Ezra L'Hommedieu (August 30, 1734 – September 27, 1811) was an American lawyer and statesman from

Southold, New York The Town of Southold is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located in the northeastern tip of the county, on the North Fork of Long Island. The population was 23,732 at the 2020 census. The town contains a hamlet ...

, in Suffolk County, Long Island. He was a delegate for

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

to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

(1779 to 1783) and again in 1788. His national offices overlapped with those he served in the state: in the State Assembly (1777–1783) and in the state senate (1784-1792, 1794–1809); he was a member of the state constitutional convention in 1801. He also served in local offices, as clerk of Suffolk County from January 1784 to March 1810 and from March 1811 until his death that year. He was a regent of the

University of the State of New York The University of the State of New York (USNY, ) is the state governmental umbrella organization that oversees all educational institutions, including schools, libraries, and museums in New York State. It is governed by the Board of Regents. D ...

. Representing the New York City Chamber of Commerce to gain federal support, L'Hommedieu chose the site for the

Montauk Point Lighthouse The Montauk Point Light, or Montauk Point Lighthouse, is a lighthouse located adjacent to Montauk Point State Park at the easternmost point of Long Island in Montauk, New York. The lighthouse was the first to be built within the state of New Yor ...

and designed it in 1796; it was the first to be built in the state. It was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 2012.

Early life

Ezra L'Hommedieu was born in Southold, Long Island to Benjamin and Martha ( Bourn) L'Hommedieu; they were of Dutch, English and

French Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

ancestry. He was a great-grandson of, among others, English immigrants Nathaniel and Grizzell ( Brinley) Sylvester, who had owned all of Shelter Island (8,000 acres) in the 17th century.Mac Griswold, ''The Manor: Three Centuries at a Slave Plantation on Long Island,'' New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013, pp. 8, 263 He was privately educated before going to

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

, where he graduated in 1754. He read law and established a law practice in Southold and New York City.

Career

As a lawyer, L'Hommedieu came to consider British tax legislation oppressive and even "illegal." He became caught up in revolutionary fervor, moving from Long Island to Connecticut after occupation of the former in 1776 by the British, and aiding other refugees to get to the northern shore. Although

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

had promised Continental aid to the refugees, L'Hommedieu spent his own money to help support them.Griswold (2013), ''The Manor'', pp. 263-264 He became active in provincial and state politics, serving in the State Assembly from 1777 to 1783 and in the

State Senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...

from 1784 to 1792 and again from 1794 to 1809. He also served in local offices, as clerk of Suffolk County from January 1784 to March 1810, and from March 1811 until his death that year. He was appointed by the State Assembly as the state representative to the Continental Congress, serving 1779-1783 and in 1788. He continued to be politically active and in 1801 was a delegate to the state constitutional convention. L'Hommedieu was a candidate in 1789 to become one of New York's first two United States senators, to be elected by the state legislature. In the midst of a procedural stalemate in July of that year, the New York Council of Revision held that the state assembly and senate, respectively, should name candidates until both houses concurred on two nominees. The senate confirmed the assembly's choice of

Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler (; November 20, 1733 - November 18, 1804) was an American general in the American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War and a United States Senate, United States Senator from New York (state), New York. He is usually known as ...

for one Senate seat but rejected its second nominee,

James Duane James Duane (February 6, 1733 – February 1, 1797) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, attorney, jurist, and American Revolutionary War, American Revolutionary leader from New York (state), New York. He serve ...

, proposing L'Hommedieu in Duane's stead. The assembly rejected L'Hommedieu by a 34-24 vote.

Rufus King Rufus King (March 24, 1755April 29, 1827) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convent ...

was thereafter approved by both houses for the second Senate seat. He was later an unsuccessful candidate for the 1st congressional district in 1790, as well as in a separate special election for the seat earlier that year. Widely respected for his integrity and intelligence, L'Hommedieu represented the New York City Chamber of Commerce in discussions related to a lighthouse at Montauk Point, a federal project on which he advised President

. He made the case that New York City "was first among American ports in the volume of its foreign commerce. By 1797, the harbor was handling a third of the nation’s trade with other countries."Russell Drumm, "Turning a Montauk Beacon Into a Landmark"
, ''Easthampton Star'', 2 June 2011, accessed 4 December 2013 Because of the prevailing winds in winter, New York needed the lighthouse to aid ships approaching its harbor. L'Hommedieu chose the site for the lighthouseHenry Osmer, "Montauk Point Lighthouse Awarded National Landmark Status"
''Lighthouse Digest'', Sep-Oct 2012, accessed 4 December 2012 and designed it. Constructed in 1796, it was the first lighthouse built in New York state and the first public works project of the new United States. It was designated as a

in 2012. L'Hommedieu also developed methods of scientific farming, including the use of seashells to fertilize soils. He corresponded on farming with

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

, particularly about crop pests.Griswold (2013), ''The Manor'', p. 9 L'Hommedieu was active in the community and served in other public positions. He served as Regent of the

, the founding of which he had supported.

Personal life

On December 24, 1756, L'Hommedieu was married to Charity Floyd (1739–1785), a daughter of Tabitha (née Smith) Floyd and Nicholl Floyd and sister to Gen.

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

, a signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

. They did not have any children.''The Salmon Records: A private record of marriages and deaths of the residents of Southold, Suffolk County, NY,'' Robbins, William A. (NY: NY Genealogical and Bibliographical Society, 1918)) After Charity's death, Ezra married Mary Catharine Havens (1765–1843), a daughter of Nicoll Floyd Havens and Sarah ( Fosdick) Havens and sister to

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

Jonathan Nicoll Havens, in 1803. He had children with his second wife, including: * Mary Catherine L'Hommedieu (1807–1838), who married New York State Assemblyman Samuel Smith Gardiner (1789–1859), a son of Capt. Abraham Gardiner and Phebe ( Dayton) Gardiner, in 1823. L'Hommedieu died at age 77. He was buried near the grave of his first wife, the former Charity Floyd, at the Old Southold Burying Ground.

Descendants

Through his children with his second wife, some of their descendants continued to live on Long Island in the 20th century. L’Hommedieu’s papers are now in the collection of the Montauk Historical Society.

References

External links

* *
Ezra L'Hommedieu (1734-1811)
at the

New-York Historical Society The New York Historical (known as the New-York Historical Society from 1804 to 2024) is an American history museum and library on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. It ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lhommedieu, Ezra 1734 births 1811 deaths Continental Congressmen from New York (state) New York (state) lawyers Members of the New York State Assembly Huguenot participants in the American Revolution Yale University alumni 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature 18th-century members of the New York State Legislature Candidates in the 1790–1791 United States elections