Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-02-05
AMERICAN FAMILIES.
TEE FIRST MAYOR OF NEy
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| COLoEEr. THONvS WfLLETT. HIS HlsTol Y
II. ButtesM,rth writes in Apple on
Journal.
In al OLD burying ground, a, The ..ead
OF q smooth sheet Of water KNOWN rs Bal
locks Cove, in what is now Se,konI
|, Massachusetts,. maybe seen rough stone
.. on which is .ulely carved the following
cr;Wion:
Here lyeth the body ef The worthy
THOMAS WiLiEfT. E,q.
Who died August ,e 4, in VI lxivth
Year of his aga Anno-.
Who was the fist Mayor of New York
And.tsyice dlo sustain the place.
Thomas Willeit. The successor Of Miles
Standish in the ca. tainey Of !tse Plymouth
Colony militia, the founder Of Old Swan
sea, and the tjrs, English Mayor of New
York, was born Iii England. III 1t11 He
was bred a merchant, and he became az
qnain.cd with the Pilgrims of Ley.len.
when 4 mere lad, while trayeIin. on bust
ncssin Holland. He was aresoute youth.
large hearted and adventurous. and, the
lofty inns of the Pilgrims aasi9g engaged
his sympathies, he enli,arked Tor Plymouth
in 1923, being one Of the last of the Ley
den company who sough, place of reliyi-
Gus freedom in the rugged solitudes OF
the West IN World. He "as then about
eighteen years of age, his mind well
scAoolsd in the duties and responsibilitie.
of mercantile life. and polished by travel
and by intercourse with the most cu!tivat-
cd people; his a>perations high, and his
trust in God firm ard pure. Soon after
his az: IVA! he was sent by the people OF
Plymouth to establish a trading house al
kennebec, and to supar;ntend their tusi
ness al that place as agent. He remained
about scyen. Yeas, and though a mere
youth, he bravery endured the hari!ships
of the Winter bound forests. and fluff led
his duties with singular prudence and
success
Captain Wil!ett married Mary
Brown, the daughter OF john Brown the
elder, Il: plymouth by whom he had thi.-
teen children. dis grandson, Francis
Willeit, was prominent nan il the col
ony OF Rhole Island. His great grand
son, Colonel Mannus Wiilttt. served With
& distinguished honor IN lht ReYojutio a.,
War, AID was a'so elected Mayor Of New
York The dysendantso q Captain WIlleii
are numerous IN Ycw York and in other
sections Of the country zone of whom is
E. W. Wiilett, Register L. S. Land Office,
Bozeman, N. T.
His house was fine one for co|onia!
times, and relics Of il Still! remain. One oi
the do,ors may be seen in an antiquarian
collection III the possession Of TIC City oi
New York, Rhode Island ani aua,ians
have Ks from the chimney, and house
~ South Providence, occupied by Samuel
Vial, Esq contains bricks used IN build
ing the old Wiile,t Naasion (prosably i'm
ported from Hol.und) and two doors Of
ike apt!qity that retain the fantastic orna-
mental painting of a departed age. Capt
sword IS in the keeping of the
City of New York His grave is neglect
7d, but anti. ,.aafaas Sometimes fin Their
wy TO tie seGne stered spot, and aecipher
he rude inscription Amid the moss and
.!le fern. Il would seem tia, th tefcr der
il infant colonies, the founders of -four
sh NJ chpicIss and towns. and tirs
Mayor OF our great metropolis, should
laYe more appropriate memorial than
ou!h stone to mark the spot where rests
lis dust
Tile descendants Of the Van Renselaers.
: 10 once possessed rights of suzeranl;y
md baronial Jurisdiction over The exten.
i've domain of Renselaerwyck, are not |
'ery numerous. The first patroon, Xii |
aen Van Rensselaer,. was rich pearl and |
liamond merchant. and director of the |
Vest India Company He emigrated TO |
he New Netherlands in 1915, to take pos
essipn Of the mon orial territory of which |
le L.d obtained the grant, which com
,fstd the whole of HE present counties
+ Rensselaer, and Albany. pi'h him
au,e the founders IF families Van Cef,-
md, Fen Bro ck Hogtboom and Benson.
go5d rar; OF these vast es ates still be
)ng 10 he family. and certain curious
eudai customs have obtained upon them
own 10 recent date
The founder Of the second great feudaI
,rdship IN New York. Llv 'gston Manor,
1as Robert Livingston. who was born in
cotland, and came to America. accom-
anied by his father. The family trace
lei, descent from Liyingins Hungarian
obeman, VIII, accompanied Green Mar
aret to Scotland in 1868. The living
'pesentatiye of the Livingston family are
cry numerous. and reside, some OF them,
pom the old Manor, many in different
arts of New York State and Pennsyi-
.nla. and number In the West.
The B'eeeker fa2sily came from the
etherlaads in 16ja The members OF
lis not very large family live, most of
'e'n. IN Albany aad New York
The Beckman family furnished several
agistrates to the Dutch cities before they
migrated. They were An ole Protestant
Cologne, who suffered many moles,a
Dns on account of their religion, aud
ere finally obliged to emigra.e to Hol.
nd. This prolific family has representa-
Yea in almost Every town CT Eastern ,
ea York and all through New JERSEY
III East Pennsylvania as well Is IN Ohio
ID Michigan.
The family of Lawrence, from which
we sprung many able city merchants,
9 descended from an ancient knight, 4
mily, the first known ancestor of winch {
IS with Richard CGur dc Lion at the /.
,ge of Acre.
The New England family of Lasrences,
which the distinguished manufacturers :
blot and Amos Lawrence belonged, :
me from the same stack.
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