Van Cortlandt family facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Van Cortlandt
Current region	New York
Place of origin	Netherlands
Connected families	Van Rensselaer family Schuyler family Livingston family

The Van Cortlandt family was a very important family in New York. They were involved in politics and had a lot of influence from the 1600s, when they came from the Netherlands, through New York's time as an English colony, and even after it became a state, into the 1800s.

They became very well-known when Stephanus Van Cortlandt received a special paper called a Royal Charter from King William III in 1697. This paper gave him a huge piece of land, about 86,000-acre (35,000 ha), in what is now Westchester County, New York. This land stretched from the Hudson River all the way to the Connecticut border and was known as Van Cortlandt Manor.

Many famous families are connected to the Van Cortlandts through marriage. These include the Philipse family, van Rensselaer family, Schuyler family, Livingston family, the de Peyster family, the Gage family, the Jay family (which includes John Jay, one of America's Founding Fathers and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court), and the Delanceys.

The family's name lives on in many places today. You can find Van Cortlandt Park and the Van Cortlandt House Museum in the Bronx, New York City. The town of Cortlandt in northern Westchester County, New York is also named after them. Other places include Van Cortlandt Upper Manor House in Cortlandt Manor, New York, Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, and even Cortland County, New York and the State University of New York College at Cortland.

History of the Van Cortlandt Family

How the Van Cortlandts Started in New York

Captain Olof Stevense Van Cortlandt was born in Wijk bij Duurstede, Netherlands. He came to New Amsterdam (which is now New York City) in 1637. He started as a soldier and a bookkeeper. Over time, he became a very important leader in the Dutch colony. He served many times as a burgomaster (like a mayor) and an alderman (a city council member) for the Dutch West India Company.

Growing Influence Through Marriages

Olof Stevense Van Cortlandt's children and grandchildren continued his legacy. They became very involved in politics and married into some of the most important and powerful families in America. These included the Van Rensselaers, the Schuylers, and the Livingstons. These marriages helped the Van Cortlandt family gain even more power and influence in the growing colony and later, the new state.

Places Named After the Family

The Van Cortlandt family left a lasting mark on New York. Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, New York is named after them. You can also find Manhattan's Cortlandt Street and Cortlandt Alley in their honor. The town of Cortlandt in Westchester County, New York also carries the family name. The Van Cortlandt House Museum was once the home of Frederick Van Cortlandt, a member of this prominent family.

Important Family Members

The Van Cortlandt family tree is very large and includes many notable people. Here are some of the key connections:

• Olof Stevense Van Cortlandt (around 1615–1684) married Annetje Loockermans.
  • Stephanus Van Cortlandt (1643-1700) was a son of Olof. He married Gertrude Schuyler. Stephanus was the one who received the large land grant for Van Cortlandt Manor.
    • Margaretta Van Cortlandt (born 1674) married Judge Samuel Bayard.
      • Gertrude Bayard married Peter Kemble.

* Margaret Kemble (1734–1824) married British General Thomas Gage. Their descendants include important families in the United Kingdom.

• • • Anne Van Cortlandt (1676-1724) married Stephen DeLancey.
      • James DeLancey (1703–1760) became a very important figure in New York politics.
      • Susannah DeLancey married Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Warren.
      • Oliver DeLancey Sr. was another notable son.
    • Philip Van Cortlandt (1683–1746) married Catherine De Peyster.
      • Pierre Van Cortlandt (1721–1814) was a very important leader during the American Revolution. He was the first Lieutenant Governor of New York State. He married Joanna Livingston.

* Philip Van Cortlandt (1749–1831) was a military officer and politician. * Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr. (1762–1848) also became a politician.

• • • Maria Van Cortlandt married Kiliaen van Rensselaer. This marriage connected the Van Cortlandts to another very powerful Dutch family in New York.
      • Stephen van Rensselaer III (1764–1839) was the last Patroon of Rensselaerwyck, a huge estate.
• Maria Van Cortlandt (1645–1689), another child of Olof, married Jeremias van Rensselaer.
• Jacobus Van Cortlandt (1658–1739), also a son of Olof, married Eva de Vries.
  • Frederick Van Cortlandt (1699–1749) lived in the famous Van Cortlandt House. He married Frances Jay.
    • Augustus Van Cortlandt (1728–1823) was a grandson of Olof.
      • Helen Van Cortlandt White (1792–1881) married Abraham Schermerhorn.

* Caroline Webster Schermerhorn (1830–1908) was a very famous socialite in New York City. She was known as "The Mrs. Astor."

• • Mary Van Cortlandt (1705–1777) married Peter Jay.
    • John Jay (1745–1829) was a very important figure in American history. He was one of the Founding Fathers, helped write the United States Constitution, and was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He married Sarah Van Brugh Livingston.
      • Peter Augustus Jay (1776–1843) was a lawyer and politician.

* John Clarkson Jay (1808–1891) was a physician and a conchologist (someone who studies seashells).

• • • • William Jay (1789–1858) was an abolitionist and judge.

* John Jay (1817-1894) was a lawyer and diplomat. ** William Jay (Colonel) (1841 – 1915) was a lawyer and military officer.

See also

• Livingston family
• Bayard family
• Schuyler family
• Van Rensselaer family

Images for kids

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  Coat of arms of Olav Van Cortlandt

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  Mahogany table brought from Holland in 1668 by Olof Stevense Van Cortlandt