NOTE. The punch-bowl, with coat of arms thereon, and the silver plate as engraved in these Memoirs, with other heirlooms, are now (1903) in the possession of ARENT DE PEYSTER, WILLIAM EDWARD, and ALEXANDER MACOMB CHANCE, whose mother, the late Mrs. GEORGE CHANCE (died 30th December, 1881) was CORNELIA MARIA, eldest daughter of ARENT SCHUYLER DE PEYSTER of New York (who had no sons), and SARAH, his wife, nee MACOMB. ARENT SCHUYLER DE PEYSTER died on the 7th May, 1863, in his eighty-fifth year, and was the direct lineal descendant of JOHANNES DE PEYSTER, the first of his family to settle in America (1652), and one of six citizens who in 1673 drew the first charter of New Amster­ dam, the New York of to-day. Mrs. GEORGE CHANCE'S uncle was the celebrated General ALEXANDER MACOMB, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army, whose distinguished and gallant conduct in defeating the enemy at Plattsburg obtained the thanks of Congress and a commemorative medal. He received a State funeral in 1841, when the General Orders issued from the War Office recorded his advancement to the highest military rank known to the laws.—D. F. Valentine's " Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York, 1861." Her aunt, nie JANE MACOMB, was the Honourable Mrs. ROBERT KENNEDY, wife of the youngest son of the eleventh Earl of Cassillis and brother of the first Marquis of Ailsa. THE DE PEYSTER FAMILY IN CONNECTION WITH THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK. Manual of the Common Council of New York, 1861. O catastrophe in the moral or in the physical world N could be compared with more justice to the explo­ sion of a vast hypercharged mine, than the massacre of St. Bartholomew, in France. It commenced at Paris, August 24, 1572. Besides the 100,000 French Protestants instantly destroyed by this religious war of intolerance, and the thousands who died and were ruined in consequence, it is impossible to calculate how many families were torn asunder, and how many happy households were scattered abroad, whose fragments fell into the remotest and strangest lands. One of the families driven at this time from their native seats by the persecutions of Charles IX. against his Protes­ tant subjects, were the de Peysters. Such was the impulse they received from religious persecution that the first time we find the different members of it corresponding together freely as if they had at length settled down in peace, one was a Doctor of Laws, and Schepen or Mayor of a quarter or district of Rotterdam, one of the most distinguished offices in Holland at that date; another was a wealthy merchant in London ; another was Mayor of New York. 4 The Be Peyster Family from the Year 1572. Others again were still in movement, although, like spent balls, they had lost so much of the momentum imparted to them by the persecution which sent them forth, that but little influence was required to arrest their progress and induce them " to settle." One sister, like a fragment hurled vertically, eventually returned to settle at Rouen, where, in the succeeding century, she lived a widow, in the possession of an ample fortune. Johannes de Peijster (Peister or Pester), the ancestor of the family in this country, and an eminent merchant of New York in the seventeenth century, was born at Haarlem, in the commencement of the seventeenth century. He was of noble descent, and possessed by inheritance of wealth for the era in which he lived. Portions of the costly articles of furniture, the elegant and massive family silver and pictures, perfect gems of art, two of which are herewith presented for the gratification of the readers of the MANUAL, which he brought out from Holland, are still in the possession of his descendants.* The coat of arms engraved upon these is the same as that of Messire Julien de Peyster, Count of Turnhout and of Seneffe, a fief near Antwerp, who disappeared in the vortex of the first great French revolution. This was corroborated by the King at Arms in London, in the case of Pierre Guillaume de Peyster, brother of Arent Schuyler de Peyster, Colonel of the Eighth or King's Regiment of British foot. As to his property, his voluntary contributions to the works of public defence, as well as the * The De Peyster is one of some thirty well-known families in the City of New York, who alone can be said to have an absolute and un­ challenged right to a coat of arms. Included in the list are the Livingstone's, Hamersley's, Schuyler's, Van Reusselaer's, Clinton's, Ogden's (originally Oakdeane), Winthron's, Jay's, &c, &c.—"New York Weekly Reporter," week ending February 32nd, 1896. PORTRAIT OF THE GREAT GRANDFATHER OF JOHANNIS DE PEYSTER, THE FIRST OF THIS FAMILY IN NEW YORK. The Be Peyster Family from the Year 1572. 5 tax and assessment rolls of New Amsterdam, are sufficient vouchers. After a short visit to this country, evidently to look about him before establishing himself, he returned to Holland, and married, at Haarlem, Cornelia Lubberts or Lnbbertus,* like himself a native of that place, on the 17th December, 1651. His wife, Cornelia, returned with him to New Amsterdam, and survived him many years. In 1653, although just arrived in this country to establish himself—1652 or '3—Johannes de Peyster offered as his contribution a considerable sum for those days (only exceeded by twelve of the most opulent and oldest settlers), towards erecting the city palisades. According to the list of the wealthier inhabitants of New Amsterdam, 13th March, A.D. 1653, the municipal authorities assessed Johannes de Peyster, just arrived, 100 guilders, only eleven persons paying more than he. His name stands fifth on the list of those who shall " provisionally contribute for the purpose of putting the city in a state of defence," which list appears to be arranged in accordance with the position of the different parties. In the " list of inhabitants who offered money for erecting the city palisades," in the same year (1653), his name is fourth, and his contribution only exceeded by eleven of the oldest settlers, who had large investments at stake in buildings, &c, liable to fire in case of a hostile attack. In 1655 another tax and contribution list was made out to raise means to defray the debt for * This name Lubberts or Lubbertus was by no means unknown or without distinction in Holland. Sybrand Lubertus, born about the year 1556, at Langoworde, in Friesland, a distinguished theologian, was, in 1613, professor of theology at the college of Franeker, and one of the most ardent controversialists of his time. He died in 1625. The only one of his works well known at present is his treatise " de Papa Romano" 8vo, published in 1594. 6 The Be Peyster Family from the Year 1572. constructing the city defences. " This list embraces all the taxable inhabitants at that time. The several amounts are given in the currency of the present day in round numbers. Several included in the list were non-residents, but held taxable interests in the city." The name of Johannes de Peyster stands sixth therein, and lower down that of his son-in-law, Paulus Schrick, first husband of his daughter, Maria, who afterwards married the Mayor, David Provoost, Jr. On this occasion, however, the amount itself can be no indi­ cation of the wealth of the parties contributing, as the wealthiest pay by no means the highest rates. In 1674, a tax list of New Amsterdam was prepared, as " the extra­ ordinary expenses attending the repair of the fortifications and providing for the public defence, after the reconquest of the city by the Dutch, in 1673, led to the imposition of a direct tax on those citizens whose estates were worth at least 1,000 guilders. The following list was made out by a Board of six Assessors specially appointed for that purpose." In this Johannes de Peyster is assessed at 15,000 guilders (the same amount as the remarkable Jacob Leisler), only seven individuals exceeding that sum. In Valentine's History of New York is given the " List of Owners of Houses and Lots in the city, about the year 1674, at the final cession to the English ; property being classified as to its relative value, as 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th, with the national descent of the persons named—to illustrate the condition of the population of that era—and their estimated wealth," which " estimate of the wealth of the several inhabitants of New York, at this period, is not based upon any single document, but is compiled from various sources, and is only designed by the author to be The Be Peyster Family from the Year 1572. 7 considered as an approximate estimate, formed from the best evidence within his reach." In this Johannes de Peyster is set down as the otvner of property on the present Broad street, east side, between South William street and Broad street, then known as a part of the Heere Graft and Princess1 Graft: second class of property (this "second" must be an error, or else the value appears to have had nothing to do with this classification, as some worth only $1500 and §2500 are placed in the first category); national descent, Dutch: estimated wealth, $10,000; an amount exceeded by that of only ten other individuals. The first mention of him in the colonial records after his return is as a cadet in one of the city burgher corps.