December 12, 1745. Witnesses, Thomas Beekman, Jacobus De Lameter, Job Viele. Witnesses appeared before John Crooke.
Proved, August 29, 1746.
End of Liber 15.

For her next husband, Alida turned to Henry Van Rensselaer, marrying into the same family as had her grandmother, Alida Schuyler, whose first husband had been Nicholas Van Rensselaer. Rev. Van Rensselaer had been sent to the new country to manage the estate for his deceased brother Jeremias's children. Henry Van Rensselaer was the grandson of Jeremias, his father Hendrick having been a younger son who inherited Claverack,a 60,000 acre estate later called the Lower Manor, and 1500 acres at Greenbush. But Henry was a third son of Hendrick, so he didn't seem to have inherited enough to make a lasting impression on history, though he did, obviously, on Alida.

Alida's children with Jacob Rutsen included Henry's first cousins Catrina Rutsen, Hendricus Beekman Rutsen, Colonel John Rutsen (who married Phebe Carman) and Cornelia Rutsen (who married General Robert Van Rensselaer (Henry's 3rd cousin, and the brother of Major General Philip Schuyler's wife).

Tax Assessment List for the County of Ulster, 1716/7

James Livingston came to Poughkeepsie to live about the time of his marriage in 1751, and in 1753 bought a plot of land and built his home where he lived the rest of his life. This plot of one hundred and fifteen acres lay between the King's Highway (now the Post Road from New York to Albany) and the Hudson River, and extended from the land owned by his brother, Henry Livingston, who had come to Poughkeepsie several years before, north to the road which is now Pine Street, Poughkeepsie. This tract now contains many streets and homes as well as the grounds of Vassar Brothers Hospital, Eastman Terrace, Eastman Park and the former location for many years of the Riverview Military Academy.

During the War of the Revolution a Continental shipyard occupied a part of the shore line, where two large frigates, the Congress and the Montgomery, as well as other naval vessels, were built. In later years the cove where the shipyard was located has been practically filled in and is now the site of the DeLaval Separator Company. A point of land extending into the river is still known as Shipyard Point. The James Livingston residence stood on a knoll not far from the entrance to Eastman Park.

James Livingston was a captain in the Provincial Militia from 1760; was sheriff of Dutchess County 1761-1768; was a member of the Provincial Congress, 1776-1777, and served as chairman of the Committee of Safety in 1778. He died in 1790, aged 62 years. His wife died August 31, 1808, aged 75 years and three months. They left three children: Cornelia, born December 16, 1753; Judith, who married John Moore (the license was dated October 16, 1773); and Gilbert James, born October 14, 1758, married Susanna Lewis, and died April 7, 1833.

After the death of Dr. Lawrence Van Kleeck his widow married August 2, 1778, Major Andrew Billings of Poughkeepsie. The New-York Journal and General Advertiser, published by John Holt at Poughkeepsie, for Monday, August 10, 1778, contained the following announcement:

Last Sunday, se'nnight, by the Rev. Mr. Fryligh, Andrew Billings, Esq. to the amiable Mrs. Van Kleeck, relict of the late Mr. Lawrence Van Kleeck and daughter of James Livingston, Esq., of this place.

Duchess County Historical Society Yearbook, Vol 28, 1943, pp.67-8.

Oct 16 '72
    "Andrew Billings Crdt by 12 sh & 6p for a box bt of him"
Jan 1 '73
    "Paid Andrew Billings 12s6 for a snuff & smelling box bt of him last fall"
May 24 '75
    "Andrew Billings Credt by 9s9 on my giving him an old pair of silver shoe buckles for a
    new pair of the same 0-9-9 "
Jun 18 '75
    "Andrew Billings Credt by making and engraving fare to a seal.
Jul 1 '75
    "Andrew Billings Dr to 11 1/2 lbs old brass"
Aug 19 '75
    Letter to Col James Clinton; ready to leave to join General Montgomery's expedition;
    Captain Dubois with him; maybe also Capt. Billings; need more arms; wants Dr. Cooke
    with regiment
Dec 18 '77
    "Andrew Billings bd by cleaning 2 watches"
Feb 22 '92
    NYPL: Statement of Cornelia Billings, signed before Smith Thompson and Gilbert
    Livingston, delivered in the presence of Smith Thompson and James Kent; Survey map
    with lots of little houses, showing land conveyed from Andrew Billings to Henry Livingston
Mar 3 '92
    NYPL: Andrew Billings appeared before Gilbert Livingston, as recorded by R.H.
    Livingston, Clerk
May 30 '03
    Survey of the land Henry Livingston bought of Andrew Billings, part of the farm of the
    late James Livingston

Remarkable Watch of Andrew Billings

After the war, Pierre's son, Gilbert, entered into a business partnership with a fellow Revolutionary veteran and relative, Andrew Billings. The partnership proved to be both brief and unfruitful. Gilbert's death, some time before 1790, apparently left Billings saddled with expenses, leaving him to plead with Pierre and later, Pierre, Jr., to help settle the debt.

The Andrew Billings Papers contain six letters written by Andrew Billings, two of which are addressed to Pierre Van Cortlandt, Sr., three to Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr., and one to Gilbert Van Cortlandt, Pierre's son and Billings' partner in the failed firm, Cortlandt, Billings & Co. The collection also includes two account sheets and a letter written by Gilbert during the Revolution, probably addressed to Pierre Van Cortlandt, Sr.

Three letters in the Billings Papers are of substantial interest beyond the information they provide on the business transactions of the Van Cortlandt and Billings families. In the first, dated March 6, 1776, Billings discusses his hardships in raising troops in Westchester County. In the later two letters, dated June 15, 1785, and October 16, 1790, he bemoans the poor business climate of the early national period, the scarcity of money, and the new laws concerning the abolition of primogeniture. In the 1785 letter, he also outlines an interesting idea for creating a co-operative among Poughkeepsie-area merchants.

University of Michigan, Clements Library

They had eight children: Elizabeth Channing Moore, who died in infancy; Eliza Elliot Moore who married Alfred Livingston, Esq.; Townsend Moore who died unmarried; John; Maria Seabury Moore who died in infancy; a second Maria Seabury Moore who married the Rev. David Moore, D.D.; Lydia Hubbard Moore who married the Rev. William Henry Hart; and Thomas William Channing Moore who died unmarried.

They had seven children, including Frances Livingston Hart (1816-1895), who married in 1836, the Rev. Clement Moore Butler, D.D., rector of Grace Church, Washington, D.C., Chaplain of the United States Senate, and had three children: Frances Livingston Butler, Helen Moore Butler and Clement Moore Butler.

In 1780 Gilbert married Susanna Lewis, (daughter of Richard and Susanna Van Der Burgh Lewis), who was the widow of Elias DuBois. She was the sister of Colonel James Van Der Burgh of the Dutchess County Militia and by her first marriage, the mother of Colonel Lewis DuBois of the Revolutionary War.

A few years after his father's death in 1790, the estate was sold, the southern part to Henry Livingston in 1792 and the northern part, including the residence, to John Reade. The wife of John Reade was Catharine Livingston, daughter of Robert G. Livingston who was a brother to James and Henry, and therefore a cousin to Gilbert James. Where Gilbert and Susanna with their children went to live after the home was sold is not clear. They had five children baptized in the Reformed Dutch Church of Poughkeepsie.

Jonathan, the elder, was apparently possessed of some of the traits of character displayed by his grandson and namesake, Captain Jonathan Thorn, some sixty years earlier. Because he had married a daughter of Gilbert Livingston and Cornelia Beekman, it might have been assumed that he would sympathize with the American cause. Along with other military officers and those holding public office in Dutchess County, on April 1, 1758, as a second lieutenant, and on June 14 of the same year, as first lieutenant, Jonathan signed the oath of allegiance to King George and the Declaration of Belief in the Protest Faith. And, in 1776, he refused to sign the "Articles of Association," or Revolutionary pledge, together with Robert Thorn, Gilbert Thorn and Jesse Thorn, among others. In October of that year Jonathan, Nathaniel, Stephen and Robert Thorn, and a number of other Dutchess COunty men who were listed as "notoriously disaffected and inimical to the measures pursuing for the safety and defense of the United States of America," were sent by the Committee for Detecting Conspiracies to Exeter, New Hampshire, as prisoners. They were held there until February of the following year when they were permitted to return to Dutchess County to visit their families, having given bonds to return to Exeter by the first day of May, unless they should obtain leave to reside at home. On the 20th of March they were granted six days to cosnider of their taking the oath and on the expiration of this interval announced their determination not to do so. The committee resolved on May 15 that they be confined on the prison ships stationed in the Hudson River at Esopus. Dr. Stepehen Thorn was paroled on June 7 and ten days later he subscribed to the oath of allegiance. In the fall, threatened by a British invasion, the Commission for Detecting Conspiracies was charged with the removal of prisoners from Kingston to Connecticut. Jonathan Thorn died at Hartford on November 14, 1777, and was buried there as a prisoner of war in the burying ground of the Center Church. His wife had died November 3, 1769.

Margaret Stuyvesant to Pierre. ALS
SHR
Bowery house January 8th 1808.

Dear Uncle
It affords me sincere pleasure in expressing to you, the Gratification Mama received from your Affectionate letter, it was more than usually welcome, as it convinced her of the Continuance of the love & regard of persons. so dear to her, as yourself & Aunt. -- Separated by some distance & so little communication between us, there was reason to suppose that an indifference might take place (from circumstances being misrepresented) through the kind interference of Cousin Beekman this supposition has been removed and the Amiable part she has acted has increased my love & respect towards her.-- Our religion as well as what we owe to our own Comfort & happiness lead us to live in love and goodwill towards each-other, with us, this duty & pleasure is strengthened by the ties of relationship. -- My mother is much inclined to testify her regard personally, by making you a visit, this however will not be practicable during the winter, should her health be spared until the spring & the traveling becomes Good she anticipates the happiness of again meeting you -- be pleased dear Sir to present our love and regards to Aunt & Cousin Vanwick - with great respect I remain your Affectionate Neice M. Stuyvesant

The author of this letter was most likely Margaret Stuyvesant, daughter of Petrus and Margaret (Livingston) Stuyvesant. Reynolds, III, 1015.
Papers of Van Cortlandt, p. 235

Petrus Stuyvesant built this house at 21 Stuyvesant Street in 1803. It was a wedding gift to his daughter Elizabeth, who married Nicholas Fish, a close friend and political ally of Alexander Hamilton. Son Hamilton Fish became New York State governor, senator, and secretary of state. It is now known as the Stuyvesant-Fish House.