More on the Extended Family of Magdalena (Duryea) (Van Artsdalen) Post

This is a "guest" post authored by Steven Eustis. It is a follow-up to the post of April 5, 2016, and adds more on the extended family of Magdalena (Duryea) (Van Artsdalen) Post:


Since Chris Chester’s last post I have been able to confirm and expand upon some of his claims on the people in Magdalen Duryee VanArtsdalen Post’s will. The Biographical Register of St. Andrew’s Society of the State of New York Vol 1 and 2 has a sketch on both Alexander Campbell and John Duryee Campbell which provides many details. The Litchfield Historical Society provides information on George Lindsay Campbell.

From St. Andrew's Society volume 1, page 384 with membership in 1805 (#717 ALEXANDER CAMPBELL):

“Alexander Campbell was a master stonecutter. The earliest reference found was that of his marriage on July 2, 1795, to Mary Duryee. She died leaving children and Campbell married again, this second wife, Ann, dying September 27, 1808, when 28 years of age. He was associated in 1803 with George Knox in the building of the City Hall, New York, and both their names appear on the corner stone, laid May 26, 1803. On July 20, 1804, Campbell formed a partnership with George Lindsay, as Lindsay & Campbell, succeeding Lindsay & Knox on the death of George Knox. He became a member of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen in 1805, and its President in 1808. Mr. Campbell at his death on October 20, 1809, left three sons, John Duryee, who later became a lawyer and a member of this Society, Alexander and George Lindsay. For some reason George Gosman, in his will, left to George Lindsay Campbell Three thousand Dollars in Trust.”

From St. Andrew's Society volume 2, page 105 with membership in 1826 (#934 JOHN DURYEE CAMPBELL):

“John D. Campbell, son of Alexander Campbell, member 1805, and Mary Duryee, was born in the year 1798, presumably in New York City. He acquired his education in Columbia College from which he graduated with the Class of 1816, receiving his degree of A.M. in 1820. He studied law and then practiced it for many years in New York. He had a close connection with the Merchants Bank and the Bank of the United States. In 1847 he became Secretary to the Commissioners in Bankruptcy. Mr. Campbell died May 29, 1852, in his fifty-fifth year. He had married and had two sons, both of whom died young. His widow, Catherine L., died February 24, 1873, in her seventy-fourth year.”

As paraphrased from the “Catalogue of the Litchfield Law School, Hartford, CT:Press of Case, Tiffany and Company, 1849, 21.”:

George Lindsay Campbell was born in 1806 and died September 19, 1835 while living in New York, New York.  He attended Litchfield Law School in 1826, He studied briefly at Columbia College, and later graduated from Union College in 1825. Biographical Notes: “George Lindsay Campbell was the son of stonecutter Alexander Campbell and his wife Ann. Campbell was orphaned at a young age and his father's will stipulated that all of his property was to be sold and the money put into a trust to pay for the education of his three sons. Geradus Hyer, a New York City merchant, became the guardian for George Lindsay. Campbell died at the home of his brother in New York City.”

The will of Alexander Campbell is found in New York Wills Volume 48, page 260, was dated 11 May 1809, and was proved 23 Oct 1809. It mentions the proceeds of his estate being used “towards the bringing up, maintenance, education, and support of my three children – John Duryee Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and George Lindsay Campbell.” The executors John Forsyth, Robert Blake, and Garret Hyer were also appointed guardians of his children.

As to the matter of John Duryee Campbell, Esq., he married Catherine Laidlie Valentine on 05 Nov 1821. They had six children, two of which died very young, and the other four of which never married: Anthony Post Campbell (1823-1854), Ellen Valentine Campbell (1824-1890), John Alexander Campbell (1826-1828), Anna Bayley Campbell (1830-1881), Mary Emma Campbell (1832-1860), and Euphemia Knox Campbell (1833-1834). Newspaper records confirm the deaths of all members of this family and the marriage of John and Catherine. Interestingly, all except those that died young are buried in the same vault (#136) of the New York City Marble Cemetery. Who was the first person buried in that vault? Magdalen Post! The internment dates further reinforce the newspaper death notices.

I have not been able to find any further information on Alexander Campbell, brother of John Duryee and George Linday Campbell. Based on Magdalen Post’s will, it is probable that Alexander was also the son of Mary Duryee since he was mentioned in her will but brother George was not (and we know that George was a son of Ann). Clearly from Magdalen’s will, we know that Alexander had children.

Based on the above info, the fact that Mary Duryee named a son John (her father’s name), and the fact that John Duryee Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and Anthony Post Campbell were named nephews in Magdalen’s will, I am confident she was indeed the sister of Magdalen Duryee VanArstdalen Post.

Who was John Duryee Campbell’s wife Catherine Laidlie Valentine? She was a step-grandaughter of Magdalen Post! Her parents were Abraham Odell Valentine (1778-1806) and Eleanor Post (1781-1858). Eleanor was the daughter of Petronella Brouwer and Col Anthony Post. Magdalen’s other step-children from Col Anthony Post are: Abraham Post (born 1769), Effie Post (born 1775), Anthony Oswald Post (1782-1816), Elizabeth Post (1784-1854), Ann Post (1787-1829), and Archibald Laidlie Post (1789-1822). It should be noted that Ann Post married Dr. Joseph Bayley (1775-1836) on 12 Dec 1803. Magdalena Bayley could be a child of theirs. Dr. Joseph Bayley’s will (New York Wills Volume 76, page 13) did not mention all of his children by name. Catherine Laidlie Valentine had one sibling, a brother Anthony Post Valentine (1803-1863) who married Ann Eliza Staats (1803-1883).

Before I end discussion on the will of Magdalen Duryee VanArtsdalen Post, I would like to note the birth dates of all her siblings as noted in the transcript of Magdalen’s bible. Currently the Brouwer Genealogy Database only has their baptism dates and death dates. I will also list the baptism dates so that the reader can see how well they fit together:

Catherine – not specifically named with a birth (only a death), but there is a date of 15 Mar 1749 with no name in the transcript – certainly a plausible birth date of Catherine

Cornelia – born 30 Dec 1749, baptized 21 Jan 1750

Neeltje – born 05 Nov 1751, baptized 10 Nov 1751

Johannes – born 13 Oct 1753 – no further trace (must have died very young)

Antje – born 20 Aug 1755, baptized 24 Aug 1755

Elizabeth – born 02 Aug 1757, baptized 17 Aug 1757

Maria – born 04 Jan 1759, baptized 07 Jan 1759

Magdalen – born 13 Sep 1760, baptized 17 Sep 1760

Eva – born 01 Feb 1763, baptized 16 Feb 1763

Elizabeth – born 12 Apr 1765, baptized 21 Apr 1765

Maria – born 17 May 1767, baptized 14 Jun 1767

Final interesting facts: Of the 11 siblings (7 of which lived to adulthood) in my 5^th great grandmother Catherine Duryee’s family, the last to die, in 1844, was Magdalen. Of the 12 siblings (9 of which lived to adulthood) in my 4^th great grandmother Magdalena Duryee’s family, the last to die, in 1852, was Magdalena. My ancestors Catherine Duryee and Magdalena Duryee were half 1^st cousins (through Charles Duryee), full 2^nd cousins (through Johannes Schenck/Magdalena de Hass), and both married Brouwers (Johannes and son John Jr).

All of the info from this blog post is found on my public “Eustis Family Tree” at Ancestry.com."

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