The Will of Magdalena (Duryea) (Van Artsdalen) Post

The Last Will and Testament of Magdalena (Duryea) (Van Artsdalen) Post, dated 27 April 1843, can be found in New York County, Wills, Book 89, pages 487-489 (old). It can be viewed online at FamilySearch, New York Probate Records, 1629-1971, New York Wills 1843-1844, Vol. 89, image 265.

The will was brought to my attention by Steven Eustis who also helped to clarify some details regarding the families of Magdalena Duryea and her sister Catharina Duryea and her husband Johannes Bouwer, a.k.a. John Brower who died in 1823, age 73 years.

An abstract of the will:  Magdalena Post, widow. To nephew John D. Campbell, all bonds, notes or debts due and payable to me by said John D. Campbell at the time of my death. Also leaves "whatever other money is due to me or in my possession at the time of my death to John D. Campbell, Anthony Post Campbell and the children of Alexander Campbell my nephew to be equally divided between them" (one-third to each). Leaves personal property and items to be divided between Catherine Furman, Effie wife of James Quackenbush, and Catherine wife of John D. Campbell. Leaves items such as wearing apparel, silver utensils and bowls, tea set, etc., variously to Catharine Forman, Effie wife of James Quackenbush, Mary Emma Campbell daughter of John  D. Campbell, Magdalena Bayley, Catharine wife of John D. Campbell. Appoints John D. Campbell as sole executor. Witnesses: Smith W. Anderson and Elijah H. Riker. The will was proved on 29 Apr 1844. About six weeks previous, on 12 March 1844, a citation was issued by the New York County Surrogate for "Richard D. Brewer residing in the State of Michigan but in what part of said state cannot be ascertained, John I. Brower, Catharine Furman, James Quackenbush and Effie Quackenbush his wife all residing in the City of New York, the next kin of Magdalen Post deceased," to appear at the Surrogate's Court of New York on 29 Apr 1844 regarding the matter of the will of Magdalena Post, deceased.

Magdalena Duryea was baptized on 17 September 1760 at the New York Reformed Dutch Church. Her parents were Johannes Duryea (written as Dorje in the record) and Antje Voorhees. The witnesses were Dirk Dorje (Duryea) and Elizabet Titusse, his wife. Magdalena was a granddaughter of Charles Duryea and Cornelia Schenck, and of Coert Stevensz Van Voorhees and Neeltje Isaacs Hegeman. On 30 June 1785, "Simeon Van Aarsdaalen and Magdalen Duryer" were married by the New York Reformed Dutch Church. On 25 November 1808, Magdalena was married to Anthony Post. Rev. Simeon Van Artsdalen had died 26 May 1786.

Magdalena was a sister of Catherine Duryea who married Johannes/John Brouwer (Brower) on 23 March 1769, and of Neeltje (Elenor) Duryea who married Abraham Brouwer on 27 November 1771. Both marriages are in the records of the New York Reformed Dutch Church. Johannes/John and Abraham were brothers, sons of Jacob Brouwer and Jannetje Hartje. The above named Anthony Post had previously been married to Petronella Brouwer (buried 9 September 1807 NY RDC), a daughter of Abraham Brouwer and Aefje Van Gelder. Petronella Brouwer was a third cousin of the brothers John and Abraham Brouwer.

From her will it is apparent that Magdalena had no children of her own. Those who received legacies can mostly be identified. Catharine Furman/Forman was Catharine Ann Forman, born 13 January 1796, a daughter of George Forman and Jane Brower, and granddaughter of Magdalena's sister Catherine Duryea and her husband John Brower. Effie Quackenbush was born Effie Forman, another daughter of George Forman and Jane Brower. Effie married James Quackenbush. Regarding the Campbells mentioned, we find an Alexander Campbell married "Mary Duryee" on 5 July 1795 (NY RDC). I would assume she was Magdalena's sister Maria Duryea, baptized 14 June 1767, and unmarried when their father wrote his will on 3 March 1780. A John D. Campbell married Catherine Laidlie Valentine on 5 November 1821 (NY RDC). This couple can be found on the 1850 U.S. census in Manhattan's 17th Ward, with John D. Campbell's age given as 53, so born in 1797. Catherine is aged 51, and in the household is Anthony P. Campbell, age 28. On 21 February 1823, an Alexander Campbell married Jane Douglass in the New York Reformed Dutch Church. Additional work would be needed on this family but I suspect that John D. (D for Duryea?) Campbell and Alexander Campbell were sons of Alexander Campbell and Maria/Mary Dureya (Magdalena's youngest sister). Anthony P. (P for Post?) Campbell would be a grandson of Maria/Mary Duryea and Magdalena would be his great aunt. It appears that he was named for Magdalena's second husband, Anthony Post. As for Magdalena Bayley, I have no starting point and I'll leave her for someone else to figure out.

Of those asked to appear at the New York Surrogate's Court, John I. Brower (1804-1878) was a son of John Brower, Jr. and Magdalena Duryea (a niece of the Magdalena who wrote this will) and a grandson of Johannes/John Brouwer and Catharine Duryea. Richard D. Brower was a son of Abraham Brouwer and Neeltje Duryea.

A correction to Catherine Duryea: In "Brouwer Notes II," NYGBR 72(1941):333, William J. Hoffman states that Catherine Duryea died in October 1812 and cites a "newspaper notice" but offers no specifics. Steve Eustis has in his possession a transcript of a Duryea Bible Record which records that "Caty died" 20 April 1800. Steve found in the Yearbook of the Holland Society (1899) the burial of "the wife of John Brower," with the same date, 20 April 1800. It is apparent that Catharine (Duryea) Brouwer died 20 April 1800, and not in October 1812. The Bible Record also gives the date of death for Antje (Voorhees) Duryea as 10 October 1795, and this is confirmed in the New York burials found in the same Yearbook of the Holland Society (1899) where the "widow Durje" was buried 11 October 1795. Steve adds that Elizabeth Duryea, another daughter of Johannes Duryea and Antje Voorhees, died 5 October 1795 (Bible record, and confirmed in the New York burials). She had married Joseph Du Bois on 15 October 1789 (NY RDC) and had two children.

Steve Eustis, who provided much of the info above is a descendant of Catherine Duryea and Johannes/John Brouwer and of their son John Brower, Jr. and his wife Magdalena Duryea. He continues research on these families and would not mind be contacted by others researching the same.

Sources for marriages and baptisms mentioned are from records as published in Edwin R. Purple, Marriages From 1639 to 1801 in the Dutch Church, New York (Collections of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Vol. 1, and published in various issues of the New York Biographical and Genealogical Record, and Tobias A. Wright, Baptisms From 1731 to 1800 in the Reformed Dutch Church, New York (Collections of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Vol. III) and likewise published in various issues of the NYGBR. The 1850 U.S. census record was found on Ancestry.com searching with "John D. Campbell" in New York County, New York. The Yearbook of the Holland Society of New York for 1899 can be found online at Internet Archives, and in the NYGBR vols. 75 and 76. An account of Rev. Simeon Van Artsdalen can be found in Henry P. Thompson, History of the Reformed Church at Readington, New Jersey, 1719-1881, also online at Internet Archives, pages 70-73 (the parents named for Simeon in this account are incorrect). Simeon Van Artsdalen's will dated 3 March 1786, proved 13 June 1786, widow Magdalene renouncing her appointment of executor on 12 June 1786 is abstracted in Calender of New Jersey Wills, Administrations, Etc., Vol. 7, 1786-1790, page 236 (his will names his parents as John and Elizabeth, and they were John Van Aasdalen and Elizabeth Kroesen of Bucks Co., Pennsylvania).

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