Robert Peter (July 22, 1726 – Nov 15, 1806) was an American politician, merchant, and landowner who served as the first

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Georgetown.

Early life and family

Robert Peter was born on July 22, 1726 in

East Kilbride East Kilbride (; gd, Cille Bhrìghde an Ear ) is the largest town in South Lanarkshire in Scotland and the country's sixth-largest locality by population. It was also designated Scotland's first new town on 6 May 1947. The area lies on a rais ...

, South Lanarkshire,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. His ancestral home was Crossbasket Castle in Scotland. He emigrated to British America in 1746 at the age of 20. In December 1767, he married

Prince George's County ) , demonym = Prince Georgian , ZIP codes = 20607–20774 , area codes = 240, 301 , founded date = April 23 , founded year = 1696 , named for = Prince George of Denmark , leader_title = Executive , leader_name = Angela D. Alsobrook ...

native Elizabeth Scott, the daughter of George Scott, High Sheriff of Prince George’s County. They had ten children (one of whom died as an infant). Their names were Thomas, Alexander, Elizabeth, Walter, Robert, Jean, Margaret, David,

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

, and James. Peter may have also fathered two

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as '' ...

daughters with a widow, Cassandra Chew. Their names were Mary and Harriet.

Career

Landowner

Shortly after arriving to British America, Peter opened a general store, working as a storekeeper and

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

merchant. He established a successful import/export trade business and resided in the town of

Bladensburg, Maryland Bladensburg is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland. The population was 9,657 at the 2020 census. Areas in Bladensburg are located within ZIP code 20710. Bladensburg is from central Washington. History Originally called Garrison's Landi ...

. In 1752, he moved to Georgetown where he opened a general store and served as the purchasing agent for

John Glassford John Glassford of Dougalston and Whitehill (1715 – 27 August 1783) was a Scottish Tobacco Lord, considered by his contemporaries to be the greatest of the era. He owned tobacco plantations in Virginia and Maryland, as a result, his name is sy ...

's Scottish tobacco firm. His general store provided supplies for troops during 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 ...

and was recommended by General

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 ...

as a reputable establishment. He owned an entire city block in the Congress Street and Wisconsin Avenue section of Georgetown which was known as "Peter's Square." Peter was a prominent landowner in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and the Mount Pleasant and Pleasant Plains sections of what is now

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He owned and built numerous residential properties and estates, and also owned numerous tobacco-producing farms. In June 1791, he was the first of 19 landowners who sold land holdings to

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

and the federal government for the formation of the District of Columbia. He and the other men were honored with the title: ''“Original Proprietors of the City of Washington.”''

Public service

His public service included serving as a justice of the peace in Frederick County, Maryland. In 1790, Georgetown's government was changed to include a Mayor, a Recorder, Aldermen and a Common Council. He was elected Georgetown's first mayor and took office in January 1790. He was also elected to the Board of Commissioners of Georgetown, serving thirty-two years in the office.

Death

Peter died on November 15, 1806 at the age of 80. At the time of his death, he owned over 20,000 acres of land and had a net worth of approximately $480,000 USD ($11.7 million in 2022 figures). He was buried at the

Presbyterian Burying Ground The Presbyterian Burying Ground, also known as the Old Presbyterian Burying Ground, was a historic cemetery which existed between 1802 and 1909 in the Georgetown, Washington, D.C., Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. ...

. His remains were later exhumed in 1981 and reinterred in a family plot at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Legacy

His son Thomas Peter and his wife, Martha Parke Custis Peter (a granddaughter of

Martha Washington Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 21, 1731 — May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington served as the inaugural ...

) built Tudor Place, a

federal-style Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the newly founded United States between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was heavily based on the works of Andrea Palladio with several inn ...

mansion in Washington, D.C. that now serves as a museum and historic landmark. His son George was a major in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

and member of the

U.S. House of Representatives 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 ...

from

Maryland's 3rd congressional district Maryland's 3rd congressional district comprises portions of Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Anne Arundel counties, as well as a significant part of the independent city of Baltimore. The seat is currently represented by John Sarbanes, a Dem ...

. One of his grandsons, George Jr., was the President of the Maryland State Senate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peter, Robert 1726 births 1806 deaths Mayors of places in the District of Columbia American farmers 18th-century landowners 18th-century American politicians 19th-century landowners 19th-century American politicians American tobacco industry executives