Abraham de Peyster (July 8, 1657 – August 3, 1728) was the 20th

mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...

from 1691 to 1694, and served as Governor of New York, 1700–1701.

Early life

De Peyster was born in

New Amsterdam New Amsterdam ( nl, Nieuw Amsterdam, or ) was a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''factory'' gave rise ...

on July 8, 1657, to Johannes de Peyster Sr. (–) and Cornelia (née Lubberts) de Peyster.Allaben, Frank
John Watts de Peyster, Volume 1
p. 18-19 (1908)

Career

The de Peysters were a wealthy merchant family which had also moved into politics. In October 1691, Abraham was appointed mayor by Governor

Henry Sloughter Henry Sloughter (died July 23, 1691) was briefly colonial governor of New York in 1691. Sloughter was the governor who put down Leisler's Rebellion, which had installed Jacob Leisler as ''de facto'' governor in 1689. He died suddenly in July 16 ...

. Though de Peyster had been an early supporter of

Jacob Leisler Jacob Leisler ( – May 16, 1691) was a German-born colonist who served as a politician in the Province of New York. He gained wealth in New Amsterdam (later New York City) in the fur trade and tobacco business. In what became known as Leisler's ...

, who led

Leisler's Rebellion Leisler's Rebellion was an uprising in late-17th century colonial New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Coloni ...

, he had not participated in Leisler's later actions.Lamb, Martha J. & Burton Harrison
History of the City of New York, Vol. I
p.398-402 (1896 ed.) Through his suggestion, the city started providing public support to the poor. Abraham's brother,

Johannes de Peyster Johannes de Peyster or Johannes de Peyster II (September 21, 1666 – September 25, 1711) was the 23rd Mayor of New York City between 1698 and 1699.Wilson, James Grant (ed.The memorial history of the City of New-York, Vol. II p. 54 (1892)Allaben, ...

(1666–1719), served as mayor from 1698 until 1699, and was then succeeded by

David Provost David Provost or David Provoost (January 16, 1670 – 1724) was the 24th Mayor of New York City, serving his appointment to the position from 1699 to 1700. Early life David Provost was born at his family's Pearl Street home, near Fulton Street ...

, the husband of his sister, Maria de Peyster. Abraham also reportedly served in a number of other public roles during his life, including stints as alderman, Associate Judge and later Chief Justice on the province's Supreme Court, president of the King's Council, and as treasurer for New York and New Jersey provinces. In addition, he also served as a colonel in the militia. Catalogue of the works of art belonging to the city of New York
p. 106 (1909) Some sources state that he served as governor or acting governor of the

Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the Uni ...

, which refers to a few months' time in 1701 after the death of

Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont (sometimes spelled Bellamont, 1636 – 5 March 1700/01In the Julian calendar, then in use in England, the year began on 25 March. To avoid confusion with dates in the Gregorian calendar, then in us ...

, when Lieutenant Governor

John Nanfan John Nanfan (1634–1716) was a Lieutenant Governor of the Province of New York from 1698 to 1702. He served as acting governor for about a year between the death of the Earl of Bellomont and the arrival of Bellomont's successor, Lord Cornbury. ...

was abroad. This left de Peyster, as the senior member of the council, briefly in command until Nanfan returned. De Peyster, Frederic
The life and administration of Richard, earl of Bellomont
p. 58 (1879) Around 1699, de Peyster donated part of his garden for the construction of a new city hall. That building was later renamed

Federal Hall Federal Hall is a historic building at 26 Wall Street in the Financial District of Manhattan in New York City. The current Greek Revival–style building, completed in 1842 as the Custom House, is operated by the National Park Service as a nati ...

, which briefly served as the first capitol of the United States, and the site of the

first inauguration of George Washington The first inauguration of George Washington as the first president of the United States was held on Thursday, April 30, 1789, on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City, New York. The inauguration was held nearly two months after the begin ...

as president.(12 June 1931)
Replica of Old Federal Hall Will Rise Where Subtreasury Stands in New York
''Evening Independent''Caliendo, Ralph J
New York City Mayors, Part 1
p. 48-51 (2010) (note that this source may contain some inaccuracies) It was replaced in 1842 with the Greek Renaissance structure that stands there today.

Personal life

On April 5, 1684, while visiting

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, he married his second cousin, Catharina de Peyster (1665–), the daughter of Pierre de Peyster and Gertrude Van Dyke. Their children included: * Catherine de Peyster (1688–1734), who married Philip Van Cortlandt, son of

Stephanus Van Cortlandt Stephanus van Cortlandt (May 7, 1643 – November 25, 1700) was the first native-born mayor of New York City, a position which he held from 1677 to 1678 and from 1686 to 1688. He was the patroon of Van Cortlandt Manor and was on the governor's ...

. * Elizabeth de Peyster (1694–1774), who married John Hamilton, the

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official res ...

. *

Abraham de Peyster Abraham de Peyster (July 8, 1657 – August 3, 1728) was the 20th mayor of New York City from 1691 to 1694, and served as Governor of New York, 1700–1701. Early life De Peyster was born in New Amsterdam on July 8, 1657, to Johannes de Peyst ...

(1696–1767), who served as the treasurer of the Province of New York and married Margaret Van Cortlandt, daughter of

Jacobus Van Cortlandt Jacobus van Cortlandt (1658–1739) was a wealthy Dutch-born American merchant, slave owner, and politician who served as the 30th and 33rd Mayor of New York City from 1710 to 1711 and again from 1719 to 1720. Early life Jacobus Van Cortland ...

, in 1722. * Pierre Guillaume de Peyster (b. 1707), who married Cornelia Schuyler. The mansion he erected in 1695, which at one time was the headquarters of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, remained standing until 1856. Before his death in 1728, De Peyster commissioned the creation of a bell to be placed in Manhattan’s Middle Dutch Church, then under construction. Cast in Amsterdam in 1731, the bell is known today as the "Liberty Bell" and is located at the

Middle Collegiate Church The Middle Collegiate Church is a dually aligned United Church of Christ and Reformed Church in America church located at 112 Second Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.

.(23 February 1952)
Bell
''The New Yorker''Our History
, Middle Collegiate Church website, Retrieved October 28, 2011

Legacy

His great grandson, also named

, briefly led the Loyalists in the

Battle of Kings Mountain The Battle of Kings Mountain was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolutionary War, resulting in a decisive victory for the Patriots. The battle took plac ...

. Evacuating to British North America after the American Revolution, the younger Abraham became the

Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury o ...

of the new royal colony of New Brunswick. His 3x-great grandson was

John Watts de Peyster John Watts de Peyster, Sr. (March 9, 1821 – May 4, 1907) was an American author on the art of war, philanthropist, and the Adjutant General of New York.Allaben, p. 205 He served in the New York State Militia during the Mexican–American War an ...

, who commissioned a statue of his ancestor in the late 19th century. Sculpted by

George Edwin Bissell George Edwin Bissell (February 16, 1839 – August 30, 1920) was an American sculptor. Biography Bissell was born New Preston, Connecticut, the son of a quarryman and marble-cutter. During the American Civil War he served as a private in the 2 ...

, the statue was originally placed in Bowling Green Park in Manhattan in the late 1890s. Park and subway renovations forced its removal in 1972, and it was placed in Hanover Square from 1976 until 2004.British Garden at Hanover Square
, nycgovparks.org, Retrieved October 28, 2011(8 November 2004)
NEW HOME FOR STATUE OF NEW YORK CITY’S FIRST MAYOR, ABRAHAM DE PEYSTER
nycgovparks.org (note that title of article appears to be incorrect, he was not the first mayor)Brozan, Nadine (22 August 2003)

''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''Roberts, Sam (5 September 2011)
Like Former Mayors, a Statue Fades From View
''

'' During subsequent renovations in Hanover Square, the statue was placed in a warehouse for 9 years. In the fall of 2013, it was restored to public view in its current location in Thomas Paine Park near the Supreme Court building

A duplicate of the New York statue was also donated by John Watts de Peyster to

Franklin & Marshall College Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) is a private liberal arts college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It employs 175 full-time faculty members and has a student body of approximately 2,400 full-time students. It was founded upon the merger of Fran ...

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...

, where it is currently placed on Buchanan Avenue.College Archives - Sculpture of Abraham de Peyster- 1895
, Franklin & Marshall Library website, Retrieved October 28, 2011

References

External links

1893 Sculpture of DePeyster
by

at the

New-York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:De Peyster, Abraham 1657 births 1728 deaths Peyster, Abraham Mayors of New York City

Members of the New York Executive Council