GEORGE VAN LEER

GENERATION 8.1 - OLDEST CHILD OF BERHARDHUS VAN LEER


George lived most of his adult life in Gloucester County, NJ.  He married Elizabeth Roberts; 11 children were mentioned in his will  (Book of Divisions A - Woodbury, NJ).  

He was a member of the committee that selected New Jersey's representatives to the Continental Congress in 1776 where the Declaration of Independence was written.   He is listed in the DAR Patriot Index  for performance of a "public service."  No additional  information has been located regarding George's activities during the American Revolution.  The "Vanleer Papers" at the Chester County Historical Society, however, do include an excerpt from a minister's journal dated 1783 that reveals their circumstances during the Revolution:

"On Sunday afternoon in May I preached at the house of George Vanleer, whose wife was on her deathbed.  The parents and their eldest children had been baptized by Provost Wicksell.  Now, I baptized the three youngest aged 9, 6, and 2 years (respectively).  The reason given for the delay was the miserable times.  Their son-in-law had belonged to the English party and had lost all his property.  They acknowledged their neglect, however, and she was very glad to see them baptized before her death.  My last visit there on the day before her death, which she expected with christian patience.  I also gave her the Lord's Super.  The text for the funeral sermon was "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes", etc.  Rev. 21:4.  She had suffered much during her several years of illness and pain, which often kept her in bed.  The misery of the war also hastened her end, as well as that of others."
    
    The Journal & Biography of Nicholas Collin - 1746-1831
        By Amandus Johnson, Philadelphia, 1936, p. 167-168.

Descendants  included in the "Vanleer Papers" at Chester County Historical Society are reproduced below.  The "Vanleer Papers" give credit to Dr. M. Stanley Black of Wenonah, New Jersey, for providing the records on the descendants of George Van Leer in the 1930's.  Additional information was provided by Chad Nichols [www.nicholsfam.org] in 2006.

Descendants begin with George Van Leer's children--Generation 9.
    
   
         9. Mary Van Leer. (1) Born 7/20/1757. Died 7/15/1812. Unmarried.

9. Hannah Van Leer. (2) Born 1/27/1759. Married Harrison Wells about 1779. Harrison was a member of the English party, and his property was confiscated during the War of Independence.

10. Elizabeth Wells. (1) Born about 1779. Married Abraham Mendenhall of Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware about 1799.

A comprehensive genealogy is available of the descendants of Elizabeth Wells and Abraham Mendenhall at www.nicholsfam.org.  The Mendenhall family settled in Utah in the 1850's.  Their family history is well documented at the referenced website.

10. Margaret Wells. (2) Born about 1781. Married Mr. Springer about 1800. Second, married George Pearce, Esq. of New Castle, Delaware on 6/13/1816.

10. Seth Wells. (3) Born about 1783. Married Sarah in 1806.

10. George Wells. (4) Born about 1785.

10. Mary Wells (5) Born about 1787. Married Benjamin Gregg of Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware about 1808.

10. William Wells. (6) Born about 1789. Living in Baltimore, Maryland in 1814.

10. Harrison Wells, Jr. (7) Born about 1791. Living in Baltimore, Maryland in 1814.

10. Hannah Wells. (8) Born about 1793. Married John Duncan, New Castle in 1814.

9. Beulah Van Leer. (3) Born 7/16/1760. Died about 1823. Married Joseph Walker after 1786.

10. Elizabeth Walker. (1) Married a Mr. Kinsman.

11. Henry T. Kinsman. (1)

11. Elizabeth Maria Louisa Kinsman. (2)

11. Charles W. Kinsman. (3) Born about 1806. Married Miss Chaloner about 1828.

10. Beulah Walker. (2) Born June 1801. Died 6/27/1801. She is buried in the same grave with her uncle, William Vanleer.

9. William Van Leer. (4) Born 6/25/1762. Died 6/29/1800. Married Mary Dericson 5/8/1787. Buried at Trinity Episcopal Church, Swedesboro, Delaware.

10. Mary Van Leer. (1) Born about 1788. Married Samuel Dyer May 1813. He was son of William Dyer, Sr. Mary died about 1823. No children.

10. William Van Leer. (4) Born about 1790. Married Ann Eliza in 1814. Moved to Baltimore, Maryland.

11. Mary Virginia Van Leer. (1) Born about 1815. Mentioned in Beulah Walker's will as the daughter of William Vanleer of Maryland.

9. Elizabeth Van Leer. (5) Born 2/20/1765. Died 10/9/1827. Buried at Trinity Episcopal Church, Swedesboro, Delaware. Married James Clark 10/28/1784. James was born 11/30/1760 and died 8/12/1833. 5 children.

10. James Van Leer Clark. (1) Born 12/28/1787. Died 4/28/1822.

10. John Clark. (2) Born 10/18/1790.

10. Joseph Van Leer Clark. (3) Born 1/6/1793. Died 8/24/1829. Married Meribah Kirby in 1817.

11. John Kirby Clark. (1) Born 1818. Married Rebecca Thompson.

12. Louisa Clark. (1) Married Augustus Garrison.

13. Rebecca Elizabeth Garrison. (1) First married George Gill; second, Aaron Black.

12. Anna Clark. (2) Married Al Talman.

13. Louis Talman. (1)

13. Katherine Talman. (2)

13.  Sidney Talman. (3)

13. William Talman. (4) Married Elizabeth Ridgway.

14. Dorothy Talman. (1) Married Stanley Kreps.

12. Thompson Clark. (3). Unmarried.

11. Edward Clark. (2) Born 1820. Married Jane Vanneman about 1843.

12. Hannah Clark. (1) Married, first, Parmalee Olmstead.

13. Mabel Olmsted. Married Mr. Holbridge.

13. Maud Olmstead. Unmarried.

9. Rebecca Van Leer. (6)

9. Zebiah Van Leer. (7)

9. George Van Leer. (8)

9. Keziah Van Leer. (9)

9. Branson Van Leer. (10)

9. Tamzen Van Leer. (11)