The Veeder lineage is as follows:
Peter Veeder, on the 9th day of June, 1704, married Naeltie, daughter of Class Van Der Volgen; left three sons and one daughter surviving him, but was not living, June 26th, 1709, when his youngest son Peter, was born. His father gave him lands on the Norman's Kil.
Gerrit Veeder, second son of Simon Volkertse, married, October 3d, 1690, Tryntje (Catharine), daughter of Helmer (William) Otten. She was the only child of Otten, who died in 1676. His widow, Ariantie (Harriet), daughter of Arent Andreas Bradt, called the Norman, subsequently, about nine months after his decease, married Ryer Schermerhorn. Gerrit Veeder died in 1755, and left surviving him five sons, respectively named Helmers, Wilhelmus, Hendricus, Simons and Cornelis; and four daughters, named Engletie, married to Johannes Vedder; Ariantje, married to Daniel Danielse Van Antwerpen; Annatie, married to William Bancker, and Hellena, married to John Bancker.
Gerrit owned the land about Veeder's mill, early in the eighteenth century, and had lease from the Church of the mill privilege, in 1718. Through his wife, Catharine, he obtained possession of lots in the village, on the north and west corners of Union and Church Streets, which she inherited from her father, Otten.
Otten had, in 1670, purchased from Peter Adriance, called Sogemakelyk, also as original proprietor, twenty-six morgans of land, which afterwards became the old Schermerhorn mill farm, now in Rotterdam; also a village lot, two hundred feet square, located on the southwest corner of Union and Church Streets. These his daughter Catharine did not inherit, for it seems at his death John Van Eps owned and occupied the village lot, and Ryer Schermerhorn, who married his widow, as stated, owned the twenty-six morgans.
Mr. Schermerhorn was always a prominent actor in the early days of Schenectady. He was the oldest son of Jacob Janse Schermerhorn, who was the ancestor of all the Schermerhorns in this country, born at Waterland, Holland, in 1622. We find Jacob Janse a prosperous brewer and trader at Beverwyck, as early as 1648.
In that year he was arrested at Fort Orange, by Governor Stuyvesant's order, on a charge of selling arms and ammunition to the Indians. His books and papers were seized, and himself removed a prisoner to Fort Amsterdam, where he was sentenced to banishment for five years, with the confiscation of all his property.
Jacob Janse made his will, May 26th, 1688, and soon after died at Schenectady. Notwithstanding his losses by confiscation in 1648, his estate, amounting to 56,882 guilders, was large for the times. He left surviving him five sons, named Ryer, Symon, Jacob, Cornelius and Lucas; also three daughters, named Machtelt, Jannette and Neeltie.
Ryer Schermerhorn, this oldest and remarkable son of Jacob Janse, in July, 1676, married Ariantje, daughter of Arent Arentse Bradt, and widow of Helmer Otten, of Albany; immediately after marriage Ryer settled in Schenectady, upon bouwery No. 4, on the flats, heretofore known as "Schermerhorn's Mill," which, after being in possession of the family for two hundred years, has lately passed to other owners. This property came to Ryer through his wife, Ariantje, whose first husband, Otten, purchased it of the original proprietor, Peter Adrianse (Sogemakelyk).
Ryer Schermerhorn was one of the first patentees of the township of Schenectady, granted in 1684, and was the sole surviving patentee of the township in 1705, when he was complained of as exercising arbitrary power over the town affairs, and rendering no account of his proceedings. Of this more will be subsequently written. In 1690, he was member of the Provincial Assembly from Albany County, and also a justice of the peace. In 1700 he was appointed an associate judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He made his will April 5th, 1717, and died February 19th, 1719. His wife, Ariantje, died in 1717. He left surviving him three sons, John, Jacob and Arent; also two daughters, Catalina, wife of Johannes Wemp, and Janneke, wife of Volkert Simonse Veeder.
The writer, for the present, would have continued the Schermerhorn line no further, except to correct impressions held by some, confounding the two Ryers, grandfather and grandson, both shrewd and remarkable men.
John, the eldest son of Ryer Schermerhorn, inherited the homestead farm at the "Schuylenberg" Mills, etc., and on the 8th of April, 1711, married Engeltie, daughter of Jan Hendrickse Vrooman. He died in 1752, and his wife in 1754. He left surviving him six sons, Ryer, the eldest, born September 24th, 1716, so often in traditional data confounded with his distinguished grandfather. Of this grandson Ryer, more will be written hereafter. The other sons, brothers of Ryer, were named John, Simon, Bartholomew, Jacob and Bernhardus Freeman. John also left six daughters; Ariantje, married to Nicholas DeGraff; Gezina, married to Phillip Van Patten; Catalina, married to John Dodds; Neeltje, married to Class Viele; Magdalena, died unmarried, and Jannetje, married Barent Veeder.
After this, as it is claimed, justifiable digression, we return to Simon Volckertse Veeder's line.
John Veeder, his third son, on the 19th of November, 1697, married Susanna, daughter of Myndert Wemp, and for his second wife, June 3d, 1718, married Susanna Wendell of Albany. He died in 1746, and left surviving him two sons, named respectively, Myndert and Simon; also three daughters, Engeltie, married to Jacobus La Grange, Maria and Debora, married first to Ryer Wemp, secondly to Dowe Fonda.
Volckert, his fourth son, August 6th, 1693, married Jannitie, daughter of the elder Ryer Schermerhorn. By his father's will he inherited farm No. 9 on the bouwelandt (flats).
He died August 12th, 1733, and left surviving him four sons, repectively named Simon, Ryer, John and Hendricus, and three daughters, Ariantje, married to William Daasen; Susanna, married Harmanus Vedder, and Catalyntje, married to Simon Veeder.
Folica, a daughter of Simon Volkertse, married Barent Janse Wemp (Wemple), who was appointed captain of a company of foot by Jacob Leisler in 1690.
Gertrude, also a daughter, July 4th, 1680, married John Hendrickse Vrooman. They left many descendants, and their son Peter, born October 2d, 1688, was killed at the Buekendahl massacre, three miles northwest of Schenectady in 1748.
Magdalena, another daughter, married William Appel, who was severely wounded at the burning of Schenectady in 1690, as was also his brother, John Appel.