George Colenburg, another man of mystery

Who the heck was George Colenburg?

Finding information on this man has been very frustrating! 

The name is spelled in many variations - Colenberg, Colenbergh, Colonburgh, Colonburough, etc. plus many versions with a double L like Collenburg.

He shows up on the list of names published in Bethlehem Revisited as a veteran of the American Revolution from Bethlehem. 

He shows up in the 1800 census in Bethlehem in a household of 5, all free white persons, 1 male ages 16-26, 1 male over age 45, 2 females 16-26 and 1 female over 45. 

Also in the 1820 census in Bethlehem in a household of 3, all free white persons, a male 16-25, a male 45 and over and 1 female over 45.

George shows up in the Red Book (The Records of the People of the Town of Bethlehem 1698-1880) only for those census reports. Nothing in the church records or burial records.

A Jacob Colonbrough shows up in the 1830 census in a household of 2 elderly, free white people, 1 female over 50 but under 60 and a male over 70 but under 80.

Also in the Red Book is a John Colenbergh listed as a member of the First Reformed Church of Bethlehem in 1810.

And that is about it.  Can't find anything on Ancestry or Find A Grave, or Billion Graves, or Google books. He's not in New York in the Revolution. Or on the online records at the National Archive. And believe me I used all sorts of name spellings, and dates and places to mix it up to see if anything turns up.

One (!!!) intriguing bit turned up on Ancestry and that is a record from the Reformed Church in Kinderhook for the baptism of Johannes Colenburg, son of Johan Colenburg and Claratje Bowle, on September 23, 1781. 

I'm not even finding much to spectulate on to make up a story about George!

My next step is to reach out to the writers of Bethlehem Revisited to see where they got their information because I have not been able to confirm George's service.

In the meantime, the internet kept pointing me to Dutch Old Master painter Christiaen van Colenbergh.  So please do enjoy his painting of a boy and his dog while I do some further research.

Image: Christiaen van Colenbergh (Dutch, before 1635–after 1688), “Portrait of a Small Boy,” 1670, oil on canvas, 42 3/4 × 33 1/4 in. (108.6 × 84.5 cm), Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Wiesenberger, 1956.409, Photograph © Bruce M. White, 2019