Pieter Ostrander and his wife Tryntje came to America in the vessel "Spotted Cow," April 16, 1660, bringing with them their children, Pieter Petersen, born 1650; Tryntje, or Catarina, born 1652; Giertje, born 1654. Pieter Ostrander is mentioned in history as a cadet in the army of the King of Holland, and as being a native of Amsterdam. He settled in Kingston, Ulster county, New York. The grandfather of Judge Ostrander, of Saratoga, was Christopher, a descendant of Pieter Ostrander, the emigrant. He settled in Greenbush (now Rensselaer), Rensselaer county, New York. He married, and had issue.
(II) William P., son of Christopher Ostrander, was born in Greenbush, Rensselaer county, New York, February 22, 1823, died in Schuylerville, New York, November 20, 1908. He was a farmer, lumberman and a good general business man. He lived for several years in the town of Saratoga, and at West Fort Ann, where he had extensive lumber and mining interests. His latter years were spent in Schuylerville. He was supervisor of the town of Saratoga, and during the civil war was active in recruiting and filling out troops for service in the field. Politically he was a Republican. He married Isabelle C. Winney,. born in Saratoga, New York, in 1828, daughter of Francis K. and Dorcas (Tefft) Winney. She survives her husband, resident of the town of Saratoga (1910). Children:
- Vibert W., born February 12, 1849; married Matilda Sample; children:
- William P. (2), married Georgie Black;
- Agnes P., married Charles G. Fryer.
- Fannie M., born 1851, died 1872; married Charles Marshall, no issue.
- William S., see forward.
- Anna Isabelle, born 1862; married Charles S. Closson, of Schuylerville; children:
- Daisy Lillian, married George I. Yost;
- Orley Winney, married Ethel Butterfield, of New York City.
(III) William S., son of William P. and Isabelle C. (Winney) Ostrander, was born in town of Saratoga, New York, June 28, 1856. He was educated in the public school and at Argyle and Mechanicsville academies. He entered Cornell University, where he was graduated, class of 1881. He prepared for the profession of law with John De Witt Warner and D. S. Potter, both eminent lawyers of New York City and Saratoga county bar. He was admitted to practice in the New York courts in 1883, and opened his first office in Schuylerville, where he continued until 1885, when he located at Saratoga Springs, practising his profession there, but retaining his residence in Schuylerville, which is yet his home. Mr. Ostrander owns and operates farms upwards of three hundred acres in the town of Saratoga. January 1, 1905, he was appointed by Governor Higgins surrogate of Saratoga county to fill a vacancy. In 1906 he was regularly nominated and elected to the same office for a term of six years. He is a Republican, and has held several of the town offices of Schuylerville. As a public official he has proved his worth and administered the business of the surrogate's court with commendable fairness and dispatch. He is a member of Schuylerville Lodge, No. 76, Free and Accepted Masons; the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Eastern Star, and the college fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon. He married, October 17, 1883, in Schuylerville, New York, Cora E., born in that town, daughter of Giles P. and Isabella (Pond) Laing. Children:
- Sterling, died at the age of eighteen years;
- Vibert Laing, born July 7, 1887, married Lauretta Hammond, of Schuylerville, daughter of Dr. John A. and Kate (Lewis) Hammond, and has a son, John Lewis Ostrander;
- Marion Ysabel;
- Gretchen;
- Paul.