His birth name was Abraham Wendell. The name changed during his Revolutionary War service due to the pronunciation of the name with a "V" sound. He is listed as a patriot with the DAR, but he served in New York, not Virginia, as is sometimes reported. The birth date on the tombstone and in his pension record is not correct. His baptism was in the Dutch Reformed Church of Albany, New York, on October 1, 1758. One Bible record, as reported by descendant Glenna Bailes (now deceased) in a Fayette County, WV, newspaper article, had the birthdate as October 11, 1758. Another researcher, S.V. Talcott, claimed the birthdate was September 27, 1758. Obviously, there is discrepancy in the reported birthdate. However, the baptism record of October 1, 1758, appears most reliable, so the birth date would be before that. Because the Dutch kept accurate and extensive records, Abraham's ancestry can be proven, and the Wendell family has been extensively researched and written about in New York genealogical societies. His parents were Henderick Wendell and Catalyna Van Schaick. The spelling of these names varies. His siblings were Susannah Wendell Boskirk, Gerrit Wendell, and Sara Wendell Bradt. More information on his ancestry is at http://www.americantapestry.net/2017/07/16/the-dutch-immigrant-ancestors-of-abraham-vandal/
His birth name was Abraham Wendell. The name changed during his Revolutionary War service due to the pronunciation of the name with a "V" sound. He is listed as a patriot with the DAR, but he served in New York, not Virginia, as is sometimes reported. The birth date on the tombstone and in his pension record is not correct. His baptism was in the Dutch Reformed Church of Albany, New York, on October 1, 1758. One Bible record, as reported by descendant Glenna Bailes (now deceased) in a Fayette County, WV, newspaper article, had the birthdate as October 11, 1758. Another researcher, S.V. Talcott, claimed the birthdate was September 27, 1758. Obviously, there is discrepancy in the reported birthdate. However, the baptism record of October 1, 1758, appears most reliable, so the birth date would be before that. Because the Dutch kept accurate and extensive records, Abraham's ancestry can be proven, and the Wendell family has been extensively researched and written about in New York genealogical societies. His parents were Henderick Wendell and Catalyna Van Schaick. The spelling of these names varies. His siblings were Susannah Wendell Boskirk, Gerrit Wendell, and Sara Wendell Bradt. More information on his ancestry is at http://www.americantapestry.net/2017/07/16/the-dutch-immigrant-ancestors-of-abraham-vandal/
