Sharp Delany (c. 1739–1799), was a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

in 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 ...

a legislator and the first Collector of Customs in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

, appointed by

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 ...

Biography

Sharp Delany’s place of birth is in dispute. Often stated to have been born in County Monaghan,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

, Sharp Delany was likely born in Queen’s County,

(present day County Laois).

Ballyfin Ballyfin ( or alternatively "town of Fionn") is a small village and parish in County Laois, Ireland. Located in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, the village is in the midlands of Ireland. It is located on the R423 regional road midway between the t ...

, Queen’s County, was the home of his paternal grandfather, Martin Delany, and his father, Daniel Delany, who also resided in Clonin, Queen’s County. Also, Sharp Delany’s maternal grandfather,

Isaac Sharp Isaac Sharp (1681–1735) was an early New Jersey settler, politician, judge and Colonel of the militia. Early life and family Born January 13, 1681, in Dublin, Ireland, Isaac Sharp was the eldest surviving son of Quaker Anthony Sharp and Ann ...

, resided in Killinure, Queen’s County. Sharp Delany’s maternal great-grandfather was the noted Dublin Quaker

Anthony Sharp Dennis Anthony John Sharp (16 June 1915 – 23 July 1984) was an English actor, writer and director. Stage career Anthony Sharp was a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and made his stage debut in February 1938 ...

, for whom Sharp was named. Sharp Delany’s date of immigration to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

is uncertain. Among the first records of him in America is his September 7, 1763 marriage to Margaret Robinson in the Trinity Episcopal Church of

. By about 1764, he had established himself as a druggist in

in partnership with his brother, William. Sharp was elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

in 1774. In 1775-6, he was an active member of committees in favor of American independence and later subscribed five thousand pounds to supply the army. He was a deputy to the Provincial Convention in January, 1775, and to the Provincial Conference in June of the same year. In June, 1776, he raised a company of militia, of which he was captain, and in 1779 was colonel of the 2d

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...

. Colonel Sharp Delany was a personal friend of

and a constant associate of

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

Anthony Wayne, who made Colonel Delany one of the executors of his will. After the revolution, he was a member of the legislature of Pennsylvania, and a member of the Society of the Cincinnati. On March 15, 1784, Sharp Delany was appointed Collector of Customs under the State of

, and was the first to be appointed to that position at the Federal level by

in 1789, a position he held until his death in 1799. In October 1789, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton asked the various collectors of customs about the need for boats to protect and ensure revenue collection. Sharp Delany replied that he was already using a vessel for that purpose and fully endorsed the concept. In April 1790,

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...

asked

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

to create a Revenue Marine service with a fleet of ten small cutters. On 4 August 1790, now celebrated as the Coast Guard’s birthday, Congress passed Hamilton’s Revenue Cutter Bill. Sharp Delany oversaw the construction of one of these first ten cutters, the USRC General Green. Since Sharp Delany was evidently the first

official to employ a vessel for the purpose of enforcing customs laws, a 1976 Naval Institute ''Proceedings'' article suggested he is the father of the Coast Guard. Colonel Sharp Delany was a cousin of Marine Commandant Anthony Gale and was likely the person who recommended Gale for his commission as a Second Lieutenant, which he received only fifteen days after

reestablished the

Marines 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 (refl ...

on July 11, 1798. Following Sharp Delany’s death, his son, Thomas R. Delany, witnessed Commandant Gale’s naturalization papers in 1801. Many of the writings of Sharp Delany survived, including his Revolutionary War orderly book, U.S. Customs letter book, and correspondence with

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

, Alexander Hamilton, and

Anthony Wayne, which offer insight into 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 Revoluti ...

and the birth of the

. Sharp Delany died on May 13, 1799 and is buried in St. Peter's Episcopal Church Yard in

along with his wife, Margaret, and several of their children.Bronson, Rev. William White (1879). ''The Inscriptions in St. Peter’s Church Yard, Philadelphia''. Camden, New Jersey: Sinnickson Chew, p. 111

Notes

Ancestry

Bibliography

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External links

Portrait of Sharp Delany
by artist Robert Field,

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Delany, Sharp 1730s births 1799 deaths 18th-century Irish people Continental Army officers from Ireland Continental Army officers from Pennsylvania Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) Members of the American Philosophical Society Members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly People from County Laois People from County Monaghan