New York State Library
NYSL Facebook page NYSL Instagram account NYSL Twitter account

Van Allen-Alexander Estate Papers, 1725-1854
SC23355

Quantity:  1 box (0.50 cubic ft.)
Access: Open to research
Acquisition: Gift of the Estate of William LaMed, September 2015
Processed By: Regina Berry, Student Assistant, University at Albany, March 2016

View catalog record

Historical Note

These land papers contain ownership information for several families living in Albany, Albany County, New York. The connecting link may be that the Commercial Bank of Albany was a party to some of the transactions. The Taylor family owned the property in the Town of New Scotland, Albany County, in the early 1800s. The property at Beaver and Green streets in the City of Albany was bequeathed by John Price in his 1791 will to his niece, Jane Bostwick, and then sold several times, ultimately coming into the hands of the Commercial Bank of Albany by the 1830s.

The property on lower State Street was owned by various members of the Van Allen family, a prominent Dutch family of Albany from the early days of settlement. Johannes van Allen (ca. 1668-1750) received the property from his maternal uncle, Andries Teller, in 1725.  He passed it on to his oldest son, Peter van Allen (ca. 1706-1749), before his death. Peter's children, John van Allen (1734-1797), Barent van Allen (1738-1799), and Jane van Allen Lyle (b. 1736), held title until it passed to John's daughter, Ann van Allen (1776-1824), in 1799. Ann married Joseph Alexander (ca. 1764-1855) in the early 1800s. Over the next several decades, there were numerous financial transactions concerning this property between Joseph Alexander and several other parties including the Commercial Bank of Albany. By the late 1830s, the property appears to have been in the hands of the Commercial Bank of Albany, which had been founded in 1825 and was the forerunner of Key Bank.  Ann and Joseph Alexander are buried in Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, New York.

Scope and Content Note

This collection consists mainly of legal documents pertaining to land and property transactions involving three lots in Albany County, New York.  Papers include deeds, mortgages, bonds, title searches, quit claims, survey maps, and a will.

Two items relate to property in the town of New Scotland, and a few documents relate to property bounded by Beaver and Green streets in the City of Albany.  The bulk of the collection is related to a lot with building at the foot of State Street running from the south side of State Street south to the Ruttenkill.

Box and Folder List

Box Folder Description
1 1 New Scotland, New York, property papers, 1828, 1854 (2 items):
  1. Sketch and details of "Land Surveyed at Bethlehem in the County of Albany, the 15th of May, 1828, by Uriah Wood" for Robert Taylor. 75.07 acres
  2. Warranty deed for property in the Town of New Scotland of Stephen van Rensselaer and Harriet, his wife, to Phebe Taylor, Robert Taylor and James Taylor, January 19, 1854 (Copy)
    Papers relating to Beaver Street (Albany, New York) property
1 2 Will of John Price, December 4, 1791 (copy dated October 13, 1828), bequeathing all goods and property to his wife, Cornelia; then to his niece, Jane Bostwick; then to his godson, John Price Bostwick; also 6 acres in New Foundland, south of Albany to godson, Wilhelmus Ryckman.  (1 item)
1 3 Beaver Street property papers, 1797-1848 (9 items):

 

  1. Deed of lot on the north side of Beaver Street from John P. Bostwick to Isaac Denniston for £225, August 31, 1797
  2. Deed of lot on Beaver Street from Jane Bostwick to Isaac Denniston for $500, October 23, 1805
  3. Deed of house and lot on Beaver Street from John Maggone and Sophia, his wife, to Harmanus Hinderer for $500, February 26, 1827
  4. Mortgage deed for house and lot on Beaver Street of Harmanus Hinderer to Catherine Kline, executrix of Matthias Kline, for $750, May 1, 1828
  5. Bond of Harmanus Hinderer to Catherine Kline for $1,500, May 1, 1828
  6. Memorandum of agreement between the Commercial Bank of Albany and William White to acquire the McCardel property on Beaver Street for an expansion of the banking house, October 4, 1834
  7. Warranty deed for house and lot on Beaver Street from Isaac Denniston to Charles L. Austin, for $3,500, May 1, 1843
  8. Sketched "Map for widening Beaver St. by Geo. W. Carpenter, 1848"; shows three lots marked for William James, one for J. McCardel and the location of Commercial Bank
  9. Sketch of building lots on Beaver Street, near Green Street, n.d.
    Papers relating to State Street, Albany, New York, property
1 4 State Street property papers, 1725, 1747, 1785 (4 items):
  1. Release of a house and lot on Jonker [State] Street from Andries Teller, of the City of New York, to Johannes van Allen, of the City of Albany, for 10 shillings, October 29, 1725
  2. Deed of gift for a house and lot on Yonker [State] Street from Johannes van Allen to his oldest son, Peter van Allen, August 12, 1747
  3. Release and quit claim of a house and lot on State Street from Peter van Allen and Jane Lyle of Rhinebeck to John van Allen and Barent van Allen for 10 shillings, January 13, 1785
  4. Release for one-half of a house and lot on State Street from John van Allen and Mary, his wife, to Barent van Allen for £10, January 13, 1785
1 5 State Street property papers, October 30, 1799  (5 items):
  1. Release of Jane Lyle, sister of John and Barent van Allen, and Peter van Allen, brother of John and Barent van Allen, to Mary van Allen, widow of John van Allen, and Ann van Allen, his daughter, for the sum of 10 shillings, October 30, 1799
  2. Deed for a house and lot south of State Street from Jane Lyle of Rhinebeck to Ann van Allen of Albany, for $1,125, October 30, 1799
  3. Deed for a house and lot south of State Street from Peter van Allen of Rhinebeck and his wife, Phoebe, to Ann van Allen of Albany, for $1,125, October 30, 1799
1 6 Articles of agreement on State Street property boundary line between Joseph Alexander and his wife, Anna Alexander, and the heirs of Henry Hogan, May 1815; signed by both Alexanders, Nelly Hogan and the Brown heirs  (1 item)
1 7 State Street property quit claim deeds, May 31, 1819:
  1. Quit claim deed for property south of State Street from Joseph Alexander and Ann, his wife, to Ebenezer Baldwin for $100, May 31, 1819
  2. Quit claim deed for property south of State Street from Ebenezer Baldwin to Joseph Alexander and Ann, his wife, for $100, May 31, 1819
1 8 Court documents referring to judgements against Joseph Alexander, 1832, 1833 (3 items)
1 9 State Street property title search papers, 1835, 1852  (7 items)
1 10 Land and financial papers for State Street property, 1819-1836 (16 items):
  1. Mortgage of lot and buildings south of State Street from Joseph Alexander and Ann, his wife, to Robert Dunlop for $1,170, August 14, 1819
  2. Bond of Joseph Alexander to Robert Dunlop for $2,340, August 14, 1819
  3. Mortgage of lot and buildings south of State Street from Joseph Alexander to Jonathan Burr for $2,500, May 1, 1826
  4. Bond of Joseph Alexander to Jonathan Burr for $5,000, May 1, 1826
  5. Mortgage of lot and buildings south of State Street from Joseph Alexander to James Porter, trustee in the matter of John Cantine and Jane, his wife, for $2,938.14, June 19, 1826
  6. Bond of Joseph Alexander to James Porter for $5,876.28, June 19, 1826
  7. Mortgage of a lot and buildings south of State Street from Joseph Alexander to Jacob J. Lansing, for $14,000, July 13, 1831
  8. Bond of Joseph Alexander to Jacob J. Lansing for $28,000, July 13, 1831
  9. Bond of Robert Dunlop and Joseph Alexander to the Albany Insurance Company for $28,000, July 16, 1831
  10. Commercial Bank to James McKowen, account of foreclosure expenses on the mortgage of Joseph Alexander on the Banking House in State Street, April 10, 1833
  11. Receipts and documentation of above, April 11, 1833
  12. Receipt for expenses of James McKowen from Commercial Bank, relating to Joseph Alexander real estate, July 30, 1834
  13. Property tax assessment form for Joseph Alexander or Commercial Bank for several property locations, 1834 (5 items)
  14. Deed for building and lot south of State Street from the Commercial Bank of Albany to the Albany City Bank for $25,000, August [?], 1835
  15. Bond of indemnity from Henry Lyle and John V.A. Lyle of Red Hook, [N.Y.], to the Commercial Bank of Albany against the claims and title of Abraham Lyle, June 17, 1836
  16. Receipt of John V.A. Lyle for $10,000 for a deed of conveyance from Henry Lyle; Gitty, his wife; and John V.A. Lyle to the Commercial Bank of Albany, June 20, 1836
1 11 Miscellaneous Items, 1836, 1837, 1854 (3 items)
  1. "Memorandum referring to Van Beutteuer-Lisle-Shook deeds," June 20 1836
  2. "Title deeds and papers in relation to the real estate belonging to the Commercial Bank," list, March 10 1837
  3. "Memorandum of papers in this bundle," September 22,1854; listing some of the papers in this collection
Last Updated: March 15, 2022