Albert Andriessen Bradt

Albert Andriessen Bradt (ca. 1607 – June 7, 1686) was one of the earliest Norwegian settlers in New Netherland. In the early records he is often referred to as Albert Noorman ('Norwegian').

Albert Andriessen Bradt (spelled "Bratt" during his lifetime) was born at Fredrikstad in Østfold, Norway. He moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands at a time when commerce between Norwegian and Dutch merchants was well established. In 1636 he joined a party for New Netherland. In an 1636 agreement between Bradt and Kiliaen van Rensselaer, Bradt is listed as a tobacco planter. In the early records, he is sometimes referred to as "Albert the Noorman".

On October 8, 1636, the twenty-nine year old Bradt, his wife Annetje, and their two children, Barent and Eva, sailed aboard the Wapen Van Rensselaerwyck, arriving in New Amsterdam on March 4, 1637, after a difficult voyage. During the crossing, on Sunday, November 2, 1636, Annetje gave birth to a son they named "Storm". They would later have five more children, Engeltje, Gisseltje, Andries, Jan, and Dirck (or Hendrick).

Their destination was Rensselaerswyck where Bradt worked at a saw mill and a tobacco plantation. Initially, Andriessen was to operate the mill with his partners, but not long after his arrival he took the liberty of dissolving the partnership and established himself as a tobacco planter. After about a year, he and his brother, Arent, began growing tobacco for the patroon and participating in the fur trade. Bradt later operated two large sawmills on a location that later was known as Lower Hollow from the patroon, Van Rensselaer, on a stream winding across south-central Albany County, New York. It empties into the Hudson River after flowing around the west side of Castle Island, and came to be called Normans Kill named after Albert. Normans Kill is the first tributary of the Hudson River south of the city of Albany. He was also a woodcutter, sawyer and fur trader which brought him commercial success. He was one of the elders of the Albany Lutheran Church.

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