Abraham de Peyster (July 8, 1657 – August 3, 1728) was the 20th

mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The Mayoralty in the United States, mayor's office administers all ...

from 1691 to 1694, and served as Governor of New York, 1700–1701.

Early life

De Peyster was born in

New Amsterdam New Amsterdam (, ) was a 17th-century Dutch Empire, Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''Factory (trading post), fac ...

on July 8, 1657, to Johannes de Peyster Sr. (–) and Cornelia (née Lubberts) de Peyster.Allaben, Frank
John Watts de Peyster, Volume 1
p. 18-19 (1908)

Career

The de Peysters were a wealthy merchant family which had also moved into politics. In October 1691, Abraham was appointed mayor by Governor Henry Sloughter. Though de Peyster had been an early supporter of

Jacob Leisler Jacob Leisler ( – May 16, 1691) was a German-born politician and colonial administrator in the Province of New York. He gained wealth in New Amsterdam (later New York City) in the North American fur trade and tobacco business. In what became k ...

, who led Leisler's Rebellion, he had not participated in Leisler's later actions.Lamb, Martha J. & Burton Harrison
History of the City of New York, Vol. I
p.398-402 (1896 ed.) Through his suggestion, the city started providing public support to the poor. Abraham's brother, Johannes de Peyster (1666–1719), served as mayor from 1698 until 1699, and was then succeeded by David Provost, the husband of his sister, Maria de Peyster. Abraham also reportedly served in a number of other public roles during his life, including stints as alderman, Associate Judge and later Chief Justice on the province's Supreme Court, president of the King's Council, and as treasurer for New York and New Jersey provinces. In addition, he also served as a colonel in the militia. Catalogue of the works of art belonging to the city of New York
p. 106 (1909) Some sources state that he served as governor or acting governor of the

Province of New York The Province of New York was a British proprietary colony and later a royal colony on the northeast coast of North America from 1664 to 1783. It extended from Long Island on the Atlantic, up the Hudson River and Mohawk River valleys to ...

, which refers to a few months' time in 1701 after the death of

Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont (1636 – 5 March 1700/01In the Julian calendar, then in use in England, the year began on 25 March. To avoid confusion with dates in the Gregorian calendar, then in use in other parts of Europe, d ...

, when Lieutenant Governor John Nanfan was abroad. This left de Peyster, as the senior member of the council, briefly in command until Nanfan returned. De Peyster, Frederic
The life and administration of Richard, earl of Bellomont
p. 58 (1879) Around 1699, de Peyster donated part of his garden for the construction of a new city hall. That building was later renamed

Federal Hall Federal Hall was the first capitol building of the United States under the Constitution. Serving as the meeting place of the First United States Congress and the site of George Washington's first presidential inauguration, the building existe ...

, which briefly served as the first capitol of the United States, and the site of the

first inauguration of George Washington The first inauguration of George Washington as the first president of the United States was held on Thursday, April 30, 1789, on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City. The inauguration was held nearly two months after the beginning of the ...

as president.(12 June 1931)
Replica of Old Federal Hall Will Rise Where Subtreasury Stands in New York
''Evening Independent''Caliendo, Ralph J
New York City Mayors, Part 1
p. 48-51 (2010) (note that this source may contain some inaccuracies) It was replaced in 1842 with a structure in the style of

Greek Revival architecture Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

which is still standing.

Personal life

On April 5, 1684, while visiting

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

, he married his second cousin, Catharina de Peyster (1665–), the daughter of Pierre de Peyster and Gertrude Van Dyke. Their children included: * Catherine de Peyster (1688–1734), who married Philip Van Cortlandt, son of Stephanus Van Cortlandt. * Elizabeth de Peyster (1694–1774), who married John Hamilton, the

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...

. * Abraham de Peyster (1696–1767), who served as the treasurer of the Province of New York and married Margaret Van Cortlandt, daughter of Jacobus Van Cortlandt, in 1722. * Pierre Guillaume de Peyster (b. 1707), who married Cornelia Schuyler. The mansion he erected in 1695, which at one time was the headquarters of Washington, remained standing until 1856. Before his death in 1728, De Peyster commissioned the creation of a bell to be placed in Manhattan’s Middle Dutch Church, then under construction. Cast in Amsterdam in 1731, the bell is known today as the "Liberty Bell" and is located at the Middle Collegiate Church.(23 February 1952)
Bell
''The New Yorker''Our History
, Middle Collegiate Church website, Retrieved October 28, 2011

Legacy

His great grandson, also named Abraham de Peyster, briefly led the Loyalists in the Battle of Kings Mountain. Evacuating to British North America after the American Revolution, the younger Abraham became the

Treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...

of the new royal colony of New Brunswick. His 3x-great grandson was John Watts de Peyster, who commissioned a statue of his ancestor in the late 19th century. Sculpted by George Edwin Bissell, the statue was originally placed in Bowling Green Park in Manhattan in the late 1890s. Park and subway renovations forced its removal in 1972, and it was placed in Hanover Square from 1976 until 2004.British Garden at Hanover Square
, nycgovparks.org, Retrieved October 28, 2011(8 November 2004)
NEW HOME FOR STATUE OF NEW YORK CITY’S FIRST MAYOR, ABRAHAM DE PEYSTER
nycgovparks.org (note that title of article appears to be incorrect, he was not the first mayor)Brozan, Nadine (22 August 2003)

''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''Roberts, Sam (5 September 2011)
Like Former Mayors, a Statue Fades From View
''

'' During subsequent renovations in Hanover Square, the statue was placed in a warehouse for 9 years. In the fall of 2013, it was restored to public view in its current location in Thomas Paine Park near the Supreme Court building. A duplicate of the New York statue was also donated by John Watts de Peyster to Franklin & Marshall College in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...

, where it is currently placed on Buchanan Avenue.College Archives - Sculpture of Abraham de Peyster- 1895
, Franklin & Marshall Library website, Retrieved October 28, 2011

References

External links

1893 Sculpture of DePeyster
by George Edwin Bissell 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:De Peyster, Abraham 1657 births 1728 deaths 17th-century mayors of places in New York (state) 18th-century American politicians People from New Netherland Mayors of New York City Abraham de Peyster Members of the New York Executive Council People from colonial New York