VAN CORTLANDT, Sophia

   General Notes:

Andries TELLER (Husband)-Birth: 1642 Death: Before 1702 Marriage: 6 MAY 1671 Note: He was a merchant and magistrate of Albany for many years. Moved to NYC 1692. In 1681 Maria Van Rensselaer and her brother Stephanus VC wrote to one another that "Brother Teller has been drinking heavily so that at times he was unconscious and did not behave well at all in the house and on the street. On Friday, being drunk, he went toward morning into severe convulsions. This lasted until ten o'clock in the evening, without pause, so that all of us thought he would not recover. There was great sorrow that he would thus depart out of this world......" Andreas obviously did survive as he didn't die until 1702.


Children: Andries TELLER

Margrieta TELLER-Note: died unmarried

Oliver Stephen TELLER-Birth: 29 Nov 1685 Death: 1752

Note: Abstracts of Unrecorded Wills, Vol XI, Prior to 1790, pages 140-143: In the name of God, Amen. I, SOPHIA TELLER, widow of Andries Teller, late of New York, and executrix of his will, Being aged and infirm, but thanks be to God, of sound memory, for the future peace and quiet of the children of my son, Oloff Teller, and my grandchild, Andries Teller, the only representative of my eldest son, Andries Teller, deceased, do make this my last will and Testament. Whereas my husband by his will, dated May 18, 1700, did give to his eldest son, Andries, then in full life, but soon after deceased, the sum of 25, and also all that lot of land with appurtenances, lying over against the house we did then live in, next to the house and ground of Robert Livingston, on the Condition that I was to enjoy the use of 1/2 of the same. And it so happened by the pleasure of Almighty God that my eldest son, Andries Teller, died in 1702, and my daughter Margaret died unmarried, so that there remains only Andries, the son of Andries, our eldest son, and Oloff, our youngest son, to share the estate. And whereas my father, Oloff Stephense Van Cortlandt, in his life, by his deed, dated April 22, 1672, did make over to my late husband, and myself, his daughter Sophia, a certain house and lot of ground, in New York, to the north of the Wall or strand, having to the west the lot and ground of Charles Bridges, to the north, that of Jolyn Verghen, and to the east a certain narrow lane, and to the south the afore mentioned Wall, being 24 feet wide, and 54 feet 8 inches long, Dutch wood measure. And whereas the said Oloff Stephense Van Cortlandt, on the 4th day of January, 1681, did purchase a certain house or tenement, to the northward of said house and ground, from Josyntie Verghen, situate between the house and lot of Charles Bridges and the aforesaid certain narrow lane; which he did likewise give unto the said Andries and Sophia. And whereas my son Andries, nor his son Andries, have had the said legacy of 25, I hereby bequeath, that after my funeral charges and just debts are paid, that my grandson, Andries Teller, shall have the said sum. And whereas my son, Oloff Teller, hath lately departed this life, leaving behind him several children. And as I have taken into consideration, that the house and other erections built upon the lot over against the house and lot that my deceased son lately lived in, and was devised to my eldest son, Andries, were built by the estate of my son Andries. And the lot of land whereon the house I now live in, fronting Duke street, with the other house and ground adjoining backward and fronting Dock street; and the tenement that was purchased from Verghen, are of much less value, than the lot on the south side of the Strand. And it being considered that the houses and lots on the north side of the Strand, was the proper estate of my husband and me, and are of much greater value, than the bare lot of ground on the south side of the strand, adjoining to the house and ground of Robert Livingston, lately deceased. And as it may prove troublesome for my grandchild, Andries Teller, and the children of my son Oloff, to hold any real estate, as tenants in common, I hereby devise and bequeath to the children of my son Oloff, all that lot of land between Duke street and Dock street with all the houses. And I leave to my grandson, Andries Teller, all that my 1/3 of a certain lot of land, formerly purchased by Mr. Oloff Stephense Van Cortlandt from Peter Stoutenburgh and Jan Vinge, executors of Rachel Van Tienhoven, lying at a place sometime without the City Gate, on the west side of the highway, and on the south side of the land of Jan Vinge, containing in breadth at the highway or east side, 18 rods and 7/10 of a rod, and on the west the like measure. To him the said Andries Teller, and his heirs and assigns. The said lot of land is to be valued by indifferent men, and if one half of the sum it shall be valued at, do amount to the sum of 200, then the devise shall be deemed a sufficient equivalent to the devise of the lot between Duke street and Dock street, left to the children of my son Oloff. But if the value do not amount to 200, the difference is to be made up by the children of my son Oloff. All the rest of my estate is to be sold, and I leave 1/2 to my grandson Andries, and the other half to the children of my son Oloff. And I reccomend to them to maintain the love, peace, and kindness to one another, as they will expect the blessing of Almighty God. I make my grandson Andries, and my friend, Frederick Van Cortlandt, and Mr. Stephen Bayard, executors.

Dated September 20, 1728. Witnesses, G. Du Bois, Coenradt Ten Eyck, Abraham Santford. Proved, October 1, 1729.

The house and lot where they lived is now No. 85 Pearl Street, extending through to Stone Street. The house where Mrs. Teller died is now No. 52 Stone Street, being the rear part of the lot above mentioned. The house and lot left to the grandson, Andries Teller, is directly opposite the above, and is now No. 88 Pearl Street. This was a water lot granted to Andries Teller, in 1687. The lot of land on which Andries Teller and his wife lived, was owned by Oloff Stevense Van Cortlandt as early as 1662. This descended to her, as part of her father's estate. The house and lot bought of Verghens, is probably No. 79 Pearl Street. The lot on "the west side of the highway," is on Broadway. As there is no deed for it recorded to Oloff Stevense Van Cortlandt, the will supplies a missing link. In 1733 Cortlandt Street was opened through the middle of the lot, and the heirs of Andries Teller had the south side. Gualtherus Dubois, one of the witnesses, was minister of the Dutch Church, 1699-1751, and the will appears to be in his handwriting.--W. S. P.]