Col. Leonard Lispenard (December 14, 1714 – February 20, 1790) was a

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 ...

merchant, politician, and landowner.

Early life

Lispenard was born on December 14, 1714 in the City of New York. He was the eldest son of six children born to Anthony Lispenard (1683–1758) and Elizabeth Huygens De Kleyn (b. 1688). He was the grandson of Antoine L'Espinard (1643–1696) and Abeltje. His sister, Abigail Lispenard (1718–1807) was married to Jacobus Rutger Bleecker (b. 1716), and was the mother of Anthony Lispenard Bleecker (1741–1816) the prominent banker and merchant.

Career

From 1750 to 1755, he was assistant alderman of the North Ward of New York, followed by alderman of the same ward from 1756 until 1762. From 1759 until 1768, he served in the

provincial Provincial may refer to: Government & Administration * Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country * Provincial city (disambiguation) * Provincial minister (disambiguation) * Provincial Secretary, a position in Can ...

New York General Assembly, He served as one of the first governors of the Society of the New York Hospital from 1770 to 1777. In 1765, he was a delegate to the

Stamp Act Congress The Stamp Act Congress (October 7 – 25, 1765), also known as the Continental Congress of 1765, was a meeting held in New York, New York, consisting of representatives from some of the British colonies in North America. It was the first gat ...

. He was a member of

's revolutionary committees that seized control of the city after the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

broke out, and he led a small contingent of militia that seized a British supply ship in the harbor. He entertained

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

when he was en route toward

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

to take command of the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

in June 1775.

Personal life

Lispenard was married to Elsie Rutgers (b. 1720), the daughter of Anthony Rutgers (1672–1746). Together, they were the parents of three children: * Cornelia Lispenard (1740–1775), who married Thomas Marston (1739–1814) on February 5, 1759. * Anthony Lispenard (1742–1806), who married Sarah Barclay, daughter of Andrew Barclay and Helena (

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 ...

Roosevelt Roosevelt may refer to: *Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), 26th U.S. president * Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), 32nd U.S. president Businesses and organisations * Roosevelt Hotel (disambiguation) * Roosevelt & Son, a merchant bank * Rooseve ...

) Barclay (1719–1772) (granddaughter of Nicholas Roosevelt), on December 10, 1764. * Leonard Lispenard Jr. (1743–1790), a graduate of Kings's College who was a merchant, member of chamber of commerce and owned property at Davenport's Neck where he had a

summer house A summer house or summerhouse has traditionally referred to a building or shelter used for relaxation in warm weather. This would often take the form of a small, roofed building on the grounds of a larger one, but could also be built in a garden ...

, who died unmarried. After the death of his father-in-law, Anthony Rutgers, he was the owner of his estate, thereafter known as "Lispenard Meadow." Lispenard died on February 20, 1790.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lispenard, Leonard 1714 births 1790 deaths Huguenot participants in the American Revolution People of New York (state) in the American Revolution Politicians from New York City Members of the New York General Assembly 18th-century American politicians