Cornelius Van Steenwyk
Encyclopedia
Cornelius Steenwyck served two terms as Mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...

, the first from 1668 to 1672 (or 1670, and the second from 1682 to 1684 (or 1683).

He also briefly served as governor of the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...

's paper claim over Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...

 in 1676, although his only attempt to actually assert Dutch control over the territory was rebuffed at Fort Pentagouet by three war ships from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

. The Dutch colonial claim over Acadia was surrendered in 1678 by the Treaties of Nijmegen
Treaties of Nijmegen
The Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen were a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Nijmegen between August 1678 and December 1679...

.

An inventory of his estate ordered July 20, 1686 ran 14 pages and totaled ₤4,382 (New York pound
New York pound
The pound was the currency of New York until 1793. Initially, the British pound and some foreign currencies circulated, supplemented by local paper money from 1709...

s), while a list of his debts ran 16 pages, and totaled ₤1,588, showing that Cornelis Steenwyck was one of the richest men in New York of his time.

Steenwick Avenue in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...

is named after him.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK