II. PETER GERARDUS CAVALIER c. 1672 - ?
Son of (Jean Cavalier)

Since Peter’s parents Jean and Eleanor married in 1671 it is assumed that Peter was born about 1672. He married Belitje Claerhout on March 30, 1693. The Dutch Reformed Church of New Amsterdam (NYC) records state that they were both of New York. The baptism records of the same church show that they had a daughter, Catharina baptized on Dec. 17, 1693 and a son , Peter baptized on Jan. 1, 1695. Son Peter is later referred to as Peter I in this work.

The R.D. Owen Lineage of the Caverlys previously mentioned, states that Belitje died in 1696 although no source has been found to prove this. However the Dutch Reformed Church records show Peter Cavaleer marrying Cornelia Bosch April 3, 1697. Peter and Cornelia baptized a son Johannes on July 24, 1698 and a son Henricus on Feb. 21, 1700. This would be in keeping with the tradition of naming one son after your father and another son after your father-in-law. A daughter, Helena, was also baptized on April 15, 1702.

Cornelia’s father was Hendrick Bosch. In his will of 23 April 1701 he leaves only 6 shillings to his five children by his first wife, 1 shilling each to the two children by his second wife (“by reason of their stubborn and disobedient carriage towards me”), and to his beloved third wife all his estate. “After her death, what is left is to be divided by my sons, Hendrick, Samuel, and Joshua, and my daughter Cornelia, wife of Peter Cavalier,…….”.

In the New York City Tax Assessments for 1695-1699, Peter is living in the South Ward until 1697 when he appears in the East Ward. Perhaps the move was a result of his first wife’s death. Then after his second marriage to Cornelia, they are living in the North Ward.

In the New York City Assessment Roll for February, 1730 of the East Ward there is Peter Caveliers house valued at 5 pounds with a tax of 18 pence. This could be Peter Gerardus or his son Peter I. The reason this is in question is that there is a Dutch Reformed Church marriage record for Cornelia Caveleer and Benjamin Bunting on Oct. 21, 1705. Either Peter Gerardus died and Cornelia remarried or perhaps Cornelia was a middle name for one of Peter’s sisters Mary or Elizabeth.

The Dutch Reformed Church records show that Peter G. and Cornelia’s son Johannes married Elizabeth Tiebout on 22 Oct. 1721 and they baptized a son Petrus 21 Oct. 1722. The month before, son Henricus married Helena Burger on 9 Sep. 1721. The latter had six children: Cornelia, Petrus (Peter), Engeltje (Angelica), Lena, Jannetje (Jane), and Aatlje (Alice).

No marriage records were found for Helena but there is a marriage record for Eleanor Cavelier marrying Hugh O. Neil on 20 Jan. 1741. Helena, Elena, and Eleanor seem to be interchangeable in many of the Dutch records so perhaps this is her and she didn’t marry until later in life.

In English Origins of American Colonists, NYGBR, vol. 34-44, 47, 1903-1926 there is an abstract of the 1735 will of “Col. John Cavalier, late of Kingston, Jamaica, now of St. Andrews, Holborn, County Middlesex.” In it he mentions sister Mary Jouet, and nephews John Cavalier and Henry Cavalier of NYC, and niece Helena Barrow of Barbadoes. Is Col. John Cavalier the brother of Peter Gerardus and son of Jean Cavalier, or is it a coincidence that persons mentioned in his will have the same names as the children of Peter Gerardus and Cornelia Bosch? Nothing has been found on Col. John Cavalier except that he was nominally mentioned in the Feurtado manuscripts and Gentlemen’s Magazine in the 1720s and 1730s.

michigan@thecaverlys.com

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