Gov. Pieter Stuyvesant

AKA Petrus Stuyvesant aka Pieter aka Peter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Stuyvesant

Peter Stuyvesant (c. 1612 – August 1672), served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York. He was a major figure in the early history of New York City.

Stuyvesant's accomplishments as director-general included a great expansion for the settlement of New Amsterdam beyond the southern tip of Manhattan. Among the projects built by Stuyvesant's administration were the protective wall on Wall Street, the canal that became Broad Street, and Broadway.

Although conventionally referred to in English today as "Peter Stuyvesant", Stuyvesant's given name was actually "Pieter" or "Petrus"; "Peter" is not found in historical records.

Stuyvesant was born in Peperga, Friesland in the Netherlands, to Balthazar Johannes Stuyvesant, a minister, and Margaretha Hardenstein in 1612. He grew up in Scherpenzeel. He studied languages and philosophy in Franeker,[1] and joined the West India Company about 1635, and was director of the Dutch West India Company's colony of Curaçao from 1642 to 1644.

In April 1644, he attacked the Spanish-held island of Saint Martin and lost the lower part of his right leg to a cannon ball. He returned to the Netherlands, where his right leg was amputated and replaced with a wooden peg. Supposedly, Stuyvesant was given the nickname "Old Silver Leg" because he used a stick of wood driven full of silver bands as a prosthetic limb.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Saint_Martin

• 93 New Netherland citizens signed the Remonstrance to convince him to surrender New Netherland to the British in September 1664.

He was the 7th and last Director-General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland (now part of present-day New York City). He was born in Peperga, Friesland in the Netherlands and grew up in Scherpenzeel. After studying languages and philosophy at the University of Franeker, he joined the West India Company around 1635. He served as the director of the Dutch West India's Company's colony of Curacao in the southern Caribbean Sea from 1642 to 1644. In 1644, he attacked the Spanish-held island of Saint Martin in the northeast Caribbean Sea and lost the lower part of his right leg to a cannon ball. He returned to the Netherlands shortly thereafter where his leg was amputated and replaced with a wooden peg. In May 1645 he was selected to become the new Director-General of the New Netherland Dutch colony in North America, and arrived in New Amsterdam on May 11, 1647. He was an intimidating figure with his silver-tipped peg leg, a large sword, and dark mustache, and ruled the colony with an iron fist through the establishment of new strict laws, including the abolishment of taverns and brothels, and requiring all citizens to attend church. He was intolerant of other religions, especially with Quakers and Jews. However, he did attempt to mend relations with the Native Americans by requiring they be paid properly for their services. He also quarreled with neighboring Dutch colonies over boundaries to the point of using force to do his will. In 1655, he led an expedition into the Delaware River against the colony of New Sweden and took possession of it, naming it "New Amstel." In 1664, King Charles II of England ceded to his brother, James II of England, a large tract of land in the American colonies that included the Dutch colony of New Netherland. The English sent four ships with 450 men commanded by Richard Nicolls to seize the Dutch colony and on August 30, 1664, the English sent a letter to Stuyvesant demanding his surrender, to which he reluctantly agreed, having been petitioned by a large contingent of New Amsterdam residents including many relatives.

On September 9, 1664 he signed a treaty at his residence, obtaining civil rights and freedom of religion for the Dutch settlers in the treaty's Article of Capitulation. New Amsterdam was renamed New York City and Richard Nicolls was declared the new English governor. After a trip to the Netherlands in 1665 to report on his term as governor, he returned to New York City and lived out his life on his farm, named the Great Bouwerie, outside of the city. (bio: portions by: William Bjornstad)

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=stuyvesant&GS...

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/MVKV-LHB

Male
Petrus Stuyvesant
1611–1672 •

Name • 3 Sources •
Petrus Stuyvesant
Reason This Information Is Correct:
Per "Early New Netherlands Settlers", at Ancestry.com
Last Changed: July 14, 2017 by Christopher Camalick

Sex • 3 Sources •
Male
Last Changed: June 12, 2012 by unknown4470317

Birth • 1 Source •
1611
Peperga, Weststellingwerf, Friesland, Nederland
Last Changed: February 19, 2022 by M1D1-629

Christening
Add
Death • 2 Sources • Edit Edit Death
February 1672
New York City, New York, United States
Last Changed: May 18, 2021 by lauriej

Burial • 0 Sources •
1672
New York City, New York County, New York Colony, British Colonial America
Reason This Information Is Correct:
Saint Marks Church-In-The-Bowery Churchyard, Manhattan, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA
Last Changed: April 11, 2021 by Joellen Tom

Family Members

Spouses and Children

Petrus Stuyvesant
1611–1672 •
Marriage: 13 August 1645
Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands

Judith Bayard
1608–1687 •

Children of Judith Bayard and Petrus Stuyvesant (2)

Balthazar Lazarus Stuyvesant
1646–1675 •

Nicolaes Willem Stuyvesant
1648–1698 •

Parents and Siblings

Predikant Balthazar Johannes Stuyvesant
1573–1637 •
Marriage: 1607
Zwolle, Overijssel, Nederland

Margaret "Margaretha" Hardenstein
1575–1625 • G8H5-BH2​​

Children of Margaret "Margaretha" Hardenstein and Predikant Balthazar Johannes Stuyvesant (3)

Anna Stuyvesant
1604–1646 •

Petrus Stuyvesant
1611–1672 •

Anna Stuyvesant
1615–1682 •