
Stephanus van Cortlandt (May 7, 1643 – November 25, 1700) was the first native-born
mayor of New York City
The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The Mayoralty in the United States, mayor's office administers all ...
, a position which he held from 1677 to 1678 and from 1686 to 1688. He was the
patroon
In the United States, a patroon (; from Dutch '' patroon'' ) was a landholder with manorial rights to large tracts of land in the 17th-century Dutch colony of New Netherland on the east coast of North America. Through the Charter of Free ...
of
Van Cortlandt Manor and was on the
governor's executive council from 1691 to 1700. He was the first resident of
Sagtikos Manor in
West Bay Shore on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
, which was built around 1697. A number of his descendants married English military leaders and
Loyalists
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
active in the
American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
, and their descendants became prominent members of English society.
Early life
Stephanus van Cortlandt was born on May 7, 1643, the son of Captain Olof Stevense van Cortlandt. His father had been born at
Wijk bij Duurstede
Wijk bij Duurstede () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the central Netherlands.
Population centres
*Cothen
*Langbroek
*Wijk bij Duurstede
Topography
''Dutch Topographic map of the municipality of Wijk bij Du ...
, in the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...
, and in 1637 arrived 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 ...
. Beginning as a soldier and bookkeeper, Olof Stevense van Cortland rose to high office in the colonial service of the
Dutch West India Company
The Dutch West India Company () was a Dutch chartered company that was founded in 1621 and went defunct in 1792. Among its founders were Reynier Pauw, Willem Usselincx (1567–1647), and Jessé de Forest (1576–1624). On 3 June 1621, it was gra ...
, serving many terms as
burgomaster
Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, ) is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or executive of a city or town. The name in English was derived from the Dutch .
In so ...
and
alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
before dying in 1684. His mother, nicknamed "Anna", was Annetje ( Loockermans) van Cortlandt (born
Turnhout
Turnhout () is a Belgium, Belgian Municipalities in Belgium, municipality and city located in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of Antwerp (province), Antwerp. The municipality comprises only the city of Turnhout proper. ...
; March 17, 1618), who may have been the person who began the "
Santa Claus
Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...
" tradition in America.
His parents had four children:
Stephanus van Cortlandt (1643–1700);
Jacobus van Cortlandt (1658–1739), who married Eva de Vries Philipse (born 1660);
Maria van Cortlandt, who married
Jeremias van Rensselaer
Jeremias van Rensselaer (Amsterdam, 16 May 1632 – October 12, 1674) was the third son of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, one of the founders and directors of the Dutch West India Company who was instrumental in the establishment of New Netherland a ...
(1632–1674); and Catherine van Cortlandt, who married firstly Johannes Derval and secondly, after his death,
Frederick Philipse
Frederick Philipse (born Frederick Flypsen;Appleton, W.S. ''The Heraldic Journal, Recording the Amorial Bearings and Genealogies of American Families'', Wiggen & Lunt, Boston, 1867 1626 in Bolsward, Netherlands – December 23, 1702), first Lord ...
(1626–1702), the first lord of
Philipsborough Manor. Philipse was previously married to
Margaret Hardenbroeck (1637–1691) and during that marriage, had adopted her daughter, Eva de Vries (born 1660), who thus took the name of Philipse. Eva's father and Margaret's first husband was Peter Rudolphus de Vries (died 1661).
Career
In 1668, he was appointed ensign of one of the militia companies of New York City. In 1677, he was appointed by the English Governor of the
Province of New York
The Province of New York was a British proprietary colony and later a royal colony on the northeast coast of North America from 1664 to 1783. It extended from Long Island on the Atlantic, up the Hudson River and Mohawk River valleys to ...
to a two-year term as mayor of New York City, the first who had been born in America. Although of Dutch parentage, he was reportedly appointed due to his intelligence, and social position in the community. In 1685, he joined partners
Francis Rombouts and
Jacobus Kip in being awarded what became known as the
Rombout Patent to lands along the
Hudson River
The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
in what is today's southern
Dutchess County
Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later org ...
.
During his time in office, van Cortland remained an adherent of the aristocratic
Whig party, especially during
Leisler's Rebellion
Leisler's Rebellion was an uprising in late-17th century colonial New York in which German American merchant and militia captain Jacob Leisler seized control of the southern portion of the colony and ruled it from 1689 to 1691. The uprising too ...
from 1689 to 1691. When
Delanoy, the Leisler candidate, was elected to the mayoralty, in place of Van Cortland, the latter refused to deliver up the city seal. It has been said that when a committee came to his home, his wife shut the door in their faces.
[Sketches of the Mayors of New York](_blank)
, thehistorybox. Accessed April 20, 2022.
Personal life

Van Cortlandt married Gertruj van Schuyler (b. 1654), the daughter of
Philip Pieterse Schuyler
Colonel Philip Pieterse Schuyler or Philip Pieterse (1628 – 9 May 1683) was a Dutch-born landowner in New Netherlands and progenitor of the senior line of the American Schuyler family.
Early life
Philip Pieterse Schuyler was born in Amsterda ...
and the sister of
Pieter Schuyler (a colonial governor of New York and mayor of
Albany).
They lived at the "Waterside," on the present line of Pearl street, near Broad, where he engaged in business as a merchant.
Together, they had:
* Johannes Van Cortlandt (1672–1702), who married Anna Maria Van Schaick.
** Gertrude Van Cortlandt (1697–1766), who married
Philip Verplanck, a grandson of
Gulian Verplanck.
* Margaretta Van Cortlandt (b. 1674), who married Judge Samuel
Bayard, the son of
Nicholas Bayard and a descendant of the
Stuyvesant family
The Stuyvesant family is a family of American politicians and landowners in New York City. The family is of Dutch origin and is descended from Peter Stuyvesant (1610–1672), who was born in Peperga, Friesland, Netherlands and served as the last D ...
. A number of their descendants were
Loyalists
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
who relocated to England.
* Anne van Cortlandt (1676–1724), who married
Stephen DeLancey (1663–1741).
* Catherine Van Cortlandt, who married New Jersey politician
Andrew Johnston (1694-1762), the son of
John Johnstone (1661–1732), the 32nd Mayor of New York City.
* Elizabeth Van Cortlandt, who married the Rev. William Skinner.
* Philip Van Cortlandt (1683–1746), who married Catherine de Peyster (1688-1766), daughter of
Abraham de Peyster the 20th Mayor of New York City and his wife Catharine de Peyster. Philip and Catherine had six children:
** Stephen (1714–1756), who married Mary Walton Ricketts in 1738.
** Abraham (1713–1745)
** Philip (1715–1745)
** John (1718–1747)
**
Pierre Van Cortlandt (1721–1814), first Lt. Governor of the State of New York, who married his second cousin, Joanna Livingston (1722–1808), daughter of Cornelia Beekman (1693–1742), niece of
Gerardus Beekman and granddaughter of
Wilhelmus Beekman
Wilhelmus Hendricksen Beekman (April 28, 1623 – September 21, 1707) – also known as William Beekman and Willem Beekman (or Beeckman) – was a Dutch immigrant to America who came to New Amsterdam (now New York City) from the Netherlands on May ...
, and Gilbert Livingston (1690–1746), a son of
Robert Livingston the Elder
Robert Livingston the Elder (13 December 1654 – 1728) was a Scottish-born merchant and government official in the Province of New York. He was granted a patent to 160,000 acres (650 km2/ 250 sq mi) of land along the Hudson River, becomin ...
and
Alida Schuyler;
** Catherine Van Cortlandt (1725–1735), who died young.
Stephanus Van Cortlandt died in New York on November 25, 1700.
Descendants
His granddaughter, Gertrude Bayard, married
Peter Kemble (1704–1789), a prominent New Jersey businessman and politician, and his great-granddaughter,
Margaret Kemble (1734–1824), married
Thomas Gage
General Thomas Gage (10 March 1718/192 April 1787) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator best known for his many years of service in North America, including serving as Commander-in-Chief, North America during the early days ...
(1718/19–1787) who was General of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. Descendants of this union are found in England, including amongst the
Viscount Gage
Viscount Gage, of Castle Island in the County of Kerry of the Kingdom of Ireland, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1720 for Thomas Gage, along with the subsidiary title of Baron Gage, of Castlebar in the County of Mayo ...
s and the noble Bertie family in England (including those holding the title of
Earls of Abingdon).
A grandson,
James DeLancey (1703–1760) became
New York Governor
The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ha ...
, and granddaughter Susannah DeLancey (1707–1771) married
Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Warren (1703–1752). Another grandson,
Oliver De Lancey Sr. (1718–1785) married
Phila Franks, daughter of a prominent New York Jewish family.
Grandson, Lt. General William Skinner, was an American Revolutionary
Loyalist
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
whose son,
Brig. Gen. Cortlandt Skinner
Cortlandt Skinner (December 16, 1727 – March 15, 1799) was the last Royal Attorney General of New Jersey and a brigadier general in a Loyalist force, the New Jersey Volunteers, also known as Skinner's Greens, during the American Revolutionary ...
(1727–1799) was also a
Loyalist
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
who married Elizabeth Kearney (1731–1810). Another grandson,
Pierre Van Cortlandt (1721–1814) was the 1st
Lieutenant Governor of New York
The lieutenant governor of New York is a Constitution of New York, constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of the State of New York. It is the second highest-ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governo ...
who married to Joanna Livingston (granddaughter of
Robert Livingston). Their descendants include
Philip Van Cortlandt (1749-1831) and
Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr. (1762–1848).
It was revealed on a 2024 episode of ''
Finding Your Roots
''Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'' is an American documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS. In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is com ...
'' that the American writer, director, actor, and producer
Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham (; born May 13, 1986) is an American writer, director, actress, and producer. She is the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series '' Girls'' (2012–2017), for which she received several Emmy Award nominations and two G ...
(b. 1986) is a descendant of Stephanus van Cortlandt.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cortlandt, Stephanus van
1643 births
1700 deaths
17th-century mayors of places in New York (state)
American politicians of Dutch descent
Mayors of New York City
People from colonial New York
People from New Netherland
Stephanus
Politicians from New York City