Pension Application

W.25830 (Widow Nancy or Ann or Annatje)
State of New York
County of Albany SS.
            On this 12th day of March one thousand eight hundred and forty four, personally appeared before the undersigned, one of the Judges of the County Courts in and for said County, Nancy (or Annatje or Ann) VanDerVoort of the city of Albany in said County, aged eighty five years and upwards, and she being duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the act of Congress passed 4th July 1836.
            She declareth and saith that she was married to James (or Jacobus) P. VanDerVoort who was a non-commissioned officer in the army of the revolution and served in manner & for the terms & under the officers herein after set forth. She further declares that she was married to said James P. VanDerVoort on the fourteenth day of February one thousand seven hundred and seventy nine. That said James P. VanDerVoort died on the thirteenth day of October one thousand eight hundred and ten (1810).
            That since his death she has remained single and unmarried—that she was his widow on the fourth day of July 1836, & that she is still his widow.
            She further represents, that she resided at the time of her marriage in said City of Albany with her parents whose names were George & Gertrude Neggs. That her mother’s maiden name was Schuyler, and hence she this deponent usually went among her acquaintances by the name of “Schuyler”, Annatje or Nancy Schuyler. She this declarant was born in the year 1758 in the month of October in that year and she is assured that 1779 must be the exact year of her marriage because when she was married she well recollects that she was then only twenty years of age. That she once had a record of her marriage in a family bible, but that the same is now lost. That she was married on the day and year aforesaid by the Reverend Domine Vrooman of the Reformed Dutch Church of Schenectada in the house of said Domine Vrooman in Schenectada.
            And this Declarant further saith that she had by her said husband children as follows—Martha afterwards the wife of Lewis Clark of said City of Albany & now deceased was born about ten months after wedlock on the 23d day of December 1779—Her second child named James was born about two years thereafter, viz on the 31st January 1782, and he is now deceased. Her third child named Gertrude (or in Dutch Geertruy) was born on the 31st day of January 1785 & became the wife of Benjamin Ostrander & she is now living, her fourth child was born in the month of June 1787 and was named John & he died at twenty-seven years of age. Her fifth child named Margaret was born on the 4th day of March 1790, and became the wife of Garret V.S. Bleecker viz. of Albany & is now deceased. She then had children at intervals of about two years between the firth of each child between 1790 & 1800 as follows—Daniel, Charles, Cathlina, & Richard (Twins) and Anna Gourlay. In 1802 she had a son named Henry, and in 1804 she had a daughter named Helen she intermarried with Samuel Pruym, & is now deceased.
            And this declarant further saith, that her late husband the said James usually went by the name of James or Jacobus without using his middle name Paul (which he received from his paternal uncle who was thus called). That at the time he entered the service he resided at Fishkill NY. This Declarant when she first became acquainted with said James, resided with her mother in Albany and the said James was then and there on duty as a soldier—She always understood him to say that he ran away from school with several of his associates from Fishkill aforesaid and enlisted into the regular army of the United States under one Captain VanBenschoten. She remembers the names of Colonel Willett, Majors Gardner & Rosecrantz ans officers under and with whom he served. He enlisted in the spring of the year 1777 and was on duty at the taking of Burgoyne & served in all nearly three years as she always understood & believes under said Captain VanBenschoten. When declarant first became acquainted with said VanDerVoort he was in the habit of visiting a family by the name of Sturges who were next door neighbors of Declarant. Isaac Sturges of that family, was an enlisted soldier as Declarant understood at the time in said company of VanBenschoten. One Thomas Jones who also visited Sturges’ family was an enlisted soldier in the same company. VanBenschoten might have been a Major instead of captain—Declarant always understand that her said husband enlisted & served under him.
            After her marriage to said VanDerVoort he continued to perform military duty for six months at the least until the term of his enlistment under VanBenschoten was closed and he received his discharge. About a year after or in 1780 there being as she understood alarms of the approach of the enemy along the Mohawk river he said husband served as a militia man in the company of militia in which he was enrolled, viz. Brinkerhoof’s but she can give no account of his services on these occasions except generally that he was out on scouting parties as they were termed & in pursuit of the enemy & he was away from home on these occasions several weeks at a time. In 1780 she moved with her husband & lived during that year at Fishkill aforesaid. They lived with his parents there about one year and a half & they then commenced housekeeping themselves. After residing at Fishkill about three years they moved to Albany aforesaid, where he resided till the day of his death & she this Declarant has continued to live in said City & County of Albany ever since.
            She recollects that she heard her said husband, say that his militia service was performed at Stone Arabia and other posts along the Mohawk. (Signed) Nancy VanDerVoort
            Subscribed & sworn the day & year first aforesaid before me the said Judge, and I certify that the said Nancy VanDerVoort is by reason of bodily infirmities unable to attend court. R. J. Hilton Judge Albany County Courts.

February 25, 1931, letter replying to a request for information.
            You are advised that it appears from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, W.25830, that James (or Jacobus) Paul VanDerVoort, son of Jacob VanDerVoort of Fishkill, New York, enlisted December 15, 1776, at the age of fifteen or sixteen years, as a private, on May 1, 1777 was made corporal and served under Captain VanBunschoten, Majors Gardner and Rosecrantz in the 3rd New York Regiment, was in two battles, one of which was at the taking of Burgoyne, the name of the other not show; length of service nearly three years. He also served a tour in 1780 in Captain John G. Brinkerhoff’s company, Colonel Abraham Brinkerhoff’s New York regiment and it is stated also that he served under Colonel Willett in the New York troops, length of the last named tours not shown.
            Soldier’s mother was living during the Revolution, but her name is not shown. He died October 13, 1810 in Albany, New York.
            Soldier married February 14, 1779 in Schenectady, New York, at the house of the pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church, Nancy (Ann or Annatje) nNeggs. She was born in October 2758 and was the daughter of George and Gertrude Neggs (the name also appears as Neghs and Knigs). Said Gertrude’s maiden name was Schuyler. At the time of the marriage of soldier and Nancy Neggs, she was living in Albany, New York with her parents, but moved with her husband to Fishkill, New York, where they lived three years, a part of the time with his parents, then they moved to Albany, New York, where they continued to reside.
            Soldier’s widow, Nancy VanDerVoort, was allowed pension on her application executed March 12, 1844, at which time she was a resident of Albany, New York.
            The soldier and his wife had the following children:
            Martha born December 23, 1779, married in January 1803, Lewis Clark of Albany, New York. She        died October, 1831; he lived in Albany, New York, in 1844, aged 60 years.
            James born January 31, 1782, lost at sea, date not known.
            Gertrude born January 31, 1785, married Benjamin Ostrander; she was living in 1844, husband dead.
            John born June ---, 1787, died at age of 27 years.
            Margaret born March 4, 1790, married February 6, 1811, Garret V. S. Blucker of Albany, New York; in 1844 he lived in Albany aged 54 years, wife dead.
            Daniel baptized June 2, 1792.
            Charles baptized July 20, 1794.
            Cathlina and Richard (twins) baptized April 30, 1797.
            Ann or Anna Gourlay born June 18, 1798.
            Henry born January 8, 1802.
            Helen born--- ---, 1804, married Samuel Pruym of Albany, New York.
            Soldier’s sister, Margaret, the wife of Thomas Linacre, was living in Albany, New York, in 1844, aged about seventy years.
            Soldier was named for his uncle, Paul Vandervoort.

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