Memoirs of the life of David Rittenhouse, LLD. F.R.S., late president of the American Philosophical Society, &c. : $b interspersed with various notices of many distinguished men : with an appendix, containing sundry philosophical and other papers, most of which have not hitherto been publishedBarton, William
History
Memoirs of the life of David Rittenhouse, LLD. F.R.S., late president of the American Philosophical Society, &c. : $b interspersed with various notices of many distinguished men : with an appendix, containing sundry philosophical and other papers, most of which have not hitherto been published
The information derived from this respectable old man, was, that his
forefathers had long been established at Arnheim; that his father,
Nicholas, was a paper-manufacturer in that city, as others of the
family had been; and that his father’s brother, William, went with his
family to North America, where he some time afterward, as he had
understood, established the paper-mills near Germantown. He further
stated, that he had only one child, a daughter, who was married, and
resided at the Hague; and that he was, himself, as he believed, the
last of his family-name, remaining in the United Provinces.
Although plain in his dress and manners, and in the general appearance
of his household, this person seemed to be pleased in shewing the
writer a family-seal, on which was engraved a coat of arms. The
armorial device represented a castellated house, or chateau; on the
left side of which was a horse, standing on his hind feet and rearing
up, with his fore feet resting against the wall of the house: and this
house very much resembled the chateau in the armorial bearing of the
Spanish family “_de Fuentes, señores del Castillio_,” as represented
in Dubuisson’s French Collection of Arms: The seal having been much
worn, the lines, &c. describing the several tinctures of the bearing,
could not be discerned; and, therefore, it cannot be properly
blazoned. At the same time, the old gentleman did not omit to mention,
that his mother was a _De Ruyter_; and that her arms were, a mounted
chevalier armed cap-à-piè.
These facts, relative to the origin of the American Rittenhouses, did
not appear to the writer to be unworthy of notice. They are correctly
stated, being taken from a memorandum made by him, immediately after
his interview with Adrian Rittinghuysen.
The introduction of this slight sketch of the occupation and condition
of some of the European ancestors of our Philosopher, into his Life,
may be the more readily excused, since the great Newton himself was
not inattentive to such objects. There is, indeed, implanted by nature
in the human mind, a strong desire to become acquainted with the
family-history of our forefathers. Hence, Sir Isaac Newton left, in
his own hand-writing, a genealogical account or pedigree of his
family; with directions, subjoined thereto, that the registers of
certain parishes should be searched, from the beginning to the year
1650; and he adds—“Let the extracts be taken, by copying out of the
registers whatever may be met with, about the family of the Newtons,
in words at length, without omitting any of the words.” This
investigation and enquiry of Sir Isaac, was made in the sixty-third
year of his age; and he himself caused the result to be entered in the
books of the herald’s office.
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