| Abraham Van Buren | |
| Office: | Town Clerk of Kinderhook, New York |
| Term Start: | 1787 |
| Term End: | 1796 |
| Predecessor: | None (position created) |
| Successor: | James I. Van Alen |
| Birth Date: | 17 February 1737 |
| Birth Place: | Albany, New York |
| Death Place: | Kinderhook Village, New York |
| Resting Place: | Reformed Church Cemetery, Kinderhook, New York |
| Party: | Democratic-Republican (after 1792) |
| Otherparty: | Anti-Federalist (1787–1789) Jeffersonian (1789–1792) |
| Relatives: | James I. Van Alen (stepson) |
| Children: | 5 (including Martin Van Buren) |
| Branch: | New York Militia |
| Serviceyears: | 1775–1783 |
| Unit: | 7th Regiment, Albany County Militia |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Battles: | American Revolutionary War |
Abraham Van Buren (February 17, 1737 – April 8, 1817) was an American businessman and local public official from Kinderhook, New York. A Patriot and militia veteran of the American Revolutionary War, he was the father of Martin Van Buren, the eighth president of the United States.
Abraham Van Buren was born in Albany, New York on February 17, 1737, the son of Marten Pieterse Van Buren (1701–1766) and Dirckje (Van Alstyne) Van Buren (1710-1798).[1] [2] The fifth of nine children, he was a descendant of Cornelis Maessen, a native of Buurmalsen, Netherlands who had come to North America in 1631.
Van Buren owned a Kinderhook farm and several slaves, as well as a combined tavern and inn. Most of Kinderhook's residents were descendants of the Dutch colonists who created New Netherland, and they spoke Dutch as their primary language.[3] The Van Buren tavern was strategically situated on the main route between New York City and Albany. In addition to being a prominent destination for stagecoach travelers, Van Buren's tavern was also a prominent local meeting place, and used for political gatherings, town meetings, and as a polling place.[3]
During the American Revolution, Van Buren was identified with the Patriot cause, serving in the Albany County Militia's 7th Regiment with the rank of captain. After the war, Van Buren was active in politics as an Anti-Federalist and Jeffersonian, and he joined the Democratic-Republican Party at its founding.[4] In 1787, Van Buren was elected to serve as Kinderhook's town clerk, the first individual chosen for this position after it was created. He served until 1797 and was succeeded by his stepson James I. Van Alen. The details of Abraham Van Buren's education are not known, but according to 1914's A History of Old Kinderhook, his excellent penmanship and the legibility of the town records he produced was still notable more than 120 years after he created them.
In 1776, Abraham Van Buren married Maria Hoes (or Goes) Van Alen (1747–1818), the widow of Johannes Van Alen.[3] From his wife's first marriage to Johannes Van Alen, Van Buren was the stepfather of:
From his own marriage, Van Buren's children included:[9]
Van Buren died in Kinderhook on April 8, 1817. He was buried at Kinderhook Reformed Church Cemetery.
Martin Van Buren apparently said and wrote very little about his father. In one of his few recorded recollections, Martin Van Buren wrote of his father that Abraham Van Buren was an amiable man who had no enemies, but also had little talent for making or saving money.[17] Abraham Van Buren's children erected a marker over his grave, which contained a detailed epitaph: