Elizabeth (Ricketts) Van Horne (1725-1778)

She was most likely born in Jamaica in the West Indies where her father was a wealthy planter before settling in New York City. In 1747, she married Colonel Philip Van Horne and they lived at Bridgewater in Somerset County, New Jersey. In 1780, the Marquis de Chastellux stayed as their guest and described her as, "an old lady who from her countenance, her dress, and her deportment, perfectly resembled a picture of Vandyke". Her portrait (above) was either painted by Hesselius of Robert Feke. She was survived by five daughters, said by Judge Bergen to have been, "remarkable for their beauty and grace". Her nephew, James Ricketts, married Sarah Alexander Livingston, daughter of Peter Van Brugh Livingston, President of the 1st Provincial Congress.