Van Vechten
The story of the Van Vechten family in early Albany begins with Teunis Cornelise who brought his family to New Netherland in 1638. Like most New Netherland names, Van Vechten/Vegten/Vactor was spelled in a variety ways.
His son, Cornelis Teunise, was a fringe Albany person and a prominent resident of Rensselaerswyck.
In 1697, the household of trader Teunis Dirckse was featured on the Albany census.
In 1720, Philip and Reuben Van Vechten were listed as Albany freeholders.
The early death of Johannes Van Vechten, Jr. in 1746 set the Albany branch of the family back to where no Van Vechten households were listed on the census of city households taken in 1756.
In 1790, three Van Vechten-named households were configured on the Albany census.
Catskill native Abaham Van Vechten became a prominent Albany-based attorney and jurist during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. His younger brother, Teunis T., was a prominent Albany merchant.
Teunis Van Vechten was a prominent Albany attorney and officeholder of the nineteenth century.
Van Vechten Street in Albany honors this prominent pioneer family today.
Sources:
The life of Van Vechten is CAP biography number.
This sketch is derived chiefly from
family
and community-based resources. Printed resources begin with the genealogical work of Cuyler Reynolds. See also Van Vechten Genealogy. The core collection of family papers resides at the New York State Library.