I am trying to discover when the earliest Van Rensselaer leases were written for lots in the Hilltowns of western Albany County. A 1767 survey map by John R. Bleeker of the entire Rensselaerwyck Manor, shows 133 lots on the west side of the Hudson River and 148 on the east side. An index on the map identifies the families that lived there. There are two clear leases above the Helderberg Escarpment in what is now the Town of Westerlo, one was to Koenard Hogteling and the other to Casper Fouser. In what is now the Town of Knox near the Schoharie County line, along the wagon road between Altamont and Schoharie, are two names, Hett? and Smith. To the east along the road are four other scattered houses with no names. The area in what is now the Town of Berne shows a lake, but no houses, even though two years earlier there were enough people living at the Beaver Dam (now Berne) to organize the Dutch Reformed Church. Since the survey map covers the entire Manor, and gives the name of each person below the Helderberg Escarpment holding a lease, it is reasonable to assume that the only leases above the Escarpment at the time were as previously mentioned. The NYS Archives reports that records of early leases in the Western Manor were destroyed by the Capitol fire. It seems hard to believe that all evidence of early leases in the Hilltowns were destroyed including the leases themselves, survey maps, survey books, account books, and all other records that would point to the existence of pre-Revolutionary War leases. Still, a few pre-War leases have come to my attention. In 1774 Catherine Van Rensselaer, the widow of Stephen Van Rensselaer II, issued a lease to Jacob Weidman for land on Fox Creek in the Beaver Dam upon which Weidman had constructed the first sawmill and gristmill almost 20 years earlier. Surveys were also made for the homesteads of Peter Dietz and Conrad Swart in the Switzkill Valley, and leases signed by the Catherine Van Rensselaer. These are the only leases I have been able to find so far dated before the Revolutionary War. The majority of the leases known to me in the Hilltowns were at the time of 1787 survey for German and Dutch squatters, and a few years later for new settlers from New England and Downstate. Is anyone aware of other pre-Revolutionary War leases in the Hilltowns? Harold (Hal) Miller ALBANY HILLTOWNS <http://albanyhilltowns.com/> - sharing information on our Berne, Knox, Westerlo, and Rensselaerville ancestors BERNE HISTORICAL PROJECT <http://bernehistory.org/> - now featuring the Hilltowns Genealogy HILLTOWNS FACEBOOK GROUP<http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1609167281&v=feed&story_fbid=42097780582#/group.php?gid=39859776842>- discussing history and genealogy of the Hilltowns

Hal, Your inquiry brought to mind the book "The Parsonage Between Two Manors, Annals of Clover-Reach" by Elizabeth L. Gebhard, 1910. While primarily about life in and around Claverack [Clover-Reach] and in particular about the Reformed Church of Claverack just prior to the Revolution and the half century that followed it, it really presents a vivid picture of family life along the Hudson during the late 1700's and early 1800's. It is available for reading on Google Books [free] at: http://urlcut.com/betweentwomanors While 316+ pages it is a quick and enjoyable read and gives any amateur genealogist a wonderful image of what life was like for our ancestors. It can also be downloaded in PDF format. Enjoy! Jim Groat ----- Original Message ----- From: "Harold Miller" <halned1@gmail.com> To: <nyalbany@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 3:38 PM Subject: [NYALBANY] Early Van Rensselaer leases in the Hilltowns >I am trying to discover when the earliest Van Rensselaer leases were >written > for lots in the Hilltowns of western Albany County. > > A 1767 survey map by John R. Bleeker of the entire Rensselaerwyck Manor, > shows 133 lots on the west side of the Hudson River and 148 on the east > side. An index on the map identifies the families that lived there. There > are two clear leases above the Helderberg Escarpment in what is now the > Town > of Westerlo, one was to Koenard Hogteling and the other to Casper Fouser. > In > what is now the Town of Knox near the Schoharie County line, along the > wagon > road between Altamont and Schoharie, are two names, Hett? and Smith. To > the > east along the road are four other scattered houses with no names. > > The area in what is now the Town of Berne shows a lake, but no houses, > even > though two years earlier there were enough people living at the Beaver Dam > (now Berne) to organize the Dutch Reformed Church. Since the survey map > covers the entire Manor, and gives the name of each person below the > Helderberg Escarpment holding a lease, it is reasonable to assume that the > only leases above the Escarpment at the time were as previously mentioned. > > The NYS Archives reports that records of early leases in the Western Manor > were destroyed by the Capitol fire. It seems hard to believe that all > evidence of early leases in the Hilltowns were destroyed including the > leases themselves, survey maps, survey books, account books, and all other > records that would point to the existence of pre-Revolutionary War leases. > > Still, a few pre-War leases have come to my attention. In 1774 Catherine > Van > Rensselaer, the widow of Stephen Van Rensselaer II, issued a lease to > Jacob > Weidman for land on Fox Creek in the Beaver Dam upon which Weidman had > constructed the first sawmill and gristmill almost 20 years earlier. > Surveys > were also made for the homesteads of Peter Dietz and Conrad Swart in the > Switzkill Valley, and leases signed by the Catherine Van Rensselaer. > > These are the only leases I have been able to find so far dated before the > Revolutionary War. The majority of the leases known to me in the Hilltowns > were at the time of 1787 survey for German and Dutch squatters, and a few > years later for new settlers from New England and Downstate. > > Is anyone aware of other pre-Revolutionary War leases in the Hilltowns? > > Harold (Hal) Miller > > ALBANY HILLTOWNS <http://albanyhilltowns.com/> - sharing information on > our > Berne, Knox, Westerlo, and Rensselaerville ancestors > BERNE HISTORICAL PROJECT <http://bernehistory.org/> - now featuring the > Hilltowns Genealogy > HILLTOWNS FACEBOOK > GROUP<http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1609167281&v=feed&story_fbid=42097780582#/group.php?gid=39859776842>- > discussing history and genealogy of the Hilltowns