Cornelius Roosevelt

Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt (January 30, 1794 – July 17, 1871) was an American businessman associated with New York City. He was a member of the Roosevelt family and served as the paternal grandfather of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.

Early Life:

Roosevelt was born in New York City to James Jacobus Roosevelt and Maria Helen Van Schaack. His birth date was January 30, 1794. He was the last full-blooded Dutch Roosevelt of his lineage. His great-grandfather was Johannes Roosevelt, who established the Oyster Bay branch of the Roosevelt family. His grandfather, Cornelius Van Schaack Jr., connected him to Peter van Schaack, a notable figure. Roosevelt's ancestry includes Maria Schuyler from the Schuyler family, making him a great-great-grandnephew of her. Through Maria Schuyler, he was also a great-great-great-grandnephew of Dutch-American settlers Philip Pieterse Schuyler and David Pieterse Schuyler. His family included his younger brother James John Roosevelt, who served as a U.S. Congressman from New York from 1841 to 1843.

Education:

Roosevelt attended Columbia College but did not complete his degree due to dissatisfaction with academic life.

Career:

In 1818, after leaving college, Roosevelt became a partner in his father's hardware importing business. He was known for advocating economic prudence, once describing economy as his guiding principle until he became wealthy. Under his influence, the company's focus shifted from hardware to plate glass. Following his father's death in 1840, Roosevelt inherited considerable wealth, becoming one of the wealthiest men in New York City. He continued working in business until his retirement in 1865.

During the Panic of 1837, Roosevelt acquired multiple lots in Manhattan for future building projects. In 1844, the New York Chemical Manufacturing Company, of which Roosevelt was a director, was restructured when its original charter expired. The company became a bank, known as the Chemical Bank of New York in 1844, with Roosevelt among its initial directors. The bank sold its chemical division inventories and real estate holdings by 1851 and later evolved into Chase Bank.

Personal Life:

Roosevelt married Margaret Barnhill on October 9, 1821. Margaret was born in 1799 and died in 1861. She was the daughter of Robert Craig Barnhill and Elizabeth Potts. Her ancestry included English and Irish Quakers, as well as connections to Thomas Pott of Wales.

The couple had six sons:

- Silas Weir Roosevelt

- James Alfred Roosevelt

- Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt Jr.

- Robert Barnhill Roosevelt

- Theodore "Thee" Roosevelt Sr.

- William Wallace Roosevelt

He provided his sons with houses in New York upon their marriages.

Roosevelt passed away at his residence in Oyster Bay, New York, on July 17, 1871. The New York Times memorialized him as a "merchant of the old school." His estate was valued between $3 million and $7 million.

Descendants:

Roosevelt’s descendants include:

- His grandchildren: John Ellis Roosevelt (president of the Elkhorn Valley Coal Land Company), William Emlen Roosevelt (banker and president of Roosevelt & Son), Theodore Roosevelt (the 26th President of the United States), and Granville Roland Fortescue (author and soldier).

- His great-granddaughters: Eleanor Roosevelt, who served as First Lady of the United States.

- A great-great-grandson: Sir Humphrey Clarke, 5th Baronet (1906–1973).