Abraham Gouverneur (1671 – June 16, 1740) was a Dutch born colonial American merchant and Leislerian politician who served as the

Speaker of the New York General Assembly The Speaker of the New York General Assembly was the highest official in the New York General Assembly, the first representative governing body in New York from 1683 to 1775 when the assembly disbanded after the outbreak of the American Revolution ...

Early life

Gouverneur was born in 1671 "upon the Single, near the Konings Pleyn" in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. He later moved to New York City in what was then 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 U ...

, a part of British America. He was the son of Nicolas Gouverneur (d. 1682) and Maghteld ( née de Riemer) Gouverneur (1644–1721). He was the brother of Elisabeth Gouverneur, Isaac Gouverneur, and Elisabeth Gouverneur. After the death of his father in 1682, his mother remarried to Jasper Nissepadt (Nesbitt), and had another child, Jannetje Nissepadt.

Career

Gouverneur, a successful merchant, was involved in the organization of Harlem in upper Manhattan, and received land known as the Abraham Gouverneur Patent that he purchased in February 1713. Along with fellow merchant Nicholas Stuyvesant (son of Peter Stuyvesant, the last Dutch

Director-General of New Amsterdam This is a list of Directors, appointed by the Dutch West India Company, of the 17th century Dutch province of New Netherland (''Nieuw-Nederland'' in Dutch) in North America. Only the last, Peter Stuyvesant, held the title of Director General. As t ...

), he was an associate of German-born businessman

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 ...

, the 8th Colonial Governor of New York known for his rabid

anti-Catholic Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics or opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and/or its adherents. At various points after the Reformation, some majority Protestant states, including England, Prussia, Scotland, and the Uni ...

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

views and the leader of a populist political faction known as " Leislerians". Reportedly, four days before Gov.

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 ...

arrived in New York, Gouverneur shot the parish clerk and was charged with his murder. After Sloughter arrived, he put down Leisler's Rebellion and Leisler was hanged in May 1691. A year after Leisler's execution, Gourverneur and Jacob Leisler Jr. traveled to London and lobbied government officials, members of

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

, and cabinet officers to clear Leisler's name, and were eventually helped by the powerful Whigs. He was a member of the

New York General Assembly The General Assembly of New York, commonly known internationally as the New York General Assembly, and domestically simply as General Assembly, was the supreme legislative body of the Province of New York during its period of proprietal coloni ...

, representing

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

(which is now Orange and Rockland counties), from 1699 to 1702, and later representing

New York County Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

(the current New York County,

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

), from 1701 to 1702. From May 15, 1699 to May 3, 1702, he was also the Speaker of the Assembly. Later, he served as

Recorder of New York City The Recorder of New York City was a municipal officer of New York City from 1683 until 1907. He was at times a judge of the Court of General Sessions, the Court of Special Sessions, and the New York Court of Common Pleas; Vice-President of the Boar ...

, essentially the deputy mayor of New York City, from 1701 to 1703 under mayors Isaac De Riemer, Thomas Noell, and

Phillip French Phillip French II (c. February 13, 1666/7 – c. June 3, 1707) was the 27th Mayor of New York City from 1702 to 1703. Early life French was born in Suffolk, England, and was sometimes known as Philip French Van London. He was the son of Phillip ...

Personal life

Gouverneur was married to Mary Leisler (1669–1747), the daughter of his associate Jacob Leisler. Mary was the widow of

Jacob Milborne Jacob Milborne (''sometimes'' Milburn) ( – 16 May 1691) was an American clerk living in the Province of New York who was an ally, secretary and son-in-law of the rebel Jacob Leisler, served briefly as Attorney General of the province, and was exe ...

, the English born clerk who was an ally and secretary of Mary's father, both of whom were executed for their part in

Leisler's Rebellion Leisler's Rebellion was an uprising in late-17th century colonial New York in which German American merchant and militia captain Jacob Leisler seized control of the southern portion of the colony and ruled it from 1689 to 1691. The uprising to ...

. Together, they were the parents of four children who reached maturity, including: * Nicholas Gouverneur (1700–1739), who was the father of Abraham, Esther, Barent and Nicholas Gouverneur. * Jacoba Gouverneur (b. 1701) * Elizabeth Gouverneur (1704–1751) * Jacob Gouverneur (b. 1710), who died young. * Maria Gouverneur (b. 1712), who married Henry Myer Jr. and Captain Jasper Farmer. Gouverneur died in New York City on June 16, 1740.

Legacy and honors

Gouverneur Street, Gouverneur Lane, and Gouverneur Slip were all named after Abraham.

References

External links

Jacob Leisler Papers Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gouverneur, Abraham 1671 births 1740 deaths Speakers of the New York General Assembly Members of the New York General Assembly New York City Recorders