General Notes

SOURCE: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/bios/vd/rvd6353.html
Rip Van Dam by Stefan Bielinski
"Rip Van Dam was born about 1660. He was the son of Beverwyck/Albany carpe
nter/trader Claes Ripse and his wife, Maria Bords. As an adolescent, he w
as sent to New York to learn business. He soon entered business on his ow
n. He was elected to the provincial Assembly in 1699. In 1702, he was appo
inted to the governor's Council of advisors. He served for more than thir
ty years and often represented the governor - making his annual trip to Al
bany to renew the alliance with the Iroquois. He was acting governor of t
he province until the arrival of governor William Cosby in 1731! He presid
ed over the Zenger trial in 1735. Rip Van Dam died in New York on June 1
0, 1749."
*****
SOURCE: http://www.famousamericans.net/ripvandam/
Rip Van Dam
"VAN DAM, Rip, colonial governor, born in Albany, New York, about 1662 ; d
ied in New York city after 1736. He became a prominent merchant in the We
st India trade, resisted Lord Bellomont's restrictions on commerce, an
d, in consequence of the seizure of some of his vessels for supposed infra
ction of the custom laws, engaged in politics, entered the assembly in 169
9, and became a leader of the opposition party. With other merchants he si
gned a petition to the king protesting against Bellomont's acts. Lord Corn
bury, who removed some of the councillors for promoting political disorde
r, appointed Van Dam to one of the vacancies. He continued in the counc
il for nearly thirty years, and as its senior member and president assum
ed the administration and acted as governor from the death of Governor Jo
hn Montgomery on 1 July, 1731, till, the arrival of his successor on 1 Aug
ust, 1732. He was opposed to courts of chancery, and refused to take the o
ath as chancellor. When Governor William Cosby on his arrival exhibit
ed an order for an equal division of the salary, emoluments, and perquisit
es, Van Dam refused to pay over any part of the salary that he had receiv
ed unless Cosby divided the larger sum that he had obtained in England f
or pretended expenditures in the colony. They each brought suits, which we
re finally dropped without a settlement, after arousing intense partisan f
eeling between the aristocratic friends of the governor and the popular pa
rty, which supported Van Dam. Van Dam absented himself from the meetin
gs of the council, and Governor Cosby, on his death-bed, secretly suspend
ed him from office in order to prevent his succeeding again to the directi
on of the government. George Clarke, who was next in length of service, w
as sworn in, but Van Dam claimed the office, and the rival governors ea
ch called a meeting of the council. Van Dam was sustained by the chief jus
tice, and his adherents were ready to support his claim with arms, when t
he arrival from England of despatches that were addressed to Clarke p
ut an end to the controversy. He published "Heads of Articles of Complai
nt against Governor Cosby" (Boston, 1734)."
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia, Copyright © 2001 VirtualologyTM