Alexander Colden (August 13, 1716 – December 12, 1784) was an American merchant and public official in Colonial New York who was the son of

Cadwallader Colden Cadwallader Colden (7 February 1688 – 28 September 1776) was a physician, natural scientist, a lieutenant governor and acting Governor for the Province of New York. Early life Colden was born on 7 February 1688 in Ireland, of Scottish pare ...

Early life

Colden was born on August 13, 1716 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in what was then a part of

British America British America comprised the colonial territories of the English Empire, which became the British Empire after the 1707 union of the Kingdom of England with the Kingdom of Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, in the Americas from 16 ...

. He was the eldest son of Dr.

(1688–1776) and Alice (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Chrystie) Colden. Among his siblings were Elizabeth Alice Colden (wife of Peter DeLancey, a son of merchant Stephen DeLancey and brother of Gov.

James DeLancey James De Lancey (November 27, 1703 – July 30, 1760) served as chief justice, lieutenant governor, and acting colonial governor of the Province of New York. Early life and education De Lancey was born in New York City on November 27, 170 ...

); Cadwallader Colden Jr.;

Jane Colden Jane Colden (March 27, 1724 – March 10, 1766) was an American botanist,Makers of American Botany, Harry Baker Humphrey, Ronald Press Company, Library of Congress Card Number 61-18435 described as the "first botanist of her sex in her country" by ...

, the first female botanist working in America; Alice Colden (wife of Col. Isaac Willet); and David Colden (who married Ann Alice Willett). His father was the 31st, 33rd, and 35th

Colonial Governor of New York The territory which would later become the state of New York was settled by European colonists as part of the New Netherland colony (parts of present-day New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware) under the command of the Dutch West India ...

. His paternal grandparents were the Rev. Alexander Colden and Janet (née Hughes) Colden.

Career

In 1737, he was appointed Ranger of

Ulster County Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster. History ...

, which included Coldenham, where he ran a country store that sold general merchandise. In 1751, he was appointed Joint Surveyor General of the Province of New York with his father, and succeeded him in that office in 1761 to 1762, at which point he moved from

Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, a ...

to New York City, where he served as

Postmaster of New York City A post office may have operated in New York City as early as 1687. The United States Postal Service has no information on New York's postmasters prior to the year 1775. The New York City Post Office is first mentioned in Hugh Finlay's journal dat ...

for a number of years. Colden was one of the founders and an original member of the

Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York The Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York is the oldest charitable institution in the state of New York and is focused on helping Scots in the New York community. History The organization was founded in 1756 by Scottish founders in N ...

, serving as president from 1764–1766.

Personal life

Colden was married to Elizabeth Nicolls (1720–1774), the second daughter of Richard Nicholls and Margaret Tudor. Together, Alexander and Elizabeth were the parents of: * Richard Nicolls Colden (1745–1777), who married Henrietta Maria Bethune (b. 1745). After his death, his widow married Richard Berryman. * Cadwallader Colden, who died in childhood. * John Colden, who was lost at sea. * Alice Colden, who married Col. Archibald Hamilton (1728–1795), son of

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

of Ballencrieff. * Margaret Colden (–1789), who married Major John Antill, son of Hon. Edward Antill of New Jersey. * Elizabeth Colden, who married Col. Anthony Farrington, 1st Baronet of the

Royal Arsenal The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proofing, and explosives research for the Britis ...

in 1766. * Jane Colden (1755–1827), who married Major John Antill after the death of her elder sister Margaret. Colden died on December 12, 1774 at Spring Hill in

Flushing, New York Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the i ...

Descendants

Through his son Richard, he was a grandfather of Alexander Colden and Cadwallader R. Colden, editor of the U.S. ''

Sporting Magazine ''The Sporting Magazine'' (1793–1870) was the first English sporting periodical to devote itself to every type of sport. Its subtitle was "Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chase and Every Other Diversion Interesting to the ...

'' from 1835 to 1836. Through his daughter Alice, he was the grandfather of Mary Elizabeth Jane Douglas Hamilton, wife of Francis Napier (grandson of

Francis Napier, 6th Lord Napier Francis Napier, 6th Lord Napier ( Scott) ( – 1773) was a Peerage of Scotland, Scottish peer. Early life Born Francis Scott , he was the son of Sir William Scott, 2nd Baronet of Thirlestane, and Elizabeth Napier, Mistress of Napier. Career Upon ...

) and mother of historian Mark Napier.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colden, Alexander 1716 births 1784 deaths American people of Scottish descent Colonial American merchants Postmasters of New York City Presidents of the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York