Descent from Italian Settler Pietro Alberti

First American Immigrant from Italy Reached New York in 1635

Aug 1, 2009 Rosemary E. Bachelor

Jan Albertus was born in New Amsterdam in 1643, but he was not Dutch. He was the son of Pietro Caesare Alberti, who probably was the first Italian immigrant to America

Pietro is believed to have belonged to a prominent Alberti family that had for centuries acted as the pope’s treasurers and/or secretaries and also included prosperous merchants. Some researchers say that he became attracted to the Calvinist movement and left Italy in search of religious freedom.

Family History of First American Italian Immigrant

Many family researchers are unaware that the American Burtis family descends from the Italian Alberti family, also given as “Albertus” and “Albertis” in 17th century American records.

Pietro, the immigrant, arrived in 1635 and married Judith Jans Meyntje in 1642 in the New Amsterdam Dutch Reformed Church. They had seven children: Jan (John), through whom the following line of descent goes; Marles (Martha), born in 1645; Aert (Art), 1647-1690, who wed Elizabeth May; Marie, born in 1649 and married Jan Bandt; Francynte (1651-1653); Willem (William), born in 1652 and married a woman named Mehitable; and, Francynte, born in 1654 and married John Allourgen.

Pietro and Judith were killed in a Nov. 9, 1655 Indian raid.

Line of Descent

Genealogists may not realize they have Alberti Italian ancestry, particularly those who come from maternal lines and the consequent surname changes. Here is one line of descent from Pietro Alberti.

• Pietro Caesare Alberti (ca. 1607-1655), born in Italy, who married Judith Meynje.
• Jan (John Albertus (1643-1691) of New Amsterdam and Newtown, Long Island, NY; married Elizabeth Scudder. There is an interesting online discussion of her ancestry which uses primary sources.
• Mehetable Albertus, who married James Lawrence of Monmouth Co., OH.
• Elizabeth Lawrence (1699-1730) of Monmouth Co., NJ; married Cornelius Van Horn ca. 1723.
• Matthias Van Horn (b. 1724, NJ) who married Neeltje Crom; buried Van Horn Cemetery, Mill Point, NY.
• Ann Van Horn (1750-1821) was born in Readington, NJ and died in Hunterdon Co., NJ; married George Gearhart.
• Eleanor Gearhart (1773-1862) who married William Krymer in 1790 at Oldwick, NJ.
• Catherine Cramer/Krymer (1807-1876) of Hunterdon Co., NJ, who wed Joseph H. Hoffman and lived in Somerset Co., NJ.
• Eli Parker Hoffman (1839-1904) of Somerset Co., NJ, who in 1879 married Anna Rebecca Mullen; died at Pluckemin, NJ.
• Eleanor P. Hoffman (1888-1973) of Morris Co., NJ, who in 1906 married John B. Vanderbeek; died in Hunterdon Co., NJ.
• Mary Dujuyckinck Vanderbeek (b. 1909) of Pluckemin, NJ, married Frank Hughes Welsh in 1936 and resided in Broome Co., NY.
• Barbara Eleanor Welsh (b. 1937) of Broome Co., NY, married William H. Austin Jr. in 1959 and lived in Montgomery Co., OH.

This line of descent was given to the writer by Barbara (Welsh) Austin of Dayton, OH in 1995.

A companion article gives more information on Pietro Alberti.

Additional Sources:

Records of the Italian Historical Society of America and the Long Island Historical Society.

The copyright of the article Descent from Italian Settler Pietro Alberti in Genealogy is owned by Rosemary E. Bachelor. Permission to republish Descent from Italian Settler Pietro Alberti in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Family Tree

New Amsterdam in 1664

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