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Abraham Schermerhorn

Abraham Schermerhorn

Male 1783 - 1850  (66 years)    Has more than 100 ancestors and 80 descendants in this family tree.

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  • Name Abraham Schermerhorn  [1, 2
    Birth 9 Apr 1783  Hyde Park, Dutchess, New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Christening Aug 1783  New York, New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Death 3 Feb 1850 
    Burial Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Siblings 5 Siblings 
    Person ID I323322  Geneagraphie
    Last Modified 28 Apr 2003 

    Father Peter Schermerhorn,   b. 1 Oct 1749, New York, New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 28 Jan 1826, New York, New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 76 years) 
    Mother Elizabeth Bussing,   b. 24 Jul 1752, Haarlem, New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 8 Jan 1809, New York, New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 56 years) 
    Marriage 11 Sep 1771  New York, New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F144177  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Helen White,   b. 12 Nov 1792   d. 25 May 1881 (Age 88 years) 
    Marriage 12 Sep 1809 
    Children 
     1. Henry White Schermerhorn,   b. 31 Jul 1810   d. 28 Nov 1811 (Age 1 year)
     2. Augustus Van Cortlandt Schermerhorn,   b. 4 Mar 1812   d. 16 Oct 1846 (Age 34 years)
     3. Archibald Bruce Schermerhorn,   b. 18 Feb 1814   d. 27 Apr 1862 (Age 48 years)
    +4. Elizabeth Schermerhorn,   b. 14 Mar 1816   d. 19 Aug 1875 (Age 59 years)
     5. Anna White Schermerhorn,   b. 15 Feb 1818   d. 23 Nov 1886 (Age 68 years)
     6. Helen Schermerhorn,   b. 22 Jul 1820   d. 18 Dec 1893 (Age 73 years)
     7. Cordelia Schermerhorn,   b. 15 Mar 1823   d. 14 May 1839 (Age 16 years)
     8. Catharine Schermerhorn,   b. 19 Mar 1828   d. 24 Oct 1858 (Age 30 years)
    +9. Caroline Webster Schermerhorn,   b. 22 Sep 1830   d. 30 Oct 1908 (Age 78 years)
    Family ID F128871  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 28 Apr 2003 

  • Event Map Click to hide
    Link to Google MapsChristening - Aug 1783 - New York, New York, USA Link to Google Earth
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    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Notes 
    • Abraham inherited the Brooklyn farm at Gowanus, purchased by hi s father and uncle in 1795. This consisted of about 160 acres and the residence thereon was said to be the oldest house in Brook lyn. This house was built in about 1690 and contained the same s tone walls that existed in the original house built by William A drianse Bennet about 1636. The Schermerhorns used this propert y as a summer residence only, and in January 1835, Abraham disposed of most of the property and some time later established a ne w summer residence on the banks of the East River, near the foot of 73rd St., N. Y. City. The old house in Brooklyn was standin g up to about ten years ago. Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, occupies the greater part of the Schermerhorn farm, and where Scherme rhorn Street extended to the East River was originally a rope walk, used by the Schermerhorn Brothers in connection with their shipp ing business.

      Personal note of R. Schermerhorn: ÒThe Schermerhorn I heard mos t about was Abraham, my grandfather. He lived at the corner of B attery Place and Greenwich Street, the garden extending to the s hore (then) of the North River. From there he moved to 36 Bond S treet, I believe, where there was the stable on the Great Jone s Street end of the lot. He was fond
      of entertaining and would serve bear meat and madeira, so I hav e been told. Would you like to eat it now?Ó
      ÒThey had a country place at Gowanus (South Brooklyn). The old h ouse stood at 28th Street and 3rd Avenue, where then was the sho re of the bay. Oysters were taken from the stones in the water d uring low tide. The family still own some of the land there an d the Bush Terminal Co. has the portion filled out to the wate r line. The old house had walls of stone and was said to have be en built by a Mr. Bennet in Indian times.Ó
      ÒAbraham Schermerhorn also had quite a large tract of land at Ri verdale extending from Broadway to the Hudson River, on which wa s a very old house, said to have been built by a Van Cortlandt ( probably his grandfather). This house fell down some thirty year s ago. I remember the colonial style mantels still in it at tha t time. The house stood between Broadway and Riverdale Avenue, w ith terraces and boxwood hedges, toward the east. On the south s ide of the land was a long heavy stone wall, some of which is n o doubt there to this day.Ó
      ÒAs a boy I can remember an old family carriage with a lot of st yle to it, the driver's box being covered with a cloth draping , called a "hammer cloth." My mother said the Coat-of-Arms was o n the panels of their carriage.Ó
      ÒThe residence stood on the slope of the hill with a view of th e River and at this house, Washington Irving was a friend and fr equent visitor. Nearer the Hudson on what was called the "Knoll, " was a cottage built by my father, Charles Suydam, in 1854. A M r. Thomas, afterward celebrated as an architect, planned the hou se and I was told that when finished, it was found there were n o stairs between the basement, kitchen and the dining-room floor . Many years after I sold this house to Mr. Babcock for $250.00 , the most he would pay - perhaps it was only $200. The land h e had bought from a previous purchase, but the building belonge d to
      me.Ó


      Biographical sketch :
      Abraham Schermerhorn was the younger son of wealthy ship chandle r, merchant and realtor Peter Schermerhorn. In business with hi s father and brother, Abraham Schermerhorn was a member of New Y ork's mercantile community. He married Helen White (1792-1881) , whose mother was a descendent of the famous Van Cortlandt mano r lord family. The Abraham Schermerhorns evolved in New Yorks be st social circles and their daughters made excellent marriages . Elizabeth Schermerhorn (1816-1875) was married to James Jone s (1786-1858) and Caroline Webster Schermerhorn (1830-1908) to W illiam Backhouse Astor jr, both scions of other wealthy New Yor k real estate owning families.

      Net Worth: $500,000 (1845) [1, 3]

  • Sources 
    1. [S1463] A Classification of American Wealth.

    2. [S1461] William C. Schermerhorn, Esq, History of the Schermerhorn Family.

    3. [S1462] Richard Schermerhorn, Schermerhorn Genealogy and Family Chronicles, (Published in 1914).



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