Lt. Garret Vansant (1745-1797) and Elizabeth Larue Vansant (1759-1835)
November 9, 2023
Gravestone of Garret Vansant (1745-1797) in the Bensalem Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Bensalem, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Gerret Vansant was a lieutenant in the US Continental Army during the American Revolution.
Image courtesy of Find a Grave at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25720603/garret-vansant.
Garret Vansant’s Service in the American Revolution
My maternal grandfather, Clarence Rowley Van Sant (1891-1963), was a direct descendant of Gerret Vansant, who served in the United States Continental Army during the American Revolution. Garret first served in the Continental Army as a private, then as a second lieutenant in Southampton Company under Captain John Founell. He was later promoted to first lieutenant and served in 1st Battalion, 5th Company under Captain Zephaniah Lott.
Garret Vansant (1745-1797) Married Elizabeth Larue (1759-1835)
Garret was born on October 13th, 1745 in Abbington, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Gerret Brouwers Van Sant (1710-1755) and Mary Dungan (dates unknown). In the 1770s, he married Elizabeth Larue, who was born April 29, 1759 in Bensalem, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Elizabeth was the daughter of Abraham Larue (1734-1790) and Alice Vandegrift (1731-1801).
Distant Vansant Cousins
Both Garret and Elizabeth were direct descendants of Harmon Garrits Vansant (1654-1759) and Elizabeth Brouwers Vansant (1675-1730). Garret was their grandson through their son Garret Brouwers Vansant (1704-1756). Elizabeth was their great-granddaughter through their daughter Elizabeth Vansant Vandegrift (1697-1742) and her daughter Alice Vandegrift Larue (1731-1801).
Harmon Garrits Vansant (1674-1759) was the son of Gerrit Soffelszen Vansand (1644-1706), who immigrated with his father, Christoffel/Stoffel Harmens/Harmenszen (about 1618-1655) from Amsterdam to New Amsterdam in 1651.
Our Van Sant ancestry is also connected to the Van der Grift family of New Amsterdam, New Netherland through Elizabeth Larue Vansant’s mother, Alice Vandegrift Larue. Alice was the great-granddaughter of Jacob Lendertsen Van der Grift (1620-1686) and Rebecca Frederics Lubbertsen Van der Grift (1628-1711). Jacob and Rebecca were both born in the Netherlands. Jacob worked for the West Indies Company and, around 1644, settled in New Amsterdam. He and Rebecca married in New Amsterdam in 1648.
Surname Variants
There are different spellings of Van Sant and Vandegrift, which vary according to the documents where they were recorded.
Name variants of Van Sant: Vansand, Vansandt, Vanzandt, Van Sant.
Name variants of Vandegrift: Van der Grift, Vandergrift, Vandegrift.
Sources and Notes
Bensalem Presbytarian Church Cemetery, established 1705, 2826 Bristol Road, Bensalem, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, database, no database date, The Van Zandt Society (http://vanzandtsociety.com/bensalempres.html : accessed 7 July 2023); burial entries for: Garret Vansant (1743-1797), his wife Elizabeth LaRue Vansant (1759-1835), and her parents Abraham LaRue (1734-1790) and Alice Vandergrift LaRue (1731-1801).
“Daughters of the American Revolution, Genealogy Research”, typescript, Daughters of the American Revolution (https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A118839 : accessed 3 July 2023), entry for Lieutenant Garrett Van Sant (1746-1797), ancestor# A118839, 1st Lt. 1st Battn., 5th Co., Capt. Zephaniah Lott and Col. Hugh Tomb; also 2nd Lt., Southampton Co., Capt. John Founell.
Davis, William W. H., A.M., History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania Volume III, pages 24-30, [New York-Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905], digital images, 2000, transcription, Bucks County Pennsylvania
PAGenWeb (http://pagenweb.org/~bucks/BIOS_DAVIS/vansantfamily.html : accessed 6 July 2023); entry for the Vansant family, descendants of Garritt Stoffelsen Vansandt, who arrived in New Amersterdam (Manhattan) in 1651 with his father Christoffel Harmenz. Citing July 2000 transcription by Robert C. Sommerfeldt of Wisconsin as part of the Bucks Co., Pennsylvania Early Family Project.
Davis, William W. H., A.M., History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania Volume III, pages 31-33, [New York-Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905], digital images, 2000, transcription, Bucks County Pennsylvania
PAGenWeb (http://pagenweb.org/~bucks/BIOS_DAVIS/vandergriftfamily.html : accessed 6 July 2023); entry for the Vandegrift family, descendants of Jacobus Lendertsen Van der Grift, who arrived in New Amersterdam (Manhattan) around 1644. Citing May 2000 transcription by Judy Jackson of Missouri as part of the Bucks Co., Pennsylvania Early Family Project.
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25720603/garret-vansant: accessed 08 November 2023), memorial page for LT Garret Vansant (13 Oct 1745–13 Apr 1797), Find a Grave Memorial ID 25720603, citing Bensalem Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Bensalem, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Kate Pitluck (contributor 46601551). Image of gravestone courtesy of Gale Robinson.