Johannes Van Rensselaer  Johannes Van Rensselaer (January 3, 1708 – February 21, 1783) was a member of the prominent colonial Van Rensselaer family. Van Rensselaer was born on January 3, 1708 at the family estate, "Rensselaerswyck", in what is now Watervliet, New York. He was the eldest surviving son of Hendrick van Rensselaer (1667–1740), director of the Eastern patent of the Rensselaerswyck manor, and Catharina Van Brugh (1665–1730), daughter of merchant Johannes Pieterse Van Brugh (1624–1697). He was descended from and married into "the best provincial families" in New York including the Livingstons, Schuylers, Van Cortlandts, Van Schaicks, and Bayards. In 1740 upon the death of his father, he inherited Fort Crailo and became proprietor or Lord of the lower manor of Rensselaerswyck, known as "Claverack". Around 1762, he added a wing and remodeled the building. During the mid 1760s, his holdings in Greenbush were almost three times more valuable as any others in the entire east Manor. He also owned a house in the city of Albany tracts of land outside the manor. During the later part of the 18th century, the Lower Manor was encroached on by New Englanders with Massachusetts titles to Van Rensselaer's lands. He fought a prolonged legal battle with the Massachusetts title owners in the courts, which reportedly "took its toll on the aging manor lord." During this time, he called on the Sheriff of Albany to evict the people, which eventually led to bloodshed. Throughout that time, he was a colonel in the Albany County militia. In 1734, Van Rensselaer was married to Engeltie "Angelica" Livingston (1698–1747). She was the daughter of Robert Livingston the Younger (1663–1725) and Margarita Schuyler (b. 1682) and the granddaughter of Pieter Schuyler (1657–1724), the first Mayor of Albany. Together, they were the parents of six children:    After his wife's death, he married Gertrude van Cortlandt. He died on February 21, 1783 and was buried in the Van Rensselaer Family Cemetery in East Greenbush, New York.