Johannes de Peyster Sr. (born in

Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English language, English) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the Provinces of the Nether ...

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

, about 1600; died in

New Amsterdam New Amsterdam (, ) was a 17th-century Dutch Empire, Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''Factory (trading post), fac ...

(now

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

) about 1685) was a Dutch merchant who immigrated to

New Netherland New Netherland () was a colony of the Dutch Republic located on the East Coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod. Settlements were established in what became the states ...

some time before 1651. He was the patriarch of a long line of influential and wealthy family members, who, along with the Van Cortlands, Schuylers, Livingstons, and others, formed New York City’s social and political elite.

Biography

The family name was originally spelled "Peijster," "Peister," or "Pester." De Peyster came of a French

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

family that took refuge in the United Provinces about the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. He immigrated to New Amsterdam on account of religious persecution. During the brief period in 1673-74 in which the Dutch regained possession of New Netherland, he took a prominent part in the conduct of public affairs, and he was one of the last to take the oath of allegiance to the

British Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

on the final cession of the province to that power. Notwithstanding his tardiness in taking an oath of allegiance, he still remained active in municipal affairs under English rule. At different times, he served as alderman and deputy mayor, but he refused the mayoralty on account of his ignorance of English. At the time of his death, he was one of the wealthiest citizens of the province.

Family

Johannes married Cornelia "Neeltje" Lubberts (aka de Peijster, de Peyster, van Elburch) in 1651 in New York City. Of his sons,

Abraham Abraham (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father who began the Covenant (biblical), covenanta ...

, born when Johannes was 57, became mayor of New York City and Chief Justice of the province;

Johannes Johannes is a Medieval Latin form of the personal name that usually appears as " John" in English language contexts. It is a variant of the Greek and Classical Latin variants (Ιωάννης, '' Ioannes''), itself derived from the Hebrew name '' Y ...

, born when Johannes, Sr., was 66, also filled the mayor's chair; and Isaac was a member of the provincial legislature. Johannes senior’s wife Cornelia was the first chamberlain of New York City, besides acting in various other public capacities. His son-in-law David Provost also served as the city's mayor, succeeding his son Johannes.

Descendants

Filmmaker

Ken Burns Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV or the Nati ...

is a descendant.

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Peyster, Johannes de Sr. 1600s births 1685 deaths Dutch merchants Businesspeople from Haarlem People from New Netherland De Peyster, Johannes De Peyster, Johannes Johannes Sr. Dutch people of French descent