 He was the son of Sarah (née Hitchcock) Van Santvoord (1786–1878) and Abraham Cornelius Van Santvoord (1784–1858), who had provided munitions during the War of 1812 to the troops of Captain Thomas Macdonough on Lake Champlain, and thus played a major role in the American victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh.After the war, Abram Van Santvoord became one of the first boatmen on the Erie Canal.His brother was Cornelius Van Santvoord.