John Broome (July 19, 1738 – August 8, 1810) was an American merchant and politician who was

Lieutenant Governor of New York The lieutenant governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of the State of New York. It is the second highest-ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket wit ...

, from 1804 to 1810.

Early life

Broome was born on

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

in 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 ...

on July 19, 1738. He was the youngest of four children born to Samuel Broome (1685/93–1771), a staunch

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

, and Marie (

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 ...

LaTourette) Broome (1693–1774). His maternal grandparents were Jean LaTourette and Marie Mercereau, who were

French Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Bez ...

s. Broome studied law with

William Livingston William Livingston (November 30, 1723July 25, 1790) was an American politician who served as the first governor of New Jersey (1776–1790) during the American Revolutionary War. As a New Jersey representative in the Continental Congress, he sig ...

, but about 1762 abandoned a legal career to join his brother Samuel in a partnership to import British goods.

Career

In 1775, Broome joined the military for 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 ...

when he was appointed

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

of the Second New York City Regiment of militia, which was commanded by

John Jay John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, patriot, diplomat, abolitionist, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as the second governor of New York and the first ...

. He was a member of 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 ...

from 1775 to 1777, and a delegate to the

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 ...

in 1777.

Post-Revolutionary War

He was an

Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

in 1783-84 and 1785–86, and New York City Treasurer in 1784. He was the president of the New York City Chamber of Commerce from 1785 to 1794, and was engaged in the trade with India and China at that time. He is said to have launched the importation of tea from China with an initial shipment of 2 million pounds. In August 1795, during an outbreak of

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...

, he was the chairman of the city's Health Committee, appointed by

Governor George Clinton George Clinton (July 26, 1739April 20, 1812) was an American soldier and statesman, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A prominent Democratic-Republican, Clinton served as the fourth vice president of the United States f ...

the previous year, and kept on by Clinton's rival

despite Broome's prominence at a partisan rally to oppose the

treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations An international organization or international o ...

Jay had just negotiated with the British, since health was not considered a partisan issue. The health committee denied there was an epidemic and played down the number of deaths, attributing them to other causes. Broome twice ran unsuccessfully for

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

; first in March 1789 against

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

candidate

John Laurance John Laurance (sometimes spelled "Lawrence" or "Laurence") (1750 – November 11, 1810) was a delegate to the 6th, 7th, and 8th Congresses of the Confederation, a United States representative and United States Senator from New York and a United ...

, and then again in April 1802 against Federalist candidate Joshua Sands. Broome was a member from

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 ...

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 ...

in 1800-01 and 1802, and 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 ...

in 1804.

Lieutenant Governor of New York

Broome was elected

three times, serving from July 1804 until his death in office in August 1810. He initially defeated

Oliver Phelps Oliver Phelps (October 21, 1749February 21, 1809) was early in life a tavern keeper in Granville, Massachusetts. During the Revolution he was Deputy Commissary of the Continental Army and served until the end of the war. After the war ended, h ...

in 1804, and then won re-election over

Thomas Storm Thomas Storm (September 8, 1748 – August 4, 1833) was an American Revolutionary war officer and state legislator, rising to Speaker of the New York State Assembly in 1802. Early life Thomas was born in Hopewell, Dutchess County, New York ...

in 1807 and

Nicholas Fish Nicholas Fish (August 28, 1758 – June 20, 1833) was an American Revolutionary War soldier. He was the first Adjutant General of New York. Early life Fish was born on August 28, 1758 into a wealthy New York City family. He was the son of Jon ...

in 1810. He served under two

Governors A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

—first under Morgan Lewis (1804–1807), and then under

Daniel D. Tompkins Daniel D. Tompkins (June 21, 1774 – June 11, 1825) was an American politician. He was the fifth governor of New York from 1807 to 1817, and the sixth vice president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. Born in Scarsdale, New York, Tompkins ...

(1807–1810). Broome's death occurred a month into his third term, so that at first the President pro tempore of the State Senate

John Tayler John Tayler (July 4, 1742 – March 19, 1829) was a merchant and politician. He served nine years as Lieutenant Governor of New York, four months acting as the sixth Governor of New York, and also in both houses of the New York State Legislatur ...

became acting lieutenant governor, and in April 1811

DeWitt Clinton DeWitt Clinton (March 2, 1769February 11, 1828) was an American politician and naturalist. He served as a United States senator, as the mayor of New York City, and as the seventh governor of New York. In this last capacity, he was largely res ...

won a special election to serve for the remainder of the term.

Personal life

On October 19, 1769, he married Rebecca Lloyd (1747–1800) and they had several children, including: * John Lloyd Broome (d. 1836), who was the father of U.S. Navy officer John L. Broome (1824–1898). * Julia Adel Broome (1776–1844), who married John Walter Livingston (1778–1860), great-grandson 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 B ...

. * Caroline Matilda Broome (1783–1861), who married Darby Noon (1783–1823) On July 9, 1806, Broome married Ruth Hunter (c.1757–1840), the widow of auctioneer Robert Hunter (c.1735–1800) and mother of State Senator John Hunter (1778–1852). Like a very large number of New York City residents, Broome held people as slaves. Broome's remains were initially buried in the churchyard of the First Presbyterian Church in New York on

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for t ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. However, they were moved in the 1840s when the church relocated to Fifth Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets in

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

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 ...

Descendants

Through his son John, he was the grandfather of

Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

officer John Lloyd Broome (1824–1898). Through his daughter Julia, he was the grandfather of Adele Caroline Livingston (1810/3–1841), who married New York merchant Joseph Sampson (1793–1872), themselves the grandparents of Adele Livingston "Daisy" Stevens (1864–1939), who was married to Frederick Hobbes Allen (1858–1937), a prominent international lawyer who was the son of

Elisha Hunt Allen Elisha Hunt Allen (January 28, 1804 – January 1, 1883) was an American congressman, lawyer and diplomat, and judge and diplomat for the Kingdom of Hawaii. Early life Elisha Hunt Allen was born January 28, 1804, in New Salem, Massachusetts. ...

(1804–1883), former

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

and the United States Minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1856 until his death in 1883, and the grandson of

Samuel Clesson Allen Samuel Clesson Allen (January 5, 1772 – February 8, 1842) was a U.S. politician from Massachusetts during the first third of the 19th century. He began his career as a member of the Federalist Party, but later became a staunch supporter of ...

(1772–1842), a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

from Massachusetts.

Legacy

Broome County, New York Broome County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the county had a population of 198,683. Its county seat is Binghamton. The county was named for John Broome, the state's lieutenant governor when Br ...

and the Town of Broome in

Schoharie County, New York Schoharie County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,714, making it the state's fifth-least populous county. The county seat is Schoharie. "Schoharie" comes from a Mohawk word meaning "f ...

are named after him, as well as Broome Street in

References

;Notes ;Sources *
First Presbyterian Church in New York City''The Documentary History of the First Federal Elections, 1788-1790''
by Merrill Jensen, Robert A. Becker & Gordon DenBoer (University of Wisconsin Press, 1976, , ; page 558)
''The New York Civil List''
compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 32, 139 and 261; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
''The Old Merchants of New York City''
by Joseph Alfred Scoville (Carleton, 1865; pages 208ff) {{DEFAULTSORT:Broome, John 1738 births 1810 deaths Huguenot participants in the American Revolution Lieutenant Governors of New York (state) Politicians from New York City New York (state) state senators Members of the New York Provincial Congress Members of the New York State Assembly People from Staten Island