Francis Rombouts

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Francis Rombouts (June 22, 1631 – 1691) was a Dutch-born merchant and a leader in early New York City. He served as mayor from 1679 to 1680. Born in Hasselt, Belgium, he moved to New Amsterdam in 1653 to trade and built a solid business. He held several city roles, including alderman and Justice of the Peace, and was known for his dignified manner and liberal politics. By his mayoralty, New York had about 3,500 residents. Rombouts Avenue in the Bronx is named after him.

Rombouts and two partners were granted the Rombout Patent in 1685, a land grant of about 85,000 acres in what is now southern Dutchess County, New York. They bought the land from the Wappinger people. He worked in fur trading with Gulian Verplanck, and Stephanus Van Cortlandt joined as a partner in 1683. After Verplanck’s death, his widow married Jacob Kip, to whom the patent was issued.

Rombouts married three times. His first wife was Aeltie Wessels (married 1665; she died before 1675). He then married Anna Elizabeth Masschop and, after being widowed again, Helena Teller Bogardus Van Bael in 1683. With Helena, he had two sons and a daughter, Catheryna (born September 5, 1687), who survived and later married Roger Brett, a British naval officer. Catheryna is remembered as a pioneering Colonial businesswoman.

Francis Rombouts died in 1691.