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CORNELIUS LYDECKER
Originally published in 1900 |
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CORNELIUS LYDECKER. - Ryck Lydecker, the common ancestor of
the Lydecker family in Bergen County, was from Amsterdam, Holland,
but that city was probably not his birthplace. At all events he was a
Hollander. The time of his arrival in America does not definitely appear.
He first settled permanently at Bushwick, L. I., on a grant of land obtained by him in 1660 or 1661. There he resided several years – perhaps
until his death, which is said to have occurred prior to 1696. He was
magistrate of Bushwick from 1682 to 1685. On June 24, 1663, he was
appointed captain of a company of militia and received orders from Governor Stuyvesant to fortify the town, which he did. The records show that his
company contained forty men, including its officers, and that this company was divided into four watches, of whom one-fourth, or ten men, were
on duty every night to guard against an expected attack by the savages,
who were at the time very troublesome to the settlers. His wife's name
w Its Clara Vooreniere, and his issue of the second generation were Garret,
John, Ryck, Cornelius, and Abraham.
Ryek (2) married Maritie Benson and settled at Hackensack, where lie bought a large tract of land of Captain John Berry. Garret (2) married Neeltie Cornelis Vandehuyl, of Holland. He purchased a tract of land between Leonia and Englewood, in Bergen County, extending eastward front Overpeck Creek to the Hudson River. This he devised to his four sons after named, who partitioned it between them. It contained more than one thousand acres. His issue of the third generation were Ryck, Elizabeth, Clara, Cornelius, Garret, and Abraham. Garret (3) married Wintie (Levina) Terhune, and resided near Englewood on his father's homestead. His issue of the fourth generation were Neeltie, 1724; Garret, 1728; Geertie, 1731; Cornelia, 1734; Ann, 1736; Elizabeth, 1735; and Albert, 1740. Garret (4) married Lydia Demarest. He became a man of note, and commanded a company of Continental troops during the War for Independence. Both he and his wife were prominent members of the Old South Church at Schraalenburgh. His issue of the fifth generation were Garret, 1753; James, 1755; Levina, 1757; Margaret, 1759; Garret, 1761; James and Cornelius (twins), 1764; Lydia, 1766; James, 1769; Elizabeth, 1771; and Maria, 1774. James (5), last above named, born in 1769, married, September 25, 1790, Maria Day, and had issue Lydia and Garret J. of the sixth generation. Garret J. (6) was born in 1797 and died in 1880. He occupied a prominent position in the locality then known as English Neighborhood, having large farming interests, and being one whose advice was sought in all leading questions of the day. He married Sarah Ryer and had issue of the seventh generation James, John R., and Cornelius, the last of whom is the subject of this sketch. Cornelius Lydecker (7) was born at Englewood, N. J., on the place where he now lives, April 6, 1827. He has been prominent in public and private affairs. In 1846 lie entered as a clerk the dry goods store of his brother John R. in New York, where he remained two years. In 1849 he caught the gold fever and went to California via Cape Horn. Two years in the gold "diggins" was enough for him. He returned home and soon after entered the political field by being elected Surveyor of Highways in his native town. Following this venture up, lie became Township Collector in 1862, and later County Collector, which office he held for five years. In 1872 he was elected to the State Senate on the Democratic ticket, and was from year to year returned until 1875, when lie became a candidafe for State Treasurer and Controller. For seven years thereafter he was a member of the "Third House" in the Legislature. With William B. Dana he built in 1871 the Palisade Mountain House, and then took a rest by traveling for a time, finally returning to embark in the real estate business. He married in 1852 Miss Catharine S. Van Blarcoin, by whom he has had six children of the eighth generation: Mary (wife of Oliver Drake Smith), Sarah Ryer (wife of Stanley P. Parsons), Elizabeth, Garret (now in a banking house at No. 18 Wall Street, New York), Kate, and Cornelius, now at Englewood. Mr. Lydecker is a member of Masonic Lodge No. 114.
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