was appointed Director of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck representing his brother Johannes, the second Patroon. During his residence on the estate, he lived in a style befitting his position, having brought furniture, silverware, and other personal property of much value from Holland, including portraits of the members of the van Rensselaer family.[5]

It was Jan Baptist who placed in the Dutch Church of Beverwyck the window pane representing the van Rensselaer coat of arms in 1656. Not long afterward he returned to Holland, becoming one of the leading merchants of Amsterdam.

When he returned to Holland in 1658, he was succeeded as Director by his brother Jeremias. Jan Baptist became the third Patroon upon the death of his elder brother Johan.[6] Jeremias later became the fourth patroon.

Jan Baptist married Susanna Van Wely and died in Amsterdam, Holland, October 18, 1678. His only son, Kiliaen died without issue.[7]


References

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  1. ↑ Spooner 1907, p.17
  2. ↑ Birth Certificate Amsterdam City Archive
  3. ↑ Burial certificate Amsterdam City Archive
  4. ↑ Nieuwenhuis, Pim. "Abstracts from Notarial Documents in the Amsterdam Archives", New Netherland Connections
  5. ↑ Spooner, W. W. (January 1907). "The Van Rensselaer Family". American Historical Magazine 2 (1): 13.
  6. ↑ Van Rensselaer, Jeremias. Correspondence of Jeremias Van Rensselaer, 1651-1674, edited by A.J.F. Van Laer, University of the State of New York, 1932
  7. ↑ Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs, Cuyler Reynolds, ed., Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1911
This article incorporates text from an article in American Historical Magazine, by W. W. Spooner (1907), a publication now in the public domain.