From The Peopling of New York City
My search began on Ancestry.com. I sought to first find any immediate family Groesbeck may have had in New York. Fortunately, I was able to produce two major leads. From what I gathered I was able to find Groesbeck's daughters - Susanah and Mary, as well as his wife from Denmark, Aeltje Van Aernam. Mary Groesbeck - had prepared a will for her family in the late 1700s. What is great about this will is that it confirms the background information provided by Lepore in New York Burning concerning John Groesbeck's occupation as a merchant, but it also provides further leads: Groesbeck's other daughter and son-in-law. The will reads as follows:
Page 183.--"In the name of God, Amen. I, MARY GROESBECK, of New York, spinster. I leave to my sister, Susanah Groesbeck, wife of Terrence Reilly, of New York, merchant, all my estate, of what nature soever, which came by the will of my father, John Groesbeck, deceased, and I make Terrence Reilly and his wife, executors."[1]
According to a marriage certificate made available on Ancestry.com, John Groesbeck married Aeltje Van Aernam on the 17 June, 1765. After John Groesbeck died, he apparently left most of his assets and properties with his wife and his daughter. Once his wife passed away, his daughter Mary, became the sole owner of whatever wealth the Groesbeck family had at that time. However, I was unable to find any documents that demonstrate the degree of wealth of this family. Little is known about exactly how successful Groesbeck was in the slave trade and if he was involved in any other political or financial ventures.
No further information is available on Ancestry.com, city directories, or microfilm/microform divisions concerning the whereabouts of the second generation Groesbeck's - specifically Susanah and her husband, Terrence Reilly.
[2] There seems to be no trace of Susanah and her family in New York or anywhere else in the United States besides the will prepared to her by her sister. Perhaps the couple had enough funds to move out of the city and into a more stable, calmer village or town. With the events of the American Revolution at their heels, it would not be surprising that a newly married couple would want to move to a safer or remote area to raise their family, given the proper financial resources.
I have been unable to trace either of Groesbeck's daughters thus far, however I may have found something that explains this difficulty. In one document there is a one "Hannah Groesbeck", perhaps a disambiguation of "Susanah Groesbeck" which might have occured as a result of misinterpreted census data. Even more interesting is the propect of having found another Groesbeck relative: "John Q. Groesbeck" - John, Jr.?
One of the few listings of Susanah Groesbeck Reilly
[3]Years earlier John Groesbeck was involved in several legal proceedings described in the "Minutes of the Common Council of New York" (1675-1776). I am not sure as to the nature of these legal meetings, be it a personal dispute ending in settlement or simply a case of governmental compensation. However, I am fortunate to have come across another document that continues to parallel Lepore's description of "Groesbeck the merchant". In this document Groesbeck is awarded monetary funds, and from what I can gather it seems to be in return - like compensation - for tools used in the construction of certain structures of City Hall.[4]
Legal proceedings involving John Groesbeck - merchant
References
- ↑ Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com
- ↑ Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com
- ↑ Ancestry Digital Database. http://www.ancestry.com
- ↑ Ancestry Digital Database. http://www.ancestry.com
