Van Cortlandt House by George W. Harvey (American, 1855-1930)
The History of the Van Cortlandt Family and their Plantation
The story of the Van Cortlandt family in America begins in 1638 when Oloff Stevense Van Cortlandt arrived in New Amsterdam from Holland. Oloff was an employee and officer of the Dutch West India Company. Oloff was eventually considered one of the wealthiest men in New York having made his money as a merchant, brewer, money lender, and in shipping. Near the end of the 17th century, Jacobus, the youngest of Oloff’s seven children, made his first purchase of land of what would eventually become a large and profitable wheat plantation. While Jacobus may not have lived on his plantation, he did have enslaved people (both Africans and Native Americans) working here growing wheat, making improvements to the land, building barns, two mills, and building the dam that turned Tibbett’s Brook into a lake.
The first record of enslaved people living and working on the Van Cortlandt’s plantation is The 1698 Census of Fordham and Adjacent Places, a transcript of this entry can be found in the back of this booklet. This census lists enslaved people owned by Jacobus that were living and working on his land. All we have is a list of names without any mention of the specific work they did. In addition to the enslaved people listed in the census, Jacobus Van Cortlandt was also known to have owned Andrew Saxton. Saxton, a cooper by trade, may have been a worker on the Yonkers plantation or at Jacobus’ brewery in New Amsterdam on Brouwer Straet or Brewer Street. (This street was later given a new name by the British in 1695 and still exists today as Stone Street). We know about Saxton from the advertisement Jacobus placed in the New York Gazette on September 17th, 1733 after he ran away in August.
Frederick Van Cortlandt
After the death of Jacobus Van Cortlandt, the plantation was inherited by his only son Frederick. The next record of enslaved people on the Van Cortlandt’s plantation comes after Jacobus’ death in 1739. In his will Jacobus leaves the plantation as well as enslaved workers to his only son Frederick. Frederick and his family; wife Francis; sons James, Frederick, and Augustus; and daughters Anne and Eve, were documented as living on the plantation by 1748. In his will Frederick notes “I am now about finishing a large stone dwelling House on the Plantation on which I now live”. This house, present day Van Cortlandt House Museum, was not finished before Frederick died in early 1749 so it passed to his eldest son James with a provision that Frederick’s wife and James’ mother, Francis, may live in the house for the rest of her life or until she remarries. James’ young sisters Anne 14, and Eva 13 were also granted the right to live in the house until they married. Frederick’s will also lists enslaved people, one or more he may have inherited from his father.
James, son of Frederick
James Van Cortlandt not only inherited an unfinished house; he also inherited the successful provisioning plantation established by his grandfather Jacobus. James not only supervised the operation of his plantation and milling operations, he also continued his family’s involvement in local government. James served more than once as Supervisor of the Precinct of Yonkers and as its Commissioner of Highways. During the Revolutionary War, James served as a member of the Committee of Safety and the Westchester County Militia. He died in 1781 leaving his property to be divided equally between this brothers Augustus and Frederick and his sisters Anne Van Cortlandt Van Horne and Eve Van Cortlandt White. James’ wife Elizabeth was left his house and lot and water lot west of Broadway in Manhattan for her use for the rest of her life. Although James’ will does not list any enslaved people, in order to continue operation of the plantation and mills, James would have, as had his grandfather and father before him, relied on the labor of enslaved people. James’ will was written on March 23, 1781, just 8 days before his death and may not include detailed bequests because of his age or illness.
Augustus, brother of James, son of Frederick
Before inheriting his family’s, plantation from his brother James, Augustus Van Cortlandt had been living in lower Manhattan. He had studied law under his Uncle John Chambers and was admitted to the bar. Augustus held the important position of Common Clerk of the City of New York for 32 years between 1751 and 1783. It was in this capacity that Augustus, in the summer of 1775, received a request from the New York Provincial Congress, a revolutionary provisional government formed by colonists in 1775, to safeguard the public records of the City of New York due to the “alarming state of public affairs”. As an employee of the British government, Augustus must have felt conflicted about this request. Augustus first hid the records in a cellar under the garden of his residence in Manhattan near 11 Broadway, but later transferred the records to the family’s plantation, which was then owned by his brother James. To make this move look less suspicious, Augustus made the trip to his brother James’ Lower Yonkers plantation with the excuse of paying a visit to his elderly mother. The records were hidden in the family burial vault established under the terms of their father Frederick Van Cortlandt’s will which had been built on the hill overlooking the house, today’s Vault Hill. The city records remained on the plantation until 1784 when Augustus was ordered to turn them over to the newly appointed clerk of the City and County of New York.
In May of 1821, Augustus wrote in his will, “I manumit my Negro Slave Dinah in consideration of the great care and attention she paid my deceased affectionate wife during her last illness.” Catherine Barclay Van Cortlandt died in 1808 at the age of 64. Dinah was one of two enslaved people Augustus inherited from his aunt Anne Van Cortlandt Chambers in 1774. Anne Van Cortlandt was his father’s sister and the wife of John Chambers. By 1821, Dinah would have been at least 60 years old. Augustus passed away on December 20th, 1823 at the age of 95.
After Augustus
Augustus Van Cortlandt was the last male of this branch of the family to have been born with the surname Van Cortlandt. Neither he nor his brother James had had sons that lived more than a few months. Their brother Frederick who might also have inherited the plantation had already died in 1800. Frederick also didn’t have any sons that might have inherited the plantation after Augustus’ death 1823. Without his own male heir, Augustus left the plantation to his nephew Augustus White who legally changed his last name to Van Cortlandt. Augustus White Van Cortlandt owned the plantation for 16 years from age 27 - 43 living there with his younger brother Henry. Henry was also never married and had no children. Although he changed his name to Van Cortlandt to inherit the plantation from his brother, Henry White lived only 6 months longer than his brother, both dying in 1839. The next male heir was their nephew Augustus Bibby, the son of their sister Augusta. Augustus Bibby was only 13 at the time he inherited the plantation and, as best as we can tell, lived in Van Cortlandt House with his parents Edward and Augusta, his sister Anne 16, and 3 brothers Herman 12, Edward 8 and Henry 5. In 1852 Augustus (Bibby) Van Cortlandt married Charlotte Amelia Bayley Bunch, they were both 26 years old. Because Augustus was, by then of age, the rest of his family were living elsewhere. The 1880 census listed Augustus, his wife, and 6 children - 5 boys and 1 girl. Also included was Augustus’ father Edward Bibby, age 88, listed as a boarder.
The Van Cortlandt family’s ownership of the plantation that is now known as Van Cortlandt Park and the house now known as the Museum ended in 1889 when Augustus Van Cortlandt sold the land to the City of New York for the park. The house is believed to have been given to the city to be used for the public good. After leaving the plantation and house, Augustus and his family moved somewhere near Pelham Bay Park. Augustus died in June of 1912 having survived two of his children and his wife.
The story of the Van Cortlandt family in America begins in 1638 when Oloff Stevense Van Cortlandt arrived in New Amsterdam from Holland. Oloff was an employee and officer of the Dutch West India Company. Oloff was eventually considered one of the wealthiest men in New York having made his money as a merchant, brewer, money lender, and in shipping. Near the end of the 17th century, Jacobus, the youngest of Oloff’s seven children, made his first purchase of land of what would eventually become a large and profitable wheat plantation. While Jacobus may not have lived on his plantation, he did have enslaved people (both Africans and Native Americans) working here growing wheat, making improvements to the land, building barns, two mills, and building the dam that turned Tibbett’s Brook into a lake.
The first record of enslaved people living and working on the Van Cortlandt’s plantation is The 1698 Census of Fordham and Adjacent Places, a transcript of this entry can be found in the back of this booklet. This census lists enslaved people owned by Jacobus that were living and working on his land. All we have is a list of names without any mention of the specific work they did. In addition to the enslaved people listed in the census, Jacobus Van Cortlandt was also known to have owned Andrew Saxton. Saxton, a cooper by trade, may have been a worker on the Yonkers plantation or at Jacobus’ brewery in New Amsterdam on Brouwer Straet or Brewer Street. (This street was later given a new name by the British in 1695 and still exists today as Stone Street). We know about Saxton from the advertisement Jacobus placed in the New York Gazette on September 17th, 1733 after he ran away in August.
Frederick Van Cortlandt
After the death of Jacobus Van Cortlandt, the plantation was inherited by his only son Frederick. The next record of enslaved people on the Van Cortlandt’s plantation comes after Jacobus’ death in 1739. In his will Jacobus leaves the plantation as well as enslaved workers to his only son Frederick. Frederick and his family; wife Francis; sons James, Frederick, and Augustus; and daughters Anne and Eve, were documented as living on the plantation by 1748. In his will Frederick notes “I am now about finishing a large stone dwelling House on the Plantation on which I now live”. This house, present day Van Cortlandt House Museum, was not finished before Frederick died in early 1749 so it passed to his eldest son James with a provision that Frederick’s wife and James’ mother, Francis, may live in the house for the rest of her life or until she remarries. James’ young sisters Anne 14, and Eva 13 were also granted the right to live in the house until they married. Frederick’s will also lists enslaved people, one or more he may have inherited from his father.
James, son of Frederick
James Van Cortlandt not only inherited an unfinished house; he also inherited the successful provisioning plantation established by his grandfather Jacobus. James not only supervised the operation of his plantation and milling operations, he also continued his family’s involvement in local government. James served more than once as Supervisor of the Precinct of Yonkers and as its Commissioner of Highways. During the Revolutionary War, James served as a member of the Committee of Safety and the Westchester County Militia. He died in 1781 leaving his property to be divided equally between this brothers Augustus and Frederick and his sisters Anne Van Cortlandt Van Horne and Eve Van Cortlandt White. James’ wife Elizabeth was left his house and lot and water lot west of Broadway in Manhattan for her use for the rest of her life. Although James’ will does not list any enslaved people, in order to continue operation of the plantation and mills, James would have, as had his grandfather and father before him, relied on the labor of enslaved people. James’ will was written on March 23, 1781, just 8 days before his death and may not include detailed bequests because of his age or illness.
Augustus, brother of James, son of Frederick
Before inheriting his family’s, plantation from his brother James, Augustus Van Cortlandt had been living in lower Manhattan. He had studied law under his Uncle John Chambers and was admitted to the bar. Augustus held the important position of Common Clerk of the City of New York for 32 years between 1751 and 1783. It was in this capacity that Augustus, in the summer of 1775, received a request from the New York Provincial Congress, a revolutionary provisional government formed by colonists in 1775, to safeguard the public records of the City of New York due to the “alarming state of public affairs”. As an employee of the British government, Augustus must have felt conflicted about this request. Augustus first hid the records in a cellar under the garden of his residence in Manhattan near 11 Broadway, but later transferred the records to the family’s plantation, which was then owned by his brother James. To make this move look less suspicious, Augustus made the trip to his brother James’ Lower Yonkers plantation with the excuse of paying a visit to his elderly mother. The records were hidden in the family burial vault established under the terms of their father Frederick Van Cortlandt’s will which had been built on the hill overlooking the house, today’s Vault Hill. The city records remained on the plantation until 1784 when Augustus was ordered to turn them over to the newly appointed clerk of the City and County of New York.
In May of 1821, Augustus wrote in his will, “I manumit my Negro Slave Dinah in consideration of the great care and attention she paid my deceased affectionate wife during her last illness.” Catherine Barclay Van Cortlandt died in 1808 at the age of 64. Dinah was one of two enslaved people Augustus inherited from his aunt Anne Van Cortlandt Chambers in 1774. Anne Van Cortlandt was his father’s sister and the wife of John Chambers. By 1821, Dinah would have been at least 60 years old. Augustus passed away on December 20th, 1823 at the age of 95.
After Augustus
Augustus Van Cortlandt was the last male of this branch of the family to have been born with the surname Van Cortlandt. Neither he nor his brother James had had sons that lived more than a few months. Their brother Frederick who might also have inherited the plantation had already died in 1800. Frederick also didn’t have any sons that might have inherited the plantation after Augustus’ death 1823. Without his own male heir, Augustus left the plantation to his nephew Augustus White who legally changed his last name to Van Cortlandt. Augustus White Van Cortlandt owned the plantation for 16 years from age 27 - 43 living there with his younger brother Henry. Henry was also never married and had no children. Although he changed his name to Van Cortlandt to inherit the plantation from his brother, Henry White lived only 6 months longer than his brother, both dying in 1839. The next male heir was their nephew Augustus Bibby, the son of their sister Augusta. Augustus Bibby was only 13 at the time he inherited the plantation and, as best as we can tell, lived in Van Cortlandt House with his parents Edward and Augusta, his sister Anne 16, and 3 brothers Herman 12, Edward 8 and Henry 5. In 1852 Augustus (Bibby) Van Cortlandt married Charlotte Amelia Bayley Bunch, they were both 26 years old. Because Augustus was, by then of age, the rest of his family were living elsewhere. The 1880 census listed Augustus, his wife, and 6 children - 5 boys and 1 girl. Also included was Augustus’ father Edward Bibby, age 88, listed as a boarder.
The Van Cortlandt family’s ownership of the plantation that is now known as Van Cortlandt Park and the house now known as the Museum ended in 1889 when Augustus Van Cortlandt sold the land to the City of New York for the park. The house is believed to have been given to the city to be used for the public good. After leaving the plantation and house, Augustus and his family moved somewhere near Pelham Bay Park. Augustus died in June of 1912 having survived two of his children and his wife.
Mrs. Frances Jay Van Cortlandt (1701-1780) mother of James, Frederick and Augustus Van Cortlandt after John Wesley Jarvis (1781-1839)
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Augustus Van Cortlandt (1728-1823)
by John Wesley Jarvis (1781 - 1839)
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