Philip Pieterse Schuyler
Colonel Philip Pieterse Schuyler (1628-1683) was born in Amsterdam, Holland in the Republic of the Seven United Provinces, in 1628 as the son of Pieter Tjercks and Geertruyt Philips Van Schuylder.
Life
Philip Pieterse Schuyler's father was a German-born Amsterdam baker. By 1650, he had emigrated to New Netherland, settling in Beverwyck. Although nominally a carpenter or gunstockmaker, he entered the fur trade, using the profits to buy land, beginning with the house he built about 1659 on the corner of today's State and Pearl Streets in Albany. He also owned houses on Broadway and Beaver Street, where he resided at different times.[1]
On November 1, 1667 Philip Pietrse was commissioned captain in the Albany militia.[1] By 1672, he also had acquired land along the Hudson north of the Van Rensselaer manor house. That farm became a family summer home known as "the Flats". After he bought "the Flats", he built a new home on North Pearl Street, for winter use, in which he died. He also owned property in New Amsterdam, several hundred acres east of the Hudson below Rensselaerswyck, and lots in Wiltwyck and at Halfmoon as well.[2]
He took an active part in Indian Affairs.[1] In 1656 he was appointed by Governor Stuyvesant to the office of vice-director of Fort Orange.
He died in Albany, May 9, 1683.
Family
On 12 Dec 1650 he married Margaretta van Slichtenhorst, daughter of the director of Rensselaerwyck. They had ten children.
- Gysbert (b. Jul 2, 1652 in Beverwyck), and died after 13 Mar 13 ,1664/65
- Geertruy (b. 4 February 1654), married Stephanus van Cortlandt
- Alida (b. February 28, 1656), married Nicholas van Rensselaer
- Pieter Schuyler (b. September 17, 1657), first mayor of Albany
- Brant (b. December 18, 1659)
- Arent (b. June 25, 1662)
- Sybilla (b. November 12, 1664)
- Philip (b. February 8, 1666)
- Johannes (b. April 5, 1668), led an attack on La Prairie, Quebec in 1690
- Margritta (b. January 2, 1672), married Jacobus Verplanck