Peter J. Hamill (c. 1885 – January 13, 1930) was an American politician who served in 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 1917 to his death. A native of

Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan (also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York) is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with ...

, he was affiliated with

Tammany Hall Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...

from an early age and became a Tammany Hall leader in his Assembly district. In late 1929 he was chosen as the Minority Leader of the Assembly to replace Maurice Bloch, who had died of complications from an appendectomy. Hamill would himself be stricken with appendicitis a week later and die from complications of the surgery a week after that.

Life

He attended the public schools. He entered politics as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, and was an Inspector of the New York City Bureau of Weights and Measures from 1910 to 1915. He married Matilda Van Axen, and they had two children, Mary and Peter Joseph. Hamill was a member of the

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * ...

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of V ...

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

and

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

Rise in Tammany Hall

Hamill was forced out of his house on 585

Broome Street Broome Street is an east–west street in Lower Manhattan. It runs nearly the full width of Manhattan island, from Hudson Street in the west to Lewis Street in the east, near the entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge. The street is interrupted in ...

in 1923 when it was demolished to make way for an approach to the Holland Tunnel. He and his family moved into 34 Dominick Street, a Federal-style rowhouse that had been constructed in 1826 and modified in 1866. After Thomas "Big Tom" Foley's death in 1925 he was chosen as Tammany Hall leader of the 1st assembly district, beating out such candidates as alderman

Martin F. Tanahey Martin F. Tanahey (1874 – May 20, 1930) was an American politician who was the New York City Board of Aldermen, alderman of New York City's New York City's 1st City Council district, 1st district from 1922 to his death in 1930. A Democratic ...

and chief clerk of the first district municipal court Patrick Whelan. Tanahey and Whelan eventually respectively moved and seconded his leadership, and Hamill was elected as the leader on April 29. Tammany Hall would subsequently divide the district between Broadway; Hamill continued as leader of the part east of Broadway, eventually sharing this role with the wife of justice Thomas J. Nolan. He was chosen Minority Leader at the opening of the session on January 1, 1930.

Death

On January 6, he underwent an emergency operation for

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a rup ...

, but remained ill in

Stuyvesant Polyclinic Hospital The Ottendorfer Public Library and Stuyvesant Polyclinic Hospital are a pair of historic buildings at 135 and 137 Second Avenue in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The buildings house the Ottendorfer Branch of the ...

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 ...

for another week, dying there about 20 minutes past midnight on January 13. He was buried at the

Holy Cross Cemetery Holy Cross Cemetery may refer to: United States California *Holy Cross Cemetery (Colma, California) *Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California * Holy Cross Cemetery (Menlo Park, California) * Holy Cross Cemetery (Pomona, California) *Holy C ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. On January 23, 1930, his widow Matilda Van Axen Hamill was appointed as Supervisor of Investigators for the new Crime Prevention Bureau of the

New York City Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

at a salary of $4,500 ($ in 2021) a year. Matilda would retain the title to 34 Dominick Street until 1963. It was designated a New York City Landmark in 2011 over the opposition of its owners.

Sources

''GUIDE FOR VOTERS BY CITIZENS UNION''
in NYT on October 28, 1917 Assemblyman 1916–7 with poor showing."
''NOMINEES ANALYZED BY CITIZENS UNION''
in NYT on October 27, 1918 The three years' service of Peter J. Hamill has been without public benefit."
''CITIZEN UNION GIVES LINE ON CANDIDATES''
in NYT on October 26, 1921 ...an experienced and active member with a considerably improved record of votes over previous years, but the character of his legislation continues poor."
''GOVERNOR IN THRONG AT HAMILL FUNERAL''
in NYT on January 17, 1930 (subscription required)

Works cited

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamill, Peter J 1880s births 1930 deaths People from Manhattan Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn Deaths from appendicitis 20th-century American politicians