The Putnam family of Schenectady herein recorded descend from Jan or Johannes Putman (Poutman), who was the founder of the principal Putnam family in America. The spelling of the name in this particular branch was changed arbitrarily by the grandfather of the present generation from Putman to Putnam and does not indicate descent from the Englishman, John Putnam, of Salem Village, Massachusetts.
(I) Jan Putman is supposed to have been born in Holland in 1645. His parentage is unknown. In 1661 he was sixteen years of age, and at that date a merchant of Albany. He and his wife were killed at the burning and massacre of Schenectady, February 8, 1690. He was a man of some education and signed his name in a "clear and beautiful hand." He was apprenticed when a lad of sixteen years to Philip Hendrickse Brouwer, and on the removal of the latter to Schenectady went with him. Brouwer died early in 1664. The house lot of Jan Putman was on the north corner of Union and Ferry streets, Schenectady, and later he bought the one hundred feet next west of Jan Roeloffse, elder son of the noted Anneke Jans. He married Cornelia, born 1655, daughter of Arent Andresse and Catlyntje (De Vos) Bratt. Children: Arent, Maritje, Victor, David Cornelis, Catalyntje.
(II) Arent, son of Jan and Cornelia (Bratt) Putman, was born in Schenectady about 1675. Very little is known of him; he sold land in Schenectady to his brother Victor in 1709, and in 1720 was a freeholder there. In 1713 he is described as a weaver. He was living in 1754. He married Lysbet Akkerman. Children: Janetje, Johannes, Lodewyck, David, Cornelia, Maritje, Victor, Sara.
(III) Lodewyck, son of Arent and Lysbet (Akkerman) Putman, was baptized at Schenectady, November 14, 1713. He settled near Johnstown, New York, about two and a half miles from the Court House. A party of Sir John Johnson's men, Tories and Indians, attacked his farm, May 21, 1780, and he was slain with his son Aaron. The mother and daughter, Hannah, were spared. Two of his sons were absent from the farm at the time. The Putmans of the Mohawk Valley were firm and outspoken in their loyalty to the Colonies and were especially marked for punishment by their enemies, the Tories. He married Elizabeth Soets. Children: Derrick (Richard); Arent, killed by Indians; Frederick; John L.; Hannah; Margaret or Elizabeth.
(IV) Richard (Derrick), son of Lodewyck and Elizabeth (Soets) Putman, was born near Schenectady, New York, 1746, died April 14, 1835, aged eighty-nine years. He lived at Ephratah, Fulton county, New York. He married, October, 1767, Nelly, daughter of Gysbert and Maria (Van Antwerp) Van Brakel or Van Brocklin. She died at the great age of one hundred years seven months, February 20, 1849; she was born in July, 1748. They are buried in Kecks Centre cemetery. Children: Oboick, Gysbert, Cornelias, Gerrit D., Maryia, Lewis, John D., Syme, Syme (or Simon), Aaron, Nellie.
(V) Gerrit D., son of Richard and Nelly (Van Brakel or Van Brocklin) Putman, was born near Herkimer, New York, December 4, 1776, died at age of ninety-three years. He was a farmer, and noted for his generosity, his orchards and sugar house being always at the disposal of any caller. He retained his activity until the age of ninety years, but last three years were years of pain and suffering. He retained his early tongue and seldom spoke anything but the Dutch language. He was in comfortable circumstances owing to his life of industry. He was a member of the Dutch Reformed church and ordered his ways by its teachings. He married and had children, Nancy and Richard R. Nancy married ———— Stebbins, and with him settled in Turin, Lewis county, New York, where they died, leaving issue.
(VI) Richard R., son of Gerrit D. Putman, was born about 1800, near Rome, New York. He settled in the town of Steuben, Oneida county, New York. He was a farmer and tanner. He was a member of the Baptist church and served as chorister for many years. A noted feature of the Steuben family was their fine voices. The father, with his deep bass, and the others supplying the other parts, made the church singing a most interesting feature. He died at the home of his daughter, near Rome, New York, aged about ninety years. He changed the spelling of his name to Putnam. He married in the town of Herki-mer, Oneida county, New York, Abby Young, born in Steuben, Oneida county, New York, 1804. She was a woman of delicate constitution and died prior to her husband, aged seventy-four. She was also a Baptist. Children:
- Albert A., see forward.
- Julia, born 1839; married (first) Dr. Arthur Gillette, a well-known physician of Steuben, and a famous Bible scholar and expounder; child, Dr. Arthur Gillette, of Rome. She married (second) Noah Wilson; child, Lester Wilson.
- Richard, born 1841; a contractor and builder of Rome, New York; married Maria Phillips, children: Frank, Edward, Carrie, deceased.
- Aaron, married and lived in Chicago, Illinois, and in Rome, New York, where he died; his widow still resides in Rome, New York, and has a son, Rev. Ray Putnam, a Baptist minister.
- Angeline, of Erie, Pennsylvania; married John Phillips; children: Wendell, George, Frederick, Grace, Emma.
(VII) Albert A., eldest son of Richard R. and Abby (Young) Putnam, was born in Oneida county, New York, 1837, died 1878, near Rome, New York. He was noted for his well-stored and retentive mind and memory. He was a tanner, working first for his father and later owning his own tannery in the town of Steuben. He was a member of the Baptist church, and a very religious man. He married in Remsen, Oneida county, New York, Sarah Thompson, born about 1830, died in the town of Western, Oneida county, New York, 1893. She was reared in the Baptist faith, but later joined the Presbyterian church. She was a daughter of Henry Thompson, of New York City, superintendent of the vast Remsen family estate in Oneida county. New York; their other children were: Henry, Agnes, Mary, who married Henry Pierce, of Agawam, Massachusetts. Children of Albert A. and Sarah (Thompson) Putnam:
- Ella, died aged eighteen.
- E. Germain, of Chicago, Illinois; married and has children; Sarah and Catherine.
- Edgar S., see forward.
- William H., see forward.
- Alfred G., born 1862; lives in Utica, New York; married and has a son, Hugo, a graduate of Dean Academy, Franklin, Massachusetts, who expects to complete his education in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
- Horatio Seymour, born 1865, died in Texas, unmarried; was a student and poet.
- Charles, died aged three years.
- Jesse H., of Rome, New York; married Catherine Utley.
- Mabel, died aged one and a half years.
(VIII) Edgar Scott, son of Albert A. and Sarah (Thompson) Putnam, was born in Oneida county, New York, April 1, 1857. He was reared on the farm, and educated in the public schools. He left the farm and engaged in various business enterprises in different sections until 1905, when he settled permanently in Schenectady and has established a most successsful real estate agency. He placed upon the market and sold "Pinehurst," a sub-division of the city of Schenectady. He has been very successful in his undertakings. He is a Republican in politics and active in city matters. He is unmarried.
(IX) William H., son of Albert A. and Sarah (Thompson) Putnam, was born May 29, 1858, in Oneida county, New York, where he was reared and educated. He became interested in the manufacture of metal signs and was the inventor of the raised letter metal sign now in general use. He manufactured them and traveled all over the country superintending their sale and erection, and conducted a large wholesale business from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast with the hardware trade. He also made a specialty of street numbers for dwellings and business houses. He numbered the cities of Rome and Syracuse complete, using many thousands of numbers in both cities. He has accumulated a considerable estate in and around Schenectady, where he is now engaged in business. He is a supporter of Republican principles. He married, in Schenectady, December 14, 1904, Mrs. Ada M. (Taylor) Franklin, born in Sodus, Wayne county, New York, April 4, 1857, and was there educated and married her first husband.
Mr. and Mrs. Putnam are attendants of the First Methodist Church of Schenectady. He is a member of Marub Lodge, No. 288, Knights of Pythias, of Rome, New York.