This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: janvanagain Surnames: Fort/ Van Rensselaer Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newyork.counties.dutchess/5900.1.2.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Thank you, Thank you, Thank You. I believe that the bible may have some family names inside,I have not looked at it in years, it is at my father's house(he is 90) I will look this week, I am amused because the info from "Jeannie" VR of Mechanicvlle must be my grandfather's cousin, Jessie VR and she is the one we inherited the Fort bible and chair from, her father was my great great grandfather's Abram VR's cousin (son of Henry P VR and Jane Fort) and Jessie and her brother, Noel, never married, ( I would love to know that story) Noel died in his 40s and she was the last of that line, so the contents of her family home went to my father and uncle. They were both serving in WWII and so my aunt and mother, (neither had an appreciation of antiques at the time), picked out what few items they thought were interesting or sounded romantic, (spinning wheels, four poster canopy beds, lowboy, chests and pewter plates) etc. the rest was auctioned for little value, if you could read tha! t inventory and have an interest in history and antiques, you would be brought to tears to see what slipped away from our family and it's history. Jessie was educated at Vassar, her brother, Noel, at Princeton, both lived in their father's home in Mechanicville a large Victorian house that was a funeral home when I was a girl. Jessie lived to a very old age,my mother remembered she had a horn that she held to her ear as she was hard of hearing, she meticulously documented family wedding silver, pictures and many of the things in the house, a chest of drawers commissioned by her grandfather and a desk from this relative or that, christening gowns, silver spoons, china, etc. I would love to have affirmation on the chair which I mentioned, it looks like the "Brewster" chair in the Boston Museum collection, which would make it rare indeed, but if Jean La Fort came over to Canada first and later made his way to the Niskayuna area, via the Adirondacks, (in those days barely nativ! e american and hunting and trading trails), he could not possibly have brought furniture and there is a matching chair currently belonging to one of my cousins, unfortunately my aunt had it restored, stripped the paint and recaned the seat, which had collapsed, which has ruined some of its authenticity and value, although I have been told, if it is rare enough, it may not matter to the right collector. At any rate, I could believe that a bible could be brought this way, but furniture? I highly doubt it, is it possible some of the family members came from the Netherlands directly to NYS, rather than via Canada? It is indeed a mystery, I wish to know more on the Fort house in Poughkeepsie and how to help, what plans are in the works? If I came to Poughkeepsie, could we meet and drive by it, I would love a picture. I have a good friend in Stone Ridge who went to Columbia for graduate school in historic restoration, he has done some wonderful projects, including work on the Gracie Mansion. I am sure he will be interested in your project, he writes! proposal for grant money for restoration projects mostly now. He has a wonderful Dutch stone house that has been in his family for generations called Feather Farm, and several other properties that he has restored, including a gristmill. In the Spring, I am obviously going to go to Schaticooke and see what I can find out there. I will be in touch when I take a look at that bible. Sincere thanks, Jan VR Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.