Dirck Becker and Wouter Becker

Dirck Becker and Wouter Becker are on "The List" as having served in the American Revolution.

Hopefully you are aware of Beckers Corners, the old Becker family homestead nearby on Maple Avenue and of course A. W. Becker Elementary School.  I have written about the Beckers many a time on this blog so use the search function to find those articles.  Oh, and do you know the old brick house on the grounds of Sabic? (The former GE plastics plant -you can see the old house from Creble Road.) That is a Becker homestead too. 

But things get complicated when I turned my eye to the Revolutionary War service of Dirck and Wouter.  Our trusty New York in the Revolution has many, many men with the last name of Becker. Wouter turns up as an enlisted man in the 5th Regiment of the Albany County Militia, and Dirck turns up in the Land Bounty Rights section of the 3rd Regiment, Albany County Militia. I was most impressed with the 15th Regiment of the Albany County Militia which has 25 men with the last name of Becker in it. None of whom are Dirck or Wouter.*

So far so good, but then I thought to go back to Bethlehem Revisited.  The Military chapter lists both Dirck and Wouter as lieutenants but does not say what regiment or give any other supporting info. 

The Bethlehem Revisited reference got me thinking about Howell & Tenney's Bi-Centennial History of the County of Albany 1609-1886. ** There is a great section on the Albany area during the Revolution. Here is my favorite quote:

"The year 1777 was marked by events that demanded unusual exertions and sacrifices from the people of Albany County. The summer was one of intense anxiety. An army of disciplined and veteran British troops was on the march to Albany with hostile intent. To the peace-loving population of the city, their progress spread the wildest terror; to the loyal Tories ecstasies of hope and bold impudence; to the patriotic friends of liberty, anxiety and dread. From mid-spring to late autumn all was excitement, alarm and activity." [This was the time when the battles of Saratoga unfolded]

And then there is a section on the Militia of 1776-1776.

"Albany County, as it existed during the time of the Revolution, first organized Seventeen Regiments of Militia... we give the officers of such as belonged wholly, or in part, to the present Albany County.  They were numbered and officered... as follows: First Regiment, City of Albany... Third Regiment, First Rensselaerwyck Battalion..."

Of interest here are Fourth and Fifth Companies of that Rensselaerwyck Battalion (remember there was no Bethlehem in 1776, we were on the West Manor of Rensselaerwyck). All of the men in these companies, including Dirck and Wouter Becker, appear on "The List".  This looks to be where Bethlehem Revisited got its info on Lt. Wouter and Lt. Dirck.

So, Wouter and Dirck definitely served, but the exact nature of that service is not well documented.

But what about them personally? As noted in the first paragraph, the Becker family was pretty prominent here in Bethlehem. 

The first Becker in Bethlehem appears to be Albertus Becker (1719-1800) who married Helen Van der Zee. His homestead can be found on the 1767 map of Rensselearwyck. (Right next to one of the few women listed on that map, Areantie Becker)

I believe their son Wouter (born 1736, I don't have a death date for him) would be our Revolutionary War soldier. He and his wife Annetje deRidder had at least two children, Albertus and Caterina. This Albertus (and I am sure his wife Polly Van der Heyden had a say) built the large brick home on Maple Avenue. ***

I hope you can read this transcription of an old Dutch Bible. I love how several of the children are listed as the children of Polly Becker.

I can't quite figure out how Dirck is related to Wouter or the other Bethlehem Beckers.  The 1790 Census has both Dirck and Walter in Watervliet (which included all of Bethlehem at the time). The 1799 tax assessment roll for Bethlehem clearly lists Walter Becker & Sons and Dirck Becker & Sons. So, he was here, but how related still remains a mystery.

When researching the Becker family, especially in the census record, I cannot help but notice that the family were enslavers, as were many of the old Dutch families in Albany County. The 1800 census really smacks you in the face with it. Walter's household has 14 people in it, 4 free white people and 10 slaves. That is a high number for this area. It is distressing to read the section on slavery in the Bi-Centennial History book because it downplays the reality of enslaved people. Basically, it says that everyone was happy down on the farm. Which really, cannot be true when the slaves had no freedom at all. They may have had a place to sleep, food to eat, or lighter labor compared to southern plantations, but still. New York's gradual emancipation law didn't come into full effect until July 4, 1827. 

A very slight hopeful bit is found on the 1800 census line underneath Walter's. It simply reads "Jack, a Free Negro".  There are 5 people in his household.

Above is the full 1800 census page. Below is a crop highlighting Walter and Jack.

So, yes, our Revolutionary War soldiers made sacrifices for the American Revolution, but we also have to recognize the good, the bad and the ugly about them. People live in the context of their times. Histories are written in the context of their times, and I am writing in the context of mine. July 4, 2026 is just around the corner. America 250, in all of its iterations, is in full swing. I focus on local Bethlehem people, their stores and experiences partly because I just am not feeling the rah rah hoopla about the 250th. Our country is seriously messed up right now, and it was messed up back in 1776. The question is, what can we learn from the past to make our future better?

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* You know I had to list them all. Under Colonel Peter Vroman we have Major Jost Becker, Capt. Storm Becker, Ensign Isaac Becker and the following enlisted men: Abraham, Adam, Albartus, Bill, Coenraed, David, Frederick, Garrit, George, Harmanus, Hendrick, Jacob, Johannes, Johannes K. John  A., John Alb., John Gert, John J., Nicholas, Storm, Storm A., and William.

** Both Archive.org and Google books have digital copies of the bi-centennial history book. And you can also find  Bethlehem Revisited at the Bethlehem Public Library's local history page.

And just a side note if you made it all the way down here.  It is hard to keep track of the many Walters (Wouter) and Alberts (Albertus) in the family tree. So here's a little graphic. Literally a picture from my notebook.  Please take the birth and death dates with a grain of salt. They need double checking. I'd really like to get some dates for Anna Haswell Becker, and some informatinn on where her and her husband A.W. Becker are buried.  They lost the house on Maple Avenue about 1900 to Adam Winne, then it looks like they moved to the Normansville/Delmar/Singerlands area.  For along time I thought they were interred in Elmwood Cemetery, but I think I might be wrong about that.  Per usual, more research needed!

The Haswell Family and the Revolution

My favorite way to talk about the Haswell family and their experience of the American Revolution is to start with the quote below from Samuel V. B. Haswell given in 1964 in an interview about Bethlehem history. 

"Haswells did not fight in Revolution, but often times the officials of Colonial committees came around and asked for money for the cause.  Haswell gave money when he was asked for money and had none he took off his coat and offered that instead of money.

One of early Haswell men mentions in some correspondence the following – Rangers were a home military unit during the Revolutionary War for home protection against Tories and Indians.  Tories had a camp and rendezvous near the banks of the Vlaumenskill in Mead’s Lane.  Tories plundered and burned, stole cattle, sometimes disguised themselves.  Beckers were Tories so this writer says.  Hans Burhans discovered the Tory camp in a grove of trees near Mead’s Lane.  Hans Becker threatened him.  Burhans did not dare say for a long time what he had see for fear of reprisals."

There is so much to unpack in this statement. Let's begin with the fact that Haswells did indeed serve in the Revolution. 

Turning to our trusty New York in the Revolution, we've got Joseph Haswell in the 5th Regiment, Albany County Militia and John Haswell in the Albany County Militia (Land Bounty Rights) 3rd Regiment.  This is backed up by this page from a Haswell family Bible.

Do you remember Captain William Winne's payroll records from previous blog posts? They've got John and Joseph listed, plus brother Robert. He is noted as a drummer on one record (as well as Peter Flansburg who is a fifer.)

This page also has Joseph Haswell.

So who were these Haswell brothers you ask? If you are from Bethlehem, do you recognize the name Haswell Farms, the modern subdivision that starts on the corner of Feura Bush Road, Murray Avenue and Hasgate Drive? Do you know the old white house that is on the corner there? That is an old Haswell home. The original part was built about 1820.  However, the land itself (where the subdivision is and beyond) was leased by John Haswell from the patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer on Jan 7, 1792. And the family was definitely in the area before then, probably by 1774. 

Ok, backing up a bit...

John Haswell (1728-1808) and Mary Miller (born 1730, died before 1764) married in England and had six children together (including the John, Joseph and Robert mentioned above.) After Mary M. died, John Haswell married Mary Haliday and had nine children with her. It is with Mary H. that John packed up his 11 children, aged 1 to 23, boarded the Golden Rule and emigrated to America.* The ship set sale May 31, 1774 and arrived June 7.  On the emigration record** Haswell (with the spelling Hastwell) is listed as a "Husbandman" and his purpose was to "settle in America."

John Haswell (1751-1777), Joseph Haswell (1753-1813) and Robert Haswell (1755-1820) were among the Haswell offspring aboard the Golden Rule.  They had only been here a couple of years when they answered the Revolutionary call in 1776.  

Thinking things through, I believe the John Haswell who served was the son. He would have been aged 25 and his father, also John, would have been busy with all those kids and establishing the farmstead. Since John died in 1777, I also believe it was the father John who leased the land from the patroon in 1792. ***

Joseph married Mary Marks in 1779 and died in 1813. 

Robert married Sarah Marks**** and settled in Hoosick. He died in 1820.

There are several homes still standing in Bethlehem that have Haswell family connections. The original part of the white one at Murray Avenue and Feura Bush Road mentioned above was likely built in 1820 by son William Haswell and his wife Elizabeth Udell on part of the land that his father originally rented from the patroon. Generations of the Haswell family lived there until 2003 when it sold out of the family. (The Samuel who made the statement above was a descendant of William and lived in the house his whole life - he died in 1971). 

Other houses with Haswell connections are the big old brick house on 9W near where Route 32 comes in (just north of the Five Guys shopping plaza), the old brick house across the street from the Delmar Fire Department building on Feura Bush Road and the old Haswell-Houk Tavern just down Feura Bush Road at the four way stop with Elm Avenue.  I'd have to do a bunch more digging to figure exactly how they are connected to John Haswell and Mary Haswell (both of them, Miller and Haliday) and their many many descendants. *****

And all of this is probably enough for one blog post - don't worry - I will circle back around to the Tories on Meads Lane and the Beckers and the Burhans.

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* Four of Mary H.'s children were born after arriving here, giving John Haswell a total of 15 children.

**Emigrants from England 1773-1776 compiled by Gerald Fothergill and published by the New England Historical and Genealogical Register.

*** If you like your family trees complicated, consider that John Haswell and Mary H. named another son John. He was born in 1780, lived until 1868 and married Peggy Burhans. 

**** The Haswells and the Marks were a seriously intertwined family. Haswell brothers Joseph, Robert, Thomas and Richard all married a Marks sister (Mary, Sarah, Elisabeth and Deborah) and then Margaret Haswell married Isaac Marks (brother of all those Marks sisters.)

***** You can find articles about two of these houses written by Town Historian Allison Bennett in 1976 for the Spotlight by following the links below. Put Haswell in the search bar and you'll hop right to them.

https://webapps.bethlehempubliclibrary.org/spotlight/years/1976/1976-04-22.pdf

and

https://webapps.bethlehempubliclibrary.org/spotlight/years/1976/1976-10-21.pdf

And finally, here are the Haswell connected homes that I know of that are still standing, from Google Street View of course. 

Top left is 708 Feura Bush Road - the one at the top of Haswell Farms subdivision, next to it is 808 Feura Bush, across from the fire house.

Bottom left is the one on 9W, one on the right is the old tavern at the corner of Feura Bush & Elm.