Pieter Schuyler

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Pieter Schuyler (September 17, 1657 – February 19, 1724) was the mayor of Albany, New York and the head of the Albany Commissioners for Indian Affairs. He also served as acting Governor of New York in 1709 and from 1719-1720.

Pieter Schuyler was born in Beverwyck in what was at the time New Netherland. His father was Philip Pieterse Schuyler and his mother was Margarita Van Slichtenhorst. Their many Schuyler children established the family name and the Schuyler House in Albany. They were closely related with the great family patroons of New York, the Van Cortlandts and Van Renneselaers:

• Pieter's sister was the wife of Mayor of New York Stephanus Van Cortlandt
• The father of Pieter Schuyler's second wife Maria was Jeremias Van Rensselaer.
• A son of Jeremias and a brother of Maria was Hendrick Van Rensselaer whose wife Catherina was the sister of the mayor of AlbanyPieter Van Burgh. (Catherina Van Burgh was the great-grandmother of Continental General Peter Gansevoort—the grandfather of author Herman Melville. Peter Gansevoort was married to Catherina—sister of Continental General Gose Van Schaick. Catherine & Gose were the children of Albany mayor Sybrant Van Schaick).
• Pieter Schuyler third son's granddaughter married Philip Van Rensseler of "Cherry Hill" in Albany (Philip was a great-grandson of Jeremias Van Rensselaer).

Other relatives:

• Pieter Schuyler's great nephew was Continental General Philip Schuyler whose cousin Hester Schuyler married General William Colfax-the grandparents of Congressman and Vice President Schuyler Colfax who married a niece of Senator Benjamin Franklin Wade and who was related to Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes; see link on Schuyler Colfax to Dudley-Winthrop family.
• Philip Schuyler's sister was married to Director General of the Military Hospitals of the Continental Army Dr. [John Cochran]; they were the grandparents of US General/Congressman [John Cochrane].
• Likewise Philip Schuyler's daughter [Elizabeth Schuyler] married Alexander Hamilton; they were the grandparents of Union General [Schuyler Hamilton]1822-1903.

[edit] References

• Pieter Schuyler by Stefan Bielinski, New York State Museum
• Peter Schuyler, Virtual American Biographies
• Van Rensselaer/Schuyler genealogy-for reference only
• Colonel Walter A. Vansselaer-great-grandson of Philip Van Rensselaer-for reference only
• The Schuyler House and Family, Albany NY, New York State Museum