The International Association of Amateur Heralds

Two American colonial-era heraldic items which I came across recently :


The arms of Rutger Jacobsen, on a stained glass window dated 1656. The window was originally in the Dutch Reformed church in Beverswijck (now Albany) in Nieuw Nederland (now New York state). Jacobsen, who was a local dignitary, laid the foundation stone of the church.


The arms of G. van Schaick on a rouwbord [hatchment] dating from the 1730s. The border, giving the impression of a drawn-back curtain, is rather unusual. Has anyone seen any other examples?

Both items are now in the Albany Institute of History & Art (https://www.albanyinstitute.org).

Nice post, Arthur.

The Jacobsen window is one of several that have survived from the old Beverwyck church. That for the van Rensselaer family is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Q3 of the van Rensselaer arms seems to drive the proverbial coach and four through the tincture "rule". Perhaps one of our Dutch (or perhaps American) members can tell us whose arms these were and if the tinctures really were argent and or.

yes it seems that Jean Baptist used these arms because here is another example



his father only used the first quarter btw

Thanks for posting the Van Rensselaer arms.

Both windows are fairly small, I see. The Jacobsen window measures 26 in x 20 9/16 in, and the Van Renssselaer window is a bit smaller, at 22 3/8 in x 15 1/2 in.

The first quarter of the Van Rensselaer arms, plus the crest, are also the arms and crest of the Barneveld and Oldenbarneveld families.

Chris Green wrote:Q3 of the van Rensselaer arms seems to drive the proverbial coach and four through the tincture "rule". Perhaps one of our Dutch (or perhaps American) members can tell us whose arms these were and if the tinctures really were argent and or.

According to a series of articles on Dutch colonial arms published in the 1930s in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, the arms in Q3 are Van Wenckum, Azure three crowns or. The author (I can't find my notes, unfortunately) hypothesized that the blue in the Beverwyck window had faded, and that subsequent emblazonments erroneously depicted the field as argent. I don't know the date of the second window.

Van Rensselaer seal dating to 1620, from the New-York Historical Society


Bookplate of Jeremias van Renssealaer, 1761, also showing the field of Q3 as argent.

There was also a Schuyler window at the Beverwyck church. It was destroyed in 1879, but a drawing survives. The windows were made by Evert Duyckinck, donated by the men (all leaders of the settlement) whose arms were depicted. There were at least five in all--Rensselaer, Jacobsen, Schuyler, Hebersen, and Wendell. Pieces of the Hebersen window are at the Albany Institute along with the Jacobsen window. The Wendell window, as of the early 20th century, was apparently still owned by the family.

... the arms in Q3 are Van Wenckum, Azure three crowns or.

If there are any van Wenckum descendants entitled to the undifferenced arms they would be decidedly unpopular here in Sweden! Azure three crowns Or two and one are the lesser state arms and protected by law.