Gerardus Stuyvesant (Peter Gerard Stuijvesant or Stuyvezandt), Acting Mayor August to October 1744: Stuyvesant (1691-1777) was the grandson of Peter Stuyvesant and owned the family property that was known as Stuyvesant’s Bowery Number One. Peter Stuyvesant’s family lived on the farm and there were about forty enslaved people there. In his will, Gerardus leaves the Stuyvesant farm to his son, Peter.

There are many overviews of the plot of land that belonged to Peter Stuyvesant and his heirs, including The New Netherland Institute, Village Preservation Blog, and The New Amsterdam History Center.

Gerardus leaves nineteen enslaved persons to his two sons in his will.

• To his son Nicholas, he left Harry, John [?], “my negro boys” Cyrus, Gimm, Abraham, and Isaac. “My negro wenches” Isabell, Bett, Anna, big Mary, and “my negro girl Phoebe.”
• To his son Peter, he left “my negro men Gansey, Dick, and Syphax,” “my negro boys Primus and Scipio,” “my negro wench Peg,” and “my negro girls little Mary and Lucy.”[1]

On April 23, 1719, Gerardus Stuyvesant recorded the indenture of Peter Jacobson, “a free negro,” for six and a half years.[2]

On October 11, 1777, his son Peter posted a runaway notice for three of the enslaved men he inherited:

1777: FIFTY DOLLARS Reward. RUN-away from the subscriber, three negro fellows, viz. PRIMUS, a very likely fellow, about 22 years of age, speaks very civil and mild; went away the first of October, 1776. SYPHAX, about 34 years old, speaks broken English, very lasey and slow; went away some time in November, 1776.  SCIPIO, about 18 years old, went away on Wednesday night the 8th inst. he is a very handy fellow, stoops when he walks, and is apt to stammer when he talks quick.  [$25 for Primus, $12 each for Syphax and Scipio]  STUYVESANT, Petersfield, near New-York, Octo. 11, 1777[3]

[1] New York State Archives, Gerardus Stuyvesant, probated will, 1786

[2] Collections of the New York Historical Society for the year 1909, Family Search, page viewer 139 of 238

[3] N-Y Gazette, and W Mercury, October 20, 1777, p. 4, col. 1 Northeast Slavery Record Index, Thomson notes, p.54

Copyright 2025 Paul Hortenstine