Pruyns in Albany & Buskirk's Bridge

(39) Samuel Pruyn, merchant, of Albany; son of (18) Francis S. Pruyn and (14) Alida van Yveren ; b. Sept. 3, 1728; d. Dec. 14, 1785. He married Feb. 17, 1756, Neeltje Ten Eyck, bp. Jan 15, 1729, d. April 14, 1817 ; dau. of Jacob Ten Eyck and Alida Visscher, of Albany. In 1752 he was Fire-Master for the Second Ward of Albany, and in March, 1764, we find his name attached to a "Petition of Merchants of Albany to the Lords of Trade" at London, in regard to trading with the Indians. In 1768 he was a Deacon of the Dutch Church. He lived on the southwest corner of what are now North Pearl Street and Maiden Lane, in a good old gabled house, known for many years as the " Pruyn Homestead." He had issue:


51. Francis Samuel (b. 1757), m. Maria Van Ness (daughter of Hendrick Gerritse Van Ness).

52. Maria, m. Abraham Halenbeck.

53. Annatje, bp. Aug. 2, 1762 (Casparus Pruyn, uncle; Alida Pruyn); d. at the "Pruyn Homestead," Feb. 2, 1833. She was a great church worker, and one of those old Dutch ladies for whom Albany was famous. At her funeral a " memorial sermon" was delivered by the Rev. Isaac Ferris, D.D., pastor of the Second Reformed Church, of which she was a member.


The first land deeded by the Schaghticokes to the Christians within the environs of the Hoosac Valley proper was the Hoosac Patent. The patent was granted by Gov. Thomas Dongan on June 2, 1688, to Maria Van Rensselaer and Hendrick Van Ness of Albany, Garret Tunisson (Van Vechten) of Catskill, and Jacobus Van Cortlandt of New York City, and confirmed by the Duke of York, as King James II, in July.

The Hoosac Patent covered seventy thousand acres, including two miles in width on each bank of Skatecook Creek (Hoosac River of blended waters) ; and extended up the river from the Devil's Chimney opposite the Fallen-hill in Old Schaghticoke to Quequick Falls; thence up the valley to the sandy island known as Nach-a-quick-quack, the Ashawagh, or land between the junction of the Little Hoosac with the Big Hoosac. The annual quit-rent exacted for this vast manor-land was "ten Bushells of good Sweet Merchantable winter Wheat, delivered Att the City of Albany."

During the opening raids of King William's War, in 1689, Hendrick Van Rensselaer of Fort Crailo partly negotiated with Captain Soquon for a tract six miles square in Old Schaghticoke, although the deed was not confirmed until 1707 during Queen Anne's War. Meanwhile, Hendrick Van Ness transferred half of his right in the Hoosac Patent to his brother Jan Van Ness on February 17, 1699, and on October 18, 1706, Hendrick Van Ness and Jacobus Van Cortlandt were deeded Kiliaen Van Rensselaer and Johannes Van Vechten the shares of their parents, Maria Van Rensselaer and Garret Tunisson- Van Vechten. Later on, November 16th, Hendrick Van Ness and Jacobus Van Cortlandt gave each other mutual release of joint tenancy of their Hoosac Patent manor-lands.

Hendrick Gerritse Van Ness married Magdalena Vrooman. Their daughter was Maria Van Ness, the mother of Hannah Pruyn.

Francis and Alida Pruyn (emigrated from Antwerp, Belgium before 1665). They had a house at the corner of North Pearl St and Maiden Lane in Albany. Their son, Samuel Pruyn, married Maria Bogart. He was a merchant, Indian trader, and skipper who lived in Albany. Samuel Pruyn’s son was Francis Samuel Pruyn, who married Maria Van Ness.