Abraham Schermerhorn

Abraham Schermerhorn (April 9, 1783 – February 3, 1850) was a wealthy New York City merchant who was also prominent in social affairs. He was the father of Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, known as the Mrs. Astor. Early life Schermerhorn was born on April 9, 1783, in Hyde Park, New York, and baptized in New York City shortly thereafter. He was the third son of merchant Peter Schermerhorn (1749–1826) and Elizabeth (née Bussing) Schermerhorn (1752–1809), who married in 1771. His brother, John P. Schermerhorn was married to Rebecca Stevens, the daughter of Gen. Ebenezer Stevens, and his sister, Jane Schermerhorn, was married to the Rev. William Creighton, S.T.D. His paternal grandparents were John Schermerhorn (1715–1768) and Sarah (née Cannon) Schermerhorn (1721–1762). Abraham's father Peter was the grandson of Maria Beekman (b. 1692) (herself the granddaughter of Wilhelmus Beekman, Governor of the Colony of Swedes, Acting Mayor of New York City and founder of the Beekman family in the United States). His maternal grandparents were Abraham Bussing, a dry goods merchant, and Elizabeth (née Mesier) Bussing. He was descended from Jacob Janse Schermerhorn, who settled in New York from the Netherlands in 1636. Career Schermerhorn's father, like his grandfather and great-grandfather, was a commander and owner of shipping vessels trading between New York City and Charleston, South Carolina. From 1776 to 1783, during the American Revolutionary War, Schermerhorn and his family lived in Hyde Park, New York, to protect their vessels from British seizure. After the war ended, the family returned to New York City.