Nicholas van Rensselaer (minister)

Nicholas van Rensselaer (born in Amsterdam in September 1636; died in Albany, New York, in November 1678) was a Reformed Dutch Church clergyman, and one time director of the Manor of Rensselaerwyck.

Biography

He was the fourth son of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the first patroon of Rensselaerswyck. He was liberally educated in Holland, and studied theology there. His studies were temporarily interrupted when the family sent him to apprentice with a spice merchant. In December 1657 he was with a cloth dealer, but returned to his studies six months later. In Brussels he met Charles II of England, who was then in exile. Claiming to have had a premonition, Van Rensselaer predicted that Charles would be restored to the throne. Van Rensselaer's family thought him half mad. He subsequently went to England as chaplain to the Dutch embassy, and the king, recognizing him and recollecting his prediction, gave him a gold snuff box with his likeness in the lid. Van Rensselaer was appointed chaplain to the Dutch ambassador. After the Dutch ambassador left Great Britain, Van Rensselaer was licensed by Charles to preach to the Dutch congregation at Westminster, was ordained a deacon in the English church, and appointed lecturer at St. Margaret's, Lothbury.

Nicholas van Rensselaer

Nicholas Van Rensselaer may refer to:

Hendrick van Rensselaer

Hendrick van Rensselaer (October 23, 1667 – July 4, 1740) was director of the Eastern patent of the Rensselaerswyck manor. The estate was composed of land in Columbia County, New York, and land opposite Albany, New York, on the Hudson River, named Greenbush (later Rensselaer, New York).

Biography

He was born in Watervliet, New York, the fourth child of Jeremias van Rensselaer. He received as his portion of his grandfather Kiliaen's estate what was variously known as the Eastern Manor or Greenbush. It covered about 62,000 acres of land in Columbia County, and encompassed lands south of Kinderhook, north of Livingston Manor and west to the Hudson River and was the “Lower Manor” to the “Upper Manor” of Rensselaerwyck. It was originally a part of Albany County, now Columbia County, New York. In addition he received 1,500 acres out of the manor proper, opposite the city of Albany. Hendrick built a substantial brick house on the latter estate named Fort Crailo.

He was a merchant and ship owner who served the public as an alderman in the Albany assembly and on the Commission of Indian Affairs. In 1698 he bought from the Schaghticoke tribe a tract of six square miles on Hoosac River, for which he procured a patent. This purchase interfered greatly with the city of Albany. With van Rensselaer declining to sell his patent to the council, the controversy became a state affair. In 1699 the dispute was amicably settled, and he passed his patent over to the city.