Early Life and Apprenticeship in Colonial New York Benjamin Wynkoop, born in Kingston, New York, in 1673, emerged from a lineage deeply rooted in the burgeoning Dutch colonial society of the late 17th century. His family’s origins trace back to Holland, with early ancestors like Peter Wyncoop establishing themselves as merchants and landowners in the region during the mid-1600s. While details surrounding his formal artistic training remain elusive—a common circumstance for artisans of this period—it is widely believed that Wynkoop apprenticed within a local silversmith’s workshop, absorbing…