"History of Bergen County, New Jersey"
J. M. Van Valen
1900

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CORNELIUS DOREMUS.

The Doremus family is among the oldest of the settlers of Bergen County. The
earliest American ancestor of whom we have any definite account and who
resided in that county is John, born September 1, 1720, died July 22,
1784. He owned and occupied the farm which is yet in the hands of his
descendants. He married Maria Lutkins who was born February 25, 1730 and
died December 20, 1777. Their two children were Marretje and George. John
Doremus died from a disease contracted while in the old Sugar House where
he was confined six months, after being taken prisoner by the Tories during
the Revolutionary War. His son George succeeded to the home property and
married Anna, daughter of John and Catherine Berdan, in 1777.  Among their
children was John B., the grandfather of Cornelius, who was born June 26,
1799. He married Margaret, daughter of Albert A. and Elizabeth Lydecker
Westervelt. The old home property came into his possession where he
continued to reside until 1869, when he retired from active life removing
to Paterson. His son, Jacob W., succeeded to the old homestead, in part by
purchase and partly by inheritance. He was born December 3, 1835, and married
October 12, 1858, Sophie, only daughter of Cornelius G. and Susan Smith Van
Dien. Their son, Cornelius, our subject, was born on the old farm at Areola,
January 22, 1862. Mr. Nelson traces the earlier history of the family back
to an ancient province in France when the name was spelled De Rhaims. They
left their native home to find a refuge, as other Huguenots did, in Holland,
from whence, after many years, they emigrated to America.

Young Cornelius attended the public schools of Areola until sixteen years of
age, when he entered Stevens Institute at Hoboken spending two years there,
after which he began the study of his profession in the Law School of the
University of the city of New York from which he was graduated in May 1883,
with the degree of L. L. B. He was admitted to the bar of New York in June
of the same year, as Attorney and Counsellor-at-Law, and, in November, i884,
was made Attorney-at-Law to the bar of New Jersey and as Counsellor-at-Law
in November 1889. From that time and ever since he has practiced his
profession in New York city, and in both Hackensack and Ridgewood, having
moved to Ridgewood in 1887. In several important suits which he has tried,
the Appellate courts have passed upon new points, raised by him, which has
settled the law in questions involved. Mr. Doremus was counsel for Bergen
County board of Freeholders from 1892 to 1896; for Ridgewood township from
1896 to 1897, and has been counsel for a number of years for Saddle River
township; for three Building and Loan Associations, and other organizations,
director of Ridgewood Hall and Park Association and other corporations. He
is a member of Ridgewood Club, Hohokus Golf Club, Royal Arcanum and Knights
of Honor. He is a member of the First Reformed Church of Ridgewood. In 1895
he was a candidate for State Senator but was defeated by Hon. W. M. Johnson.

Mr. Doremus was married in December, 1885 to Miss Jennie M. Lake daughter
of John D. and Sarah Lake.

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