Albert Andriessen Bradt (1607 – June 7, 1686) was one of the earliest Norwegian settlers in New Netherland. In the early records he is often referred to as Albert Noorman ('Norwegian').
Contents
Biography
Albert Andriessen Bradt (spelled "Bratt" during his lifetime) was born at Fredrikstad in Østfold, Norway. He moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands at a time when commerce between Norwegian and Dutch merchants was well established. In 1636 he joined a party for New Netherland. In a 1636 agreement between Bradt and Kiliaen van Rensselaer, Bradt is listed as a tobacco planter. In the early records, he is sometimes referred to as "Albert the Noorman".
On October 8, 1636, the twenty-nine year old Bradt, his wife Annetje, and their two children, Barent and Eva, sailed aboard the Wapen Van Rensselaerwyck, arriving in New Amsterdam on March 4, 1637, after a difficult voyage. During the crossing, on Sunday, November 2, 1636, Annetje gave birth to a son they named "Storm". They would later have five more children, Engeltje, Gisseltje, Andries, Jan, and Dirck (or Hendrick).
Their destination was Rensselaerswyck where Bradt worked at a saw mill and a tobacco plantation. Initially, Andriessen was to operate the mill with his partners, but not long after his arrival he took the liberty of dissolving the partnership and established himself as a tobacco planter. After about a year, he and his brother, Arent, began growing tobacco for the patroon and participating in the fur trade. Bradt later operated two large sawmills on a location that later was known as Lower Hollow from the patroon, Van Rensselaer, on a stream winding across south-central Albany County, New York. It empties into the Hudson River after flowing around the west side of Castle Island, and came to be called Normans Kill named after Albert. Normans Kill is the first tributary of the Hudson River south of the city of Albany. He was also a woodcutter, sawyer and fur trader which brought him commercial success. He was one of the elders of the Albany Lutheran Church.
Marriage
Albert married Annatje Barents Van Rolmers/Rotmer (1608-1661) on April 11, 1632 in Oude Kerke, Amsterdam, Netherlands. The bans were made on March 27 of that year. Annatje had German parents, but according to some genealogies was born in Oudenbrath (erroneously thought be in Norway), or Oudenbroeck (currently Altenbruch), Germany.
After Anna's death, Albert sold the New Amsterdam property and lived at Norman's Kill. He created a document dated 3 June 1662 whereby he paid all of his children for their shares in all of their mother's estate: Eva (Roeloff) Swartwout, Barent Albertsen, Storm Albertsen, Engeltje (Teunis) Slingerlandt, Gisseltje (Jan) Van Echelen, Andreis Albertsen (minor), Jan Albertsen (minor), and Dirck Albertsen (minor).
He then married Pieterje Jans, the widow of his former sawmill partner. After her death in 1667, his third wife was Geertruy Coeymans Vosburgh who was also a widow. This third marriage was unhappy.
She filed a court petition for separation and alimony on 13 January 1669, and after a long court battle, they were legally separated "because of strife and differences that hath arisen between them" on 24 October 1670; she received annual alimony of 80 schepels in apples and beavers. In 1672, Albert Andriesen Bradt turned the saw mills over to son Barent Albertsen Bradt. In his old age, Albert Andriesen Bradt's behavior became even worse and his children were ordered to deal with him. Albert Andriesen Bradt lived his last few years with unmarried son Dirck Albertsen Bradt in Albany, NY.
Children
In October 1647, Bradt's eldest daughter Eva married her first husband, Anthony De Hooges (1620-1655), colonial secretary and superintendent of Rensselaerwyck. After the death of her first husband, she married Roeloff Swartwout, the founder of Kingston, New York and Hurley, New York.
Albert's son, Barent, married Susanna Dirkse Mayer in Albany. They had 8 children together, but the marriage suffered from Barent's intemperate behavior which led to several court appearances on battery and assault charges. Barent derived his income from sawing, probably at his father's saw mill. He also found success in real estate as he acquired several parcels and built several houses in Albany. He severed on juries and as firemaster and roadmaster. He also acquired lots at Halfmoon and Schaghticoke.
Albert's third child, Storm Albertse Van Der Zee (of the Sea) was born while en route to the New World. He married Hilletje Lansing about 1666. Growing up on the Normans kill, by the mid-1650s he was trading lumber, furs, and tobacco in New Amsterdam – probably on his father's behalf. In 1662, he obtained a lot and then a house in Beverwyck. Thereafter, he settled in Albany – forming a number of trading partnerships, opening a tavern, and then married Hilletie. He died at the age of 42 after an illness.
Albert's fourth child, Engeltje Bradt, married Teunis Cornelisse Slingerland and had 8 children. Teunis and Engeltje purchased 9874 acres of land from the Indians, this land lies east of the Helderberg Mountains and in the present towns of New Scotland and Bethlehem. This land also includes the villages of Slingerlands on the Delaware and Hudson Railroad. Teunis was appointed commissary by Governor Thomas Dongan in the 1680s.
Albert's fifth child, Geseltje Bradt, married twice. First to Jan van Eschelen who died in 1668 in Albany and second to Hendrick Willemsen.
Albert's sixth child, Andries Albertse Bradt, married twice. First to Neeltje () and second to Conrelia Teunisse van Wie (Veryvay).
Albert's seventh child, Jan Albertse Bradt, married Maria Post who was baptized in 1649 in Recife, Brazil. Maria's parents Adriaen Crijnen Post and Claretje Moockers were from the Hague, Netherlands and lived for a while in the Dutch West India Company's colony in Recife, Brazil. The family sailed for the colony of New Netherland on 30 June 1650. Captain Post led a group in settling the successful colony on Staten Island as he had cultivated friendly relations with the Indians there. The colony was attacked and burned by the Munsee on 15 Sep 1655 as a result of the Peach War. Among the sixty-seven prisoners were Adriaen, Claartje, their five children (Adrian, Maria, Lysbeth, and two unknown children), and two servants of the Post family.