David Gelston (July 4, 1744 – August 21, 1828) was an American merchant and politician.

Early life

Gelston was born on July 4, 1744, in

Bridgehampton Bridgehampton is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the South Fork, Suffolk County, New York, South Fork of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 1,7 ...

in Suffolk County on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

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 Uni ...

. He was a son of Deacon Maltby Gelston and Mary (

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 ...

Jones) Gelston. His maternal grandparents were Dr. Thomas Jones and Margaret (née

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...

) Jones (a daughter of

Philip Livingston Philip Livingston (January 15, 1716 – June 12, 1778) was an American merchant and statesman from New York City. He represented New York at the October 1774 First Continental Congress, where he favored imposing economic sanctions upon Great Bri ...

Career

As the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

approached, Gelston became politically active. He signed the

Articles of Association In corporate governance, a company's articles of association (AoA, called articles of incorporation in some jurisdictions) is a document which, along with the memorandum of association (in cases where it exists) form the company's constituti ...

in 1774, agreeing to avoid

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

imports, even though this hurt his own business. He represented Suffolk County in the

New York Provincial Congress The New York Provincial Congress (1775–1777) was a revolutionary provisional government formed by colonists in 1775, during the American Revolution, as a pro-American alternative to the more conservative New York General Assembly, and as a repla ...

of 1775 to 1777, as well as the 1777

New York State Constitutional Convention The Constitution of the State of New York establishes the structure of the government of the State of New York, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of New York. Like most state constitutions in the United States, New York's constituti ...

that debated and enacted the first constitution of the State of New York. He was a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

and he worked closely with

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...

. He was a member from Suffolk County of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

from 1777 to 1785. During his last term, he was

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

. As speaker, he took a leading role in reconciling the differences between Tory and Whig factions. He oversaw the repeal of all the laws that had imposed civil and legal penalties on Tories. In 1787, he removed to New York City, and from 1787 to 1801, was

Surrogate A surrogate is a substitute or deputy for another person in a specific role and may refer to: Relationships * Surrogacy, an arrangement where a woman agrees to carry and give birth to a child for another person who will become its parent at bi ...

of New York County. In 1789, the State Assembly appointed him a delegate to the last session of the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

. He was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

from 1791 to 1794, and from 1798 to 1802. In 1801, Gelston was appointed

Collector of the Port of New York The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, most often referred to as Collector of the Port of New York, was a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import duties on foreign goods that entered the United States by ship at t ...

by President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

, and held that post until 1821 when he retired.

Personal life

Gelston was married to Pheobe Mitchell (1753–1836). Together, they were the parents of: * Pheobe Gelston (1771–1836), who married Nicoll Floyd, the son of

William Floyd William Floyd (December 17, 1734 – August 4, 1821) was an American Founding Father, wealthy farmer, and political leader from New York. Floyd served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and was a signer of the Continental Association and ...

. *

Maltby Gelston Maltby may refer to : Places *Maltby le Marsh, Lincolnshire, England *Maltby, Lincolnshire, England, near Louth *Maltby, North Yorkshire, England, near Middlesbrough *Maltby, South Yorkshire, England, near Rotherham *Maltby, Washington, USA Other ...

(1772–1860), who was a member of the

and who served as president of the

Bank of the Manhattan Company The Manhattan Company was a New York bank and holding company established on September 1, 1799. The company merged with Chase National Bank in 1955 to form the Chase Manhattan Bank. It is the oldest of the predecessor institutions that eventually ...

. It was during 1792, that

Charles Willson Peale Charles Willson Peale (April 15, 1741 – February 22, 1827) was an American Painting, painter, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolu ...

was commissioned by Gelston, a notable American during the time, to paint a "head size" portrait of Gelston as well as a companion piece of his wife and daughter. This painting is currently displayed at the La Salle Art Museum. Gelston died on August 21, 1828, in New York City. He was buried in the First Presbyterian Church Cemetery in New York.

References

External links

*
GELSTON, David, 1744-1828, Guide to Research Collections
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gelston, David 1744 births 1828 deaths Politicians from Suffolk County, New York Members of the New York Provincial Congress Continental Congressmen from New York (state) 18th-century American politicians New York (state) state senators Speakers of the New York State Assembly Collectors of the Port of New York People from Bridgehampton, New York