William Dervall

William or Willem Dervall (1642 – c. 1711) was a Dutch-born Mayor of New York City from October 17, 1675 until October 14, 1676.

Biography Dervall was the son of Frans Jorisz Derval, a wealthy timber merchant in Amsterdam originating from Wijchen. In September 1665, Willem had found his way to the East Coast of the United States, as the English Governor Nicolls issued him a letter of denization and granted him permission to trade anywhere in the English colonies of America.

Dervall and his fellow merchant and (supposed) brother Jan/John arrived in 1667 from Boston to New York City and set up a store on the corner of Whitehall Street and Pearl Street. He did good business, sending from time to time large quantities of goods to his brother Cornelis in Amsterdam. Jan/Johannes/John Dervall, who also used the surname "de Witt", married in November 1675 with Catharine van Courtlandt. After Jan's death in February 1689, Catharine remarried Jan's business partner, Colonel Frederick Philipse in 1692. In contrast, the aforementioned brother Cornelis Darvall (1640–1721), lived his whole live in Amsterdam, where he was a powerful merchant. To wit, Cornelis is thought to have arranged the quick release of Jacob Leisler, after Leisler and other New York citizens had been captured by Moorish pirates on a voyage to Europe in 1678; the other captives had to wait for over a year before New York Governor Edmund Andros could forward their ransom.