The original settler of the Van Buren family did not bear the name Van Buren. It was not the custom when he came to America, 1631, for Netherlanders to have a family name, except in rare cases. The Dutch of New Netherland, after the succession of the English in 1664, began to adopt family surnames, generally taking the name of the place from which they or their parents emigrated in Holland, using the profix "Van," which is Dutch for of or from. Thus it was, no doubt, with the second generation of the Van Buren family in America, the father of whom was Cornelis Maessen, Maes or Maas, being the christian name of his father, the suffix "sen" or "se" signifying son. This was the custom then in vogue among the Dutch and some other European nationalities, and is not yet wholly done away with among the peasantry. To illustrate this custom: Marten, the eldest son of Cornelis Maessen, made his will in 1703, written in Dutch, in which his name is signed "Marten Cornelissen Van Buren," meaning Marten son of Cornelis from Buren. (Frank J. Conkling in New York Gen. and Biog. Record, vol. xxviii, p. 121.)
(I) Cornelis Maessen, either emigrated from Buren, a village of the Province of Gelderland, Holland, or was a native of that place. During the summer of 1631 he sailed for America in the ship "Rensselaerwyck," having with him his young wife, Catalyntje Martense, (daughter of a man named Marten) and at least one son named Marten. A second son Hendrick is said to have been born on the voyage. They settled on a farm a little below Greenbush, at a place called Papsknee, leasing a farm from the patroon, Killian Van Rensselaer, who had been granted large tracts comprising large portions of the present counties of Albany and Rensselaer, then called Rensselaerwyck. The rental paid in 1644 by Cornelis Maessen to Van Renssaelaer was one hundred bushels wheat, oats, rye, and a few peas. This was supposed to be one-tenth of his crop for that year. Little more is known of Cornelis. He and his wife died in 1648, and the records show they were buried the same day. He died intestate, and the children were placed under guardians. His estate consisted in part of property in New York City, where is now between Fourteenth and Christopher streets. Children mentioned in legal papers: Marten C., see forward, Hendrick, Maes, Styntje.
(II) Marten Cornelisse, "Black Marten" (son of Cornelis Maessen) deposed, 1660, that he was "born in Houten," a few miles from the village of Buren in the province of Utrecht. He was probably about two years of age when his parents came to America. In 1662 he sold his home, located "This side of Bethlehem" (about two miles below Albany). In 1665 he leased half of Constapel's Island below Albany. He and his wife were members of the Dutch Church in Albany in 1683. The census of 1697 credits his family with a membership of "two men, no women, one child." In December, 1683, he paid church dues, for the rise [use?] of the "large pall," indicating that at about that time he had buried an adult member of his family. In 1700 he was captain of a military company in the regiment commanded by Colonel Pieter Schuyler. He married (first) Maritje, daughter of Pieter Quackenbosch. It is more than likely that she was the adult member of the family buried in 1683, as on May 7, 1693, "Marten Cornellisse, widower of Maritje Quackenbosch" was married to "Tameke Adams, widow of Pieter Winne"; the latter wife must have died previous to the taking of the census of 1697. His will made April 13, 1703, proved June 7, 1710, (in which latter year he died) mentions children: Cornelis Martense, Cornelia Martense, Pieter Martense, Maitje Martense, Marten Martense.
(III) Pieter Martense, son of Marten Cornelisse Van Buren, married, January 15, 1693, Ariaantje Barentse, daughter of Barent Meindersen and Eytje (Ida) his wife. Pieter M. and his wife were admitted to membership of the Dutch Church at Albany in 1695, as from Kinderhook, where they had settled about the time of their marriage. He was a freeholder in Kinderhook in 1720, and probably died previous to 1743, which year four of his sons were mentioned as freeholders of Kinderhook. His children were baptized in the Dutch Church, Albany, and their order of birth can only be ascertained there, as he left no will. The children were baptized in the order given: Cornelis, Barent, see forward, Marritje (Maria), Eytje (Ida), Marten, Cornelis, Ephrahim and Maria. Marten, sixth child, married Duckie Van Allstyne, and had a son Abraham, who was father of Martin Van Buren, eighth president of the United States.
(IV) Barent, son of Pieter Martense Van Buren, was born January 20, 1695. He married (first) December 29, 1719, ————; (second) Margarita Van Vetchen [Van Vechten?], December 23, 1637; (third) about 1747, Catalyntje (Van Buren), widow of Jacob J. Schermerhorn. Children: Ariaantje, Marten, Cornelisse, Maria, Marytje, Margarita, Hendrickje, Judikje, Elizabeth and William.
(V) William, son of Barent Van Buren, was born May 27, 1759, died February 11, 1830. He married, August 23, 1785, Catherine, born September 17, 1767, daughter of Cornelis and Elizabeth (Pruyn) Putnam. Cornelis Putnam, commonly called "Boss Putnam," two days before his death made his will; in this he styles himself "of Charleston yeoman." To son Peter he gave the homestead; to Catherine he gave land in Mabees Patent; Cornelis was a son of Victor Putnam and grandson of Jan of Schenectady, born supposedly in Holland, 1645, founder of the principal Putnam family in America. He and his wife were killed by Indians at burning of Schenectady, February 8, 1690. Victor (Victoor) was living in 1733, and from an old letter it is known that he was called "Captain Victor." He was a member of the Second Foot Company at Schenectady in 1715, the only Putnam on the list, which included every able-bodied man between sixteen and sixty. Children of William and Catherine (Putnam) Van Buren: Barent, Cornelius, see forward, Catherina, Elizabeth, Hendrick Tobias.
(VI) Cornelius, son of William and Catherine (Putnam) Van Buren, was born September 14, 1792. He left the Valley of the Hudson and following the Mohawk Valley settled in the town of Glen, Montgomery county, where he cleared and improved a farm. He married Magdelene Martine and had issue. Cornelius and wife, like their ancestors, were members of the Dutch Reformed church.
(VII) Peter Putnam, son of Cornelius and Magdelene (Martine) Van Buren, was born in the town of Glen, Montgomery county, January 24, 1814; lived there all his life a farmer; died May 17, 1851. He married, December 27, 1838, Rachel Maria Enders, born December 6, 1816, died July 16, 1873. She was a relative of Captain Philip Christian Enders, born July 22, 1740, in Braunsijweiler, District of Zugenheim, Nassau, Germany, died February 26, 1809, in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. After completing his education he entered the military service of his Sovereign, William Heinrich, Prince of Nassau, participating in numerous battles of the "Seven Years War." For gallantry and other soldierly qualities he was promoted to a captaincy in the Royal Cavalry. He subsequently resigned his commission, and May 13, 1764, married Anna, daughter of Conrad Degen, of Slippertsfield, Nassau. A few months later he came to America, with his bride; settled first in Philadelphia, later in what was then Lancaster, now Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. In 1788 he purchased a tract of thirteen hundred acres in Upper Paxtang on which he located, lived and died. His wife died in 1796. He survived her thirteen years. They were the parents of thirteen children, eight sons, four of whom married and reared large families; four of the daughters married sons of the Kreeger, Baughman, Miller and Phillips families. It is believed that the Enders family came to America with the second emigration from the lower Palatinate, settling in the Schoharie Valley in 1712-13. The family is numerous in Schoharie county, and during the revolution many of the name served in the militia of Albany and other counties. The ancestor was Bertram Enders; his son Peter settled near Schoharie Junction. He was a revolutionary soldier. During the raid of Sir John Johnston and Brant, in the Schoharie Valley in 1780, his buildings were burned. He had two brothers, Jacob and John. It is from this line that Rachel Maria Enders (wife of Peter Putnam Van Buren) descended, but the connection is not clearly shown by the records. Children of Peter P. and Rachel M. (Enders) Van Buren:
- Cornelius, see forward.
- Emily, born April 15, 1842; married Boyd R. Hudson; children:
- Agnes, deceased;
- Van Buren, deceased; and
- Emily (Mrs. Lewis of Fort Hunter).
- Helen, September 10, 1844; married (first) Dotus V. Morris, (second) David Getman, no issue.
- Enders, December 10, 1847, died July, 1881.
- Martin E., June 17, 1850; cashier of City National Bank, Amsterdam, New York; married Marcia Craig; died October, 1898. Children: John C. and Martin E. Jr.
(VIII) Cornelius, eldest child of Peter Putnam and Rachel Maria (Enders) Van Buren, was born in Glen, Montgomery county, New York, January 25, 1840, and is living in Amsterdam, New York. He was educated in the public schools of the district, Johnstown Academy, Amsterdam Academy, and at Claverack, New York. His first essay in business was as a grocer's clerk at Aurresville [Auriesville?], where he remained two years, 1858-60. For the next three years he was clerk for Voorhees, Van Antwerp & Company, proprietors of the Fultonville & New York Transportation Company, with office at Fultonville. This was before the railroads did all the business and the company had a large trade. He was later promoted to manager of the New York office. In 1866 he returned permanently to Amsterdam, moving there and remaining in that city three years, where he associated himself with John C. Putnam in the flour, feed, grain and coal business. He was successful in business and prominent in the public life of Amsterdam. In 1881, he purchased Mr. Putnam's interest, and still continues, under the style of C. Van Buren Company. He is a Republican and served as the representative of that party. He was school trustee several years, supervisor three years, member of state legislature, 1881-82, the historical session that witnessed the political downfall of Roscoe Conkling. In 1887 he was elected alderman of the city, was one of the board of sewer commissioners, trustee and president of the City Hospital, was an organizer and vice-president of the Merchants National Bank until its closing out, director of the City National Bank from 1890 until the present time, and a director of the Amsterdam Savings Bank. His continuance in public offices of trust is the best encomium that could be uttered.
He married, January 24, 1867, in Boston, Massachusetts, Marion B., born November 3, 1844, died January 21, 1889, daughter of John G. and Ann (McConnell) Gove, of New Hampshire. John Greenleaf Gove was born January 24, 1809, died 1884, son of Rev. John Gove, of New Hampshire, born January 17, 1777, died June 6, 1866; married June 11, 1805; Lydia Herrick, born February 2, 1785, died 1844, daughter of Ebenezer Herrick, born in Reading, Massachusetts, March 2, 1759, died January 9, 1842, at Marlborough, Massachusetts; was a soldier of the revolution, serving in Captain Amos Upton's company. His wife was Lydia Eaton. Ebenezer Herrick was son of Samuel Herrick, of Reading, Massachusetts, and his wife, Elizabeth Jones, of Wilmington, Massachusetts. Children of Cornelius and Marion B. (Gove) Van Buren:
- George G., born June 16, 1868; resident of Amsterdam, New York; twice married; has children:
- Marion, born June 2, 1891, and
- Cornelius, August 13, 1896.
- Florence, January 10, 1870, died in infancy.
- Grace, further mentioned.
(IX) Grace, only daughter of Cornelius and Marion B. (Gove) Van Buren, was born in Amsterdam, New York, January 6, 1879. She was educated in private schools, at college, and studied art in Boston; she is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and other organizations. She married, December 21, 1901, Karl Isburgh, born in Melrose, Massachusetts, August 25, 1878; was educated in private schools and at Chauncey Hall, Boston. He is in active business in Amsterdam, associated with C. Van Buren Company. He is a member of leading social organizations of the city. He is a son of Charles H., and a grandson of Alexander and Mary A. (Pray) Isburgh, both born in Stockholm, Sweden, later of Boston, Massachusetts, where they died. Charles H. Isburgh by his first wife had a son Frederick T., of Lynn, Massachusetts. By his second wife, Ida Josephine (Kimball) Isburgh, he had:
- Elsie, married Walter B. Peabody, of Waban, Massachusetts, and has Gretchen and Mildred Peabody.
- Karl, of previous mention. Mr. and Mrs. Karl Isburgh are the parents of
- Donald, born January 8, 1903, and
- Marion Van Buren Isburgh, August 5, 1904.