Johannes de Peyster Sr.

The family name was originally spelled "Peijster," "Peister," or "Pester." De Peyster came of a French Huguenot family that took refuge in the United Provinces about the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. He emigrated to New Amsterdam on account of religious persecution. During the brief period in 1673-74 in which the Dutch regained possession of New Netherland, he took a prominent part in the conduct of public affairs, and he was one of the last to take the oath of allegiance to the British crown on the final cession of the province to that power.[1]

Notwithstanding his tardiness in taking an oath of allegiance, he still continued active in municipal affairs under English rule. At different times, he served as alderman and deputy mayor, but he refused the mayoralty on account of his ignorance of English. At the time of his death, he was one of the wealthiest citizens of the province.

Johannes married Cornelia "Neeltje" Lubberts (aka de Peijster, de Peyster, van Elburch) in 1651 in New York City. Of his sons, Abraham became mayor of New York City and chief justice of the province, Johannes also filled the mayor's chair, Isaac was a member of the provincial legislature, and Cornelia was the first chamberlain of New York City, besides acting in various other public capacities. His son-in-law David Provost also served as the city's mayor, succeeding Johannes de Peyster.

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1900). "De Peyster, Johannes" . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.