The Niskayuna family of Vedder herein recorded descend from Harmen Albertse Vedder, the first settler of the name in the Mohawk Valley. He was a trader in Beverwyck before the year 1657. In 1660 he returned to Holland. In 1661, as agent for Dirk De Wolfe, merchant of Amsterdam, he erected a salt kettle on Coney Island, New York, which being claimed by the people of Gravesend he brought suit before the governor and council to make good his claim, and being beaten abandoned the enterprise. In 1663 he leased his "bouwery" at Schenectady to Simon Groot for six years. In 1668, being in Holland with other merchants from the province of New York, he purchased goods and chartered the ship "King Charles," and obtained permission from the King of England to send the ship and goods to New York. In 1667 he lived in Albany. In 1672 he bought land in Schenectady. In 1673 he was one of three magistrates for Schenectady. He did not show proper respect for the magistrates of Albany, and also pretended to have the right to trade with the Indians. For his presumption he was reprimanded and warned "to regulate himself accordingly." He purchased the village lot of the heirs of Reiner, son of Domine Schaets, of Albany, after his massacre by the Indians in 1690. The following children of Harmen Vedder were living in 1715:
- Harmanus,
- Arent,
- Albert, born May 10, 1671,
- Johannes,
- Corset,
- Angenietje, wife of Jan Danielse Van Antwerpen.
(II) Arent, son of Harmen Albertse Vedder, settled on land on the south side of the Mohawk river, opposite Hoffman's ferry, which was called Vedder's ferry. He made his will August 10, 1746, and all his children were then living. He married Sara, daughter of Simon Groot. Children:
- Agnietje, born February 11, 1694, in Albany, married Dieter Janse Vrooman;
- Rebecca, married Willem Brouwer;
- Harmen, born 1696;
- Maria, baptized September 1, 1699;
- Susanna, married Pieter Mabie;
- Sara, married Cornelis Swits;
- Lysbeth, died young;
- Simon, died May 17, 1791;
- Antje, married Pieter Clement;
- Lysbeth (2), married Jessais Swart;
- Albert.
(III) Simon, son of Arent and Sara (Groot) Vedder, was born October 3, 1707, died May 17, 1791. He lived in the "Woestine." He married, January 16, 1735, Maria Truax, widow of Simon Groot. Children:
- Arent, see forward;
- Philip, baptized July 9, 1737;
- Harmanus, baptized March 4, 1739;
- Neeltje, December 6, 1741, married Johannes Van Pelten;
- Sarah, May 13, 1744, married Myndert Wemple;
- Annatje, September 14, 1746;
- Maria, October 15, 1749;
- Agnieltje, April 5, 1752, married Nicolas Swart;
- Susanna, May 18, 1755;
- Anna, March 12, 1758, married Johannes Myndertse.
(IV) Arent (2), son of Simon and Maria (Truax) (Groot) Vedder, was born August 25, 1735 in Mt. Hope, town of Niskayuna. He was a farmer. He married (first) December 10, 1768, Jannetje, born November, 1744, died April 10, 1780, daughter of Johannes Truax. He married (second), February 23, 1782, Annatje Bancker, died July 14, 1813, aged seventy-two years, daughter of Willem Bancker. Arent Vedder made his will September 3, 1811, died November 11, 1811. His second wife was then living, also children, Simon A., John B., Maria and Alida.
(V) Simon A., son of Arent (2) and Jannetje (Truax) Vedder, was born September 1, 1772, died in Niskayuna, December 22, 1844. He married (first) November 14, 1807, Mary Bassett, died January 17, 1823, aged forty-one years. He married (second) December 7, 1824, Elizabeth Gates, died in Schenectady, 1870, aged sixty-eight years, and is buried in Vale cemetery. Children by first wife:
- Ann, born August 24, 18088, died August 25, 1871; married Richard J. Pearse.
- Aaron, see forward.
- Michael Bassett, September 20, 1811, died April 7, 1882; married (first) Agnes Vedder, no issue; married (second) Catherine Swart, no issue.
- Cornelius, see forward.
- John, born May 26, 1816, died July 27, 1883; married Margaret Vrooman. Children:
- M. Margaret, married Rev. William H. Phraner, and has a daughter Olive, of Hempstead, Long Island;
- M. Katherine, unmarried, resides at Hempstead.
- Maria, November 17, 1818, died November 23, 1868; married Stephen P. Hill, of Massachusetts, no issue.
(VI) Aaron, son of Simon A. and Mary (Bassett) Vedder, was born at the Niskayuna farm, Schenectady county, New York, December 27, 1809, died there October 7, 1886. He was a prosperous farmer, and a man of influence. He was a member of the Reformed church, and a Whig and Republican in politics. He married, January 12, 1843, in Niskayuna, Elizabeth B. Spaun, born in the town of Bethlehem, Albany county, New York, in 1819, died in Niskayuna, June 16, 1903. Children:
- Mary, married Albert Van Voast;
- DeWitt Frank, see forward.
(VII) De Witt Frank, son of Aaron and Elizabeth B. (Spaun) Vedder, was born in Niskayuna, Schenectady county, New York, on the farm he now occupies, September 12, 1852. He was educated in the public schools and grew up on the home farm. He later became owner of one-half the homestead farm. He is a prosperous farmer and a highly regarded citizen. He is a Republican, following the political faith of his family. He is active in town affairs, and has held several local offices. He married, in Schenectady, Etta, daughter of Aaron and Maria (Haight) Putnam, residents of Schenectady county, town of Duanesburg, married in Schenectady village where they died, he at the age of sixty-three, she at seventy-one. Aaron Putnam was the son of Matthew Putnam, ex-sheriff of Schenectady county, who died in Fultonville, New York, aged eighty years. He married Nancy Veeder, who died in Fultonville, New York, aged eighty-two. Children of De Witt Frank and Etta (Putnam) Vedder:
- Elizabeth, born September 12, 1885, married Vincent Westervelt, D.D.S., of Schenectady;
- Myra, February 10, 1889;
- William, March 7, 1890.
(VI) Cornelius, son of Simon A. and Mary (Bassett) Vedder, was born in Niskayuna, Schenectady county, New York, March 15, 1813, died there July 30, 1889. He was a farmer all his years, prosperous and respected. He adhered to the religious faith of his fathers - the Dutch Reformed - and was a Whig and Republican in politics, which was the political faith of the Vedders for generations. He married at Lisha's Kill, Albany county, March 3, 1836, Maria A., born in Albany county, New York, November 28, 1815, died November 21, 1890, daughter of Abraham Ver Planck and Helena (Groot) Lansing, both of Albany county, and granddaughter of John V. A. and Harriet (Ver Planck) Lansing, descendants of the old Dutch Lansings of the first settlements. Children of Cornelius and Maria A. (Lansing) Vedder:
- Abraham, born May 9, 1837, died June 12, 1887; he was a prosperous farmer of Niskayuna; married Mary Vrooman, born September 3, 1841, died August 4, 1896; children:
- Cornelius, died young;
- John N. V., born November 28, 1873, unmarried;
- Henry S., October 18, 1876, died July, 1906, unmarried;
- Alice, August 4, 1879, married George G. Jones, and has a son George Vedder, born August 25, 1907.
- Mary A., March 30, 1840, died September 1, 1908, unmarried.
- Helen, October 17, 1842; resides with her brother in Niskayuna, unmarried.
- Simon H., see forward.
- Dr. Lansing T., born September 22, 1859, died May 12, 1900; a graduate of Albany Medical College, and for many years a well-known and skillful practitioner of medicine in Schenectady; he married Susana Smith, of Rochester, New York, who survives him, a resident of Los Angeles, California. Children:
- Annie M., born 1885, died 1899;
- Cornelius L., July 19, 1887.
(VII) Simon H., son of Cornelius and Maria A. (Lansing) Vedder, was born on the Niskayuna farm, Schenectady county, New York, April 2, 1847. He was educated in the public schools and at Schenectady high school. He is one of the successful, substantial farmers of Niskayuna, a member of the Reformed church and a Republican. He is a justice of the peace, and interested in all that pertains to the welfare of his town. He married, February 11, 1891, Ariet, born November 15, 1864, daughter of William and Ann E. (Palmer) Steers, and granddaughter of Cornelius Steers, of Albany county, a farmer and contractor. William Steers was a farmer of Niskayuna, where he died aged eighty-three years. His wife, Ann E., died aged sixty-eight years. They were the parents of five children.
- William, married Juliana Lansing.
- Cornelius, a business man of New York City, married Margaret Bruce, deceased.
- Ariet, married Simon H. Vedder.
- Isabella, unmarried.
- Eva, married John M. Ketchum, a farmer of Niskayuna; children: Herbert, and Helen (twins); Isabel.
Children of Simon H. and Ariet (Steers) Vedder:
- Miriam, born February 1, 1895, student at Schenectady high school;
- Lansing S., July 10, 1897;
- Chester D., November 15, 1899;
- Palmer W., twin of Chester D.