Andries, was the eldest son and heir of Arent and Catelyn De Vos Bratt and at the time of the massacre lived near his mother upon the west quarter of the block bounded by State, Washington, Union and Church streets where he had a brewery, and where he was slain with one of his children. He was thirty-seven years old at the time of his death; his wife Margarita, daughter of Jacques Cornelise Van Slyck and his son Arent and daughter Bathseba were spared. His rights of primogeniture in his father's estate passed to his surviving son, who after his mother's death came into full possession of the village lot above mentioned and also of the foremost bouwery numbered one on the bouwland. The ancient house No. 7 State street, was built and occupied by Capt. Bratt until his death in 1765. By trade he was a brewer.
To the original lot he added another parcel Feb. 4, 1713/4, by purchasing of Jan Baptist Van Eps his house and lot, barn and orchard, — 100 feet in breadth on State street, and 225 feet deep, — and bounded east by lots of Harmanus Vedder and Jacobus Van Dyck and north and west by lots of said Bratt. (96-1) He thus became possessed of a lot having a front on State street of 300 feet and over 200 feet deep.
Feb. 7, 1702/3, Reyer Schermerhorn, conveyed to him a lot of 100 feet by 200 feet wood measure, bounded north and east by the highway [Union and Ferry streets], south by Symon Volkertse [Veeder] and west by Pieter van Olinda. (96-2)
Subsequently, to wit on the 26 Mar., 1714, Arent Bratt, brewer, for the sum of 35 pounds [$87.50] sold one-half of the above lot to his brother-in-law Carl or Charles Burns (96-3) — bounded east and north by the highway [Ferry and Union streets], west by the lot of Isaac Van Valkenburgh [now the court house lot], and south by the lot of Harmanus Vedder [Bratt's step-father]. This lot 100 feet square now belongs to the estate of the late A. A. Vedder. (96-4)
On 2d May, 1764, Francis Burns of Pounwell, N. H. [perhaps a son of Charles Burns above mentioned] conveyed said lot to Daniel Campbell for 165 pounds [$412.50]. (96-5)
On the 15th May, 1705, Reyer Schermerhorn, only surviving trustee, conveyed to Arent Bratt, grandson of Arent Andriese Bratt, a piece of pasture ground lying east of the town — about 5 acres — bounded south by the common highway [Front street], north by the river, east by the pasture ground of Claes Franse [Van de Bogart] and west by Jan Mebie, the first deed being lost or destroyed. This pasture lot beginning at a point on the north side of Front street 100 feet east of Washington street, extended easterly along Front street to the easterly line of the lot of the estate of the late Nicholas Cain — about 325 feet Amsterdam measure.
Andries Bratt, father of Capt. Arent Bratt, owned the parcel of ground bounded by John street on the east, the burying ground on the west, Front street on the north, and Green street on the south, comprising about four morgens. After his death it was sold to Thomas Williams of Albany, and by him to Arent Van Petten. (97-1)
On the 7 Feb. 1702/3 Reyer Schermerhorn only surviving trustee, conveyed to Capt. Arent Andriese Bratt, eldest son and heir of Andries Arentse Bratt, "a lot on the west end of the town bounded south by Mill creek, on ye west by ye river [Binnè kil], on the north by the house and lott of Isaac Swits and on ye East by ye commons [Washington street], equal with the corner of said Swits lot." (97-2) This lot extending from Mill creek north nearly to State street, subsequently belonged to Willem Pieters.
In 1705, he owned a wood lot on the south side of Front street, extending east from Jefferson street to the Fonda lot or to a point nearly opposite Mohawk street and in the rear to Jan Vrooman's lot or the line of the canal. (97-3)
On the 4th Feb. 1713/4 Jan Baptist Van Eps conveyed to Arent Bratt the hindmost lot No. 2, it was represented as containing twelve morgens and bounded, "east by lot No. 3, running south-west by west from the river to the standing pool of water [dove gat now covered by the canal] west by No. 1, now in the occupancy of heirs of Samuel Bratt, South by the aforesaid pool, and north by Maquaas river." (97-4)
Capt. Bratt was made trustee of the common lands in 1714, and continued in office until 1765; for the last fifteen years of his life, he was sole trustee. By his will made 11 March 1765, he devised those common lands to twenty-three persons in trust for the use of the inhabitants of the town. (97-5) In 1745, he represented the county of Albany in the Provincial Assembly. He left his real estate to his three sons Capt. Andries, Johannes and Harmanus, all of whom had houses upon the ample lot owned by their father on the north side of State and continued the business of brewing.
Harmanus was also an Indian trader and tradition says was the wealthiest man of the town.
Notes
(96-1) Deeds, V, 168, 217.
(96-2) Bratt Papers.
(96-3) Burns married Batseba, only sister of Captain Bratt. This west corner of Union and Ferry streets was long known as Batseba's hoekje.
(96-4) Deeds, V, 264.
(96-5) Deeds, VII, 483; V, 199.
(97-1) Deeds, VII, 468.
(97-2) Bratt papers.
(97-3) See Jan Vrooman's deed.
(97-4) Deeds, V, 217. Bratt papers.
(97-5) Wills, II, 63.