Albright Family in New York

In the year 1734 eight Albrecht families from Stadel, applied to emigrate to North America.1 Hans is a glazier (glass blower), one of the better occupations and required a special permit that also enabled him to pay additional taxes.2 People wore clothes made of flax and hemp that was grown locally. Local news was obtained at the "Rose" tavern and known as bread and wine news. In 1647 about half the town, 17 houses, burned in a drastic fire. Hans great grandfather, Hans Lagli Albrecht, and his family lived in Stadel at this time. It has been reported that our Albright family is descended from the Hapsburg family. I originally translated an article that convienced me that this was true but later a more accurate translation by experts at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City convienced me that our line from Stadel can not be proved with this article.3

Hans was christened in the Evangelical-Reformed Church on 26 September 1697; the son of Felix Albrecht and Regua Mohr. He was the second of nine children and married Anna Dubendorffer on 4 May 1721. The known living children of Hans and Anna were Heinrich and Verena. Three daughters were named Verena. The first two lived only a few years and it is yet to be shown that the third Verena survived to journey to America. Hans family is one of the families given permission to emigrate in 1734, but records show that they did not moved until August 1737.4

The journey to America consisted of selling one's possessions. Then the journey was usually made with either relatives or friends. The first stop is Basel where French passports are obtained in order to travel up the Rhine River to Rotterdam. The trip up the Rhine was met with no less than 28 tolls to be paid as they entered another nobility area or state. When they got to Rotterdam a ship had to be commissioned for travel to America, the delay could take several months depending upon the weather. The first stop is England where passengers are required to pledge allegiance to the king, George II before departing for America. The conditions are crowded with rationing of food and water. It has not been determined the port they landed but I would surmise that it may have been New York or Castle Garden, since the trip up the Hudson River is the most convenient way to reach New Netherlands/Albany. There is one record to indicate that they may have been in New York for a short time.5

The first record of the Albrecht family in Albany is the death of Hans on the 11th of October 1742.6

Albany or New Netherlands as it was known, during the 1600's was a walled city under a patroon leadership of van Rensselaer. The town had a population of approximately 3500 people and surprisingly 600 were slaves. Even before the Revolution, Albany had paved sidewalks and streetlights. The streets were wide and each home had a porch in front where the residents would visit in the evening hours. At the edge of town was a common pasture for cows.7 Typical of urban towns of that time, Albany sported a whipping post and stocks. Crime was not unknown with burglars branded on the forehead on the first offense and executed after the third. I would imagine this would somewhat deter crime.

The confluence of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers made Albany a center for trade and important as a strategic site in the Revolutionary War. The County Militia which Heinrick, the son of Hans and Anna, was a member participated in a variety of activities including patrolling, garrisoning the Mohawk Valley and native battles.8 Albany was the center of activity during the war and suffered from “Inflation, debts, unpaid wages, uprisings, neighborhood fractions, confiscated property, abandoned homes, burned farms and crops, wounded, missing, kidnapped, prisoners of war, battlefield dead, all these were a part of Albany County in the Revolution.”9 The patriots were in the minority but were well organized while the loyalists were not as well organized and were divided in their sympathy and action.

Heinrich, the son of Han's and Anna, and Elizabeth had eight children; five boys and three girls all baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church of Albany. The first child Johannes named after Heinrich's father then the first girl Eva named after Elizaetha's mother, Anna the third child has the same name as Heinrich's mother. The second boy named Phillip is named after Elizabetha's father. The remaining children probably were named after relatives that have yet to be proven. The Albrecht name changed to Albright by five of the eight children during their life time.

The 7th child of Heinrich is Heinrich\Henry. Henry as he is known in the 1820 census in Guilderland, Albany County.10

This is the link that was in error. John Carpenter Albright born 15 April 1803 in New Salem in Albany County.11 The only evidence found to date is a family Bible that has a publication date of 1851.12 This John is the genealogy to be followed to Illinois. John married Hannah McMaster of Williamstown, Berkshire County, Massachusetts who died in Massachusetts.13 Having children, he soon remarried to Eliza Jane White of Pittstown, Rensselaer County, New York. Although John moved many times it is apparent that he stayed within short travel distance of the core family in the Albany area as can be seen from the map. John is in the 1830 census in Williamstown that borders Vermont, Massachusetts and New York.14

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