List of Mayors of Albany, New York - Eighteenth Century

Eighteenth Century

Mayor Start End Comment
Jan Jansen Bleecker 1700 1701 Born in Holland; emigrated to Albany in 1658. Negotiated support from the Iroquois tribes in the Dutch struggles against the French in Canada. Also served as City Chamberlain, Indian Commissioner, Recorder, Justice of the Peace and as a member of the Provincial Assembly.
Johannes Bleecker, Jr. 1701 1702 Interpreter to the Indians. Carried captive to Canada in 1686, returned as year later. Also served as Recorder and member of the General Assembly. Son of Mayor Jan Jansen Bleecker and brother of Mayor Rutger Bleecker. City wall strengthened during his term in expectation of an attack from the French.
Albert Janse Ryckman 1702 1703 One of the most prominent Albany brewmasters of the late seventeenth century. Captain of the militia. Deacon in the Dutch Reformed Church.
Johannes Schuyler 1703 1706 Militia officer, trader, river transport operator. Brother of Pieter Schuyler and grandfather of Continental General Philip Schuyler. Enacted a law mandating that each house had to build an eight-foot sidewalk. Also served as Indian Commissioner, member of Colonial Assembly and Alderman.
David Davidse Schuyler 1706 1707 Brother of Mayor Myndert Schuyler; “fyre-masters” were ordered to inspect chimneys during his term. Also served as Alderman, Justice, County Sheriff, Indian Commissioner and delegate to the Council of the Onondagas.
Evert Bancker 1707 1709 See first term entry above
Johannes Abeel 1709 1710 See first term entry above
Robert Livingston the Younger 1710 1719 Nephew of Mayor Robert Livingston. Married to daughter of Mayor Pieter Schuyler. Born in Scotland, emigrated in 1687. Accused by the Boston Board of Trade of being a partner with pirate Captain Kidd since Kidd was using his ship, he was later exonerated. Member of the Colonial Assembly, Indian Commissioner, Secretary of the City.
Myndert Schuyler 1719 1720 Merchant. Ordered construction of small houses outside the city walls to house Indians who came to trade. Also served as member of the Assembly, Church Master, Indian Commissioner, Lieutenant Colonel of the Militia, Alderman.
Pieter Van Brugh 1720 1723 See first term entry above
Myndert Schuyler 1723 1725 See first term entry above
Johannes Cuyler 1725 1726 Elder in the Dutch Church, Indian Commissioner, trader. Admitted freeman of New York City. Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Married to daughter of Mayor Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck.
Rutger Bleecker 1726 1729 Merchant. Son of Mayor Jan Jansen Bleecker, brother of Mayor Johannes Bleecker; married to widow of Mayor Johannes Abeel. Enacted laws restricting the sale of intoxicants to Indians. Also served as Recorder.
Johannes DePeyster 1729 1731 Son of Johannes de Peyster, a Mayor of New York City and a Huguenot. Purchased Albany’s first fire-fighting equipment, ladders and fire-hooks. Married daughter of Mayor Myndert Schuyler. Also served as Recorder, Indian Commissioner, member of Provincial Assembly, Captain of the Cavalry, Inspector of Ordinance, Surrogate of Albany County and Paymaster of the New York Forces. His daughter married Albany Mayor Volckert Douw.
Johannes "Hans" Hansen 1731 1732 Trader, son of Mayor Hendrick Hansen, married daughter of Mayor Johannes Cuyler. Spent much of his youth west of Albany in Indian lands.
Johannes DePeyster 1732 1732 See first term entry above
Edward Holland 1733 1740 First English Mayor of Albany, his father commanded the Albany garrison. Signed a City Ordinance “To prevent Negroes or Indian slaves to appear in the streets after eight at night without a lanthorn and lighted candle in it.”
Johannes Schuyler, Jr. 1740 1741 Son of Mayor Johannes Schuyler, father of General Philip Schuyler. Businessman with lucrative government contracts and large dowry from his New York City Dutch wife's family; appointed to a second term as Mayor but declined to take required oath of allegiance and did not serve. Also served as Indian Commissioner and Alderman.
Johannes DePeyster 1741 1742 See first term entry above
Cornelis Cuyler 1742 1746 Fur trader and merchant, represented Albany's interests in Mohawk Country and Canada; alderman, active member of Indian Affairs Commission. Son of Mayor Johannes Cuyler, grandson (via mother) of Mayor Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck, father of Mayor Abraham Cuyler.
Dirck Ten Broeck 1746 1748 Merchant, grandson of Mayor Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck. Also served as City Inspector of Skins, Alderman, Recorder and Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
Jacob Coenraedt Ten Eyck 1748 1750 Indian Commissioner, silversmith, judge, and member of Albany’s Committee of Safety during the Revolutionary War
Robert Sanders 1750 1754 English native who married into the influential Dutch Schuyler family at a time when it was without a strong male leader; his administration hosted the Albany Congress.
Johannes (Hans) Hansen 1754 1756 See first term entry above; died in office during this term
Sybrant Gozen Van Schaick 1756 1761 Trader and landholder, his administration witnessed some of the most active local phases of the French and Indian War.
Volckert Petrus Douw 1761 1770 Merchant and one of the founders of Albany Savings Bank, second oldest bank in New York. Married daughter of Mayor Johannes DePeyster. Also served as Alderman, Recorder, Captain of the Militia, Judge, member of the Colonial Assembly, Indian Commissioner, Committee of Safety, Commissary of the Northern Army, New York State Senator.
Abraham Cornelis Cuyler 1770 1778 Third generation member of his family to serve as mayor, grandson (via mother) of Mayor Johannes Schuyler. Last mayor of colonial Albany, cooperated with English interests as local tensions mounted; arrested by Revolutionaries and exiled to Connecticut; condemned to death in 1779 under Act of Attainder; after peace with Britain was secured, he attempted to return to Albany but was unable to reclaim his property and died in Canada in 1810.
John Barclay 1778 1779 Member of Albany Committee of Correspondence; first Mayor under new State government; died in office.
Abraham Ten Broeck 1779 1783 Lawyer, banker. Son of Mayor Dirck Ten Broeck. During his term, Albany was designated the capital of New York and whipping posts were abolished in the city; a prominent citizen and co-administrator of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck for Patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer, also served as member of the Colonial Assembly, delegate to the Continental Congress, Brigadier-General of the Army, President of the Committee of Safety, New York State Senator, Judge, President of the Bank of Albany.
Johannes Jacobse Beeckman 1783 1786 Firemaster, alderman, member of New York State Assembly; active in Albany Committee of Correspondence
John Lansing, Jr. 1786 1790 Also delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention, member of the Continental Congress, Speaker of the Assembly and Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, among other duties. During his term, the New York Convention ratified the United States Constitution. He disappeared on December 12, 1829 in New York City; he was last seen by the doorman at City Hotel.
Abraham Yates, Jr. 1790 1796 Financier. Delegate to the Continental Congress, Albany’s first Postmaster and founding trustee of Union College. Oil street lamps installed during his term. New York State Senator for first 13 sessions. Delegate to the Continental Congress.
Abraham Ten Broeck 1796 1798 See first term entry above
Philip Schuyler van Rensselaer 1799 1816 Grandson of Philip Livingston. Second longest total time of service by an Albany Mayor, after Erastus Corning II; ordered the State Capitol built; Robert Fulton’s steamboat “Clermont” arrived in Albany on its first voyage during his term, and Schenectady County was created from Albany. President of the Bank of Albany.

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