B. about 1672, East Hampton, New York
M. before about 1692 in (probably) East Hampton, New York
Wife: Elizabeth _______
D. about 1735, East Hampton, New York
For someone who had Cornelius Vanderbilt for a great-great grandson, there is scant information on the life of Samuel Hand. When it came to records, he was one of those people who slipped under the radar, and sadly, there is little to say about him.
Samuel was of the third generation of settlers named Hand in East Hampton, Long Island, born to Stephen Hand and Sarah Stratton as one of their eight children. His birth year was thought to have been about 1672, although others say it was about 1665. The family was raised at a place known today as Wainscott, and Samuel’s father was part of the East Hampton community, serving as constable.
While we don’t have specifics about the life of Samuel, we can apply some likely attributes to him based on East Hampton history. One is that he was probably Presbyterian rather than Puritan because East Hampton was “founded in 1648 by Puritan farmers who worshipped as Presbyterians.” (There’s also the fact that Samuel’s son Nehemiah was buried in a New Jersey Presbyterian cemetery.) Another part of the historical context was that 17th-century East Hampton was engaged in the whaling business, and perhaps Samuel made some income there; some Hand family lore points to that in a general way.
Little is known about Samuel’s wife and children. It’s believed that he had three sons, with the oldest born about 1693, so his marriage to a woman named Elizabeth happened roughly before that date. Samuel was mentioned on a deed dated October 16, 1693 selling some land and a house left to him by his father. His brother Stephen Jr. was administrator of the document. Another document in the East Hampton town records dated April 23, 1705 contains his signature. This was regarding some land perhaps commonly owned by Samuel and his brothers Joseph and Stephen. Joseph sold the land to someone else, and Stephen handled the money.
After 1705, the records go silent on Samuel Hand. One source says he died in about 1735, but there isn’t really any hard evidence to back this up. Samuel was the ancestor of Cornelius Vanderbilt and all of his illustrious descendants.
Children:
1. Stephen Hand — B. about 1693, (probably) East Hampton, New York; D. 10 May 1743
2. Jonathan Hand — B. about 1695, (probably) East Hampton, New York
3. Nehemiah Hand — B. about 1700, (probably) East Hampton, New York; D. 27 Dec 1776, Rahway, New Jersey; M. Lydia _____, about 1725
Sources:
