Johannes de Peyster III

Johannes de Peyster or Johannes de Peyster III (1694 – February 27, 1789) was the Mayor of Albany, New York three times between 1729 and 1742. His father was the 23rd Mayor of New York City, and served as a captain with the 2nd Battalion, Company of Foot, New York. His parents had 12 children, several who died young. His siblings that survived to adulthood included: Elizabeth de Peyster (1692–1760), who married James Beekman (1687–1730), Cornelia de Peyster (1695–1753), who was married to Matthew Clarkson (1699–1739) and Gilbert Tennent (1703–1764), Gerardus de Peyster (b. 1697), who married Eva van Nuys Ouke, Anna de Peyster (1700–1735), Maria de Peyster (b. 1706), who married Gerard Bancker in 1731, and Catharina de Peyster (b. 1711), who married Hendrick Rutgers (1712–1779). His nephews included Gerard Bancker (1740–1799), New York State Treasurer from 1778 to 1798, and Henry Rutgers (1745–1830), namesake of Rutgers College.

For eleven years, he served as Commissioner of Indian Affairs for the Province of New York, appointed in 1734, 1738, 1739, and 1746. He was also a member of Provincial Assembly

From 1756 to 1766, he was the Surrogate of Albany County. He held the position again from 1778 to 1782, when the Province became New York State. In 1782, he was replaced in the role by his grandson, John De Peyster Douw.

Personal life

In 1715, De Peyster married Anna Schuyler (1697–1750), the only child of Albany Mayor Myndert Schuyler (1672–1755) and Rachel Cuyler (1674–1747). Her paternal grandparents were David Pieterse Schuyler (1636–1690), brother of Philip Pieterse Schuyler, and Catharina Verplanck (1639–1690) who both died during the Schenectady massacre of 1690. Anna de Peyster (1723–1794), who married Volkert Petrus Douw (1720–1801), a New York State Senator and Mayor of Albany from 1761 to 1770 who was the grandson of Hendrick van Rensselaer. Rachel de Peyster (1728–1794), who married Tobias Coenraedt Ten Eyck (1717–1785).