Peter Ballantine (November 16, 1791 – January 23, 1883) was the founder of Patterson & Ballantine Brewing Company in 1840 in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...

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 primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

Early life

He was born on November 16, 1791, in Dundee, Scotland. He decided to leave Scotland due to the "pressure of poverty and the call to great achievement."

Career

In 1820, Ballantine emigrated to

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York Ci ...

where he learned brewing. By 1830, he had established his own brewery there. In 1840, he moved to

, and partnered with Erastus Patterson to form P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company, and leased the old High Street Brewery that had been built in 1805 by John R. Cumming. In 1845, Ballantine pulled out of the partnership, and, five years later, built his own brewery on the

Passaic River Passaic River ( ) is a river, approximately long, in Northern New Jersey. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey, ...

, known as P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company. In 1857, he took his sons as partners, and he became the wealthiest man in Newark.

Personal life

In 1830, Ballantine married Julia Wilson (1796–1868), daughter of David Wilson and Abigail Gillespie, of

Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany ...

. Together, Peter and Julia were the parents of the following children, all of whom were born in Albany: * Peter Hood Ballantine (1831–1882), who married the English-born Isabella Linen (1835–1911). *

John Holme Ballantine The John Ballantine House is a historic house museum at 49 Washington Street in the Washington Park (Newark), Washington Park section of Newark, New Jersey, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, New Jersey, United States. Built in 1884 ...

(1834–1895), who married Jeannette Boyd (1838–1919). * Robert Francis Ballantine (1836–1905), who married Anna Elizabeth Brown (1838–1926) of New Jersey. His wife died in Newark on June 7, 1868 of "remittent fever". Peter Ballantine died at his home in

, aged 91 after three weeks of

bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi ...

, on January 23, 1883. He was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Newark.

Descendants

Through his eldest son, he was the grandfather of Sara Linen Ballantine (1858–1940), who married the lawyer, and eventual president of the Ballantine breweries,

George Griswold Frelinghuysen George Griswold Frelinghuysen (May 9, 1851 – April 21, 1936) was an American patent lawyer, and president of P. Ballantine & Sons Company, a New Jersey brewery. Early life Frelinghuysen was born in Newark, New Jersey on May 9, 1851. He w ...

(1851–1936), a son of

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

and U.S. Secretary of State Frederick T. Frelinghuysen. He was a great-grandfather to

Peter Hood Ballantine Cumming Peter Hood Ballantine Cumming (August 1, 1910 – November 16, 1988) was an executive in several firms and served as Mayor of Rumson, New Jersey from 1950 to 1951. Personal life He was born on August 1, 1910. He was the great-grandson of Peter B ...

(1910–1988), who held political office (

Mayor of Rumson, New Jersey Rumson, New Jersey, was incorporated on June 18, 1907. It is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The governing body consists of a mayor and a borough council comprising six council members, with all positions electe ...

, 1950–51) and was a noted business executive (Textile Banking Company, Iselin-Jefferson Financial Company, H.A. Caesar & Company).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ballantine, Peter 1791 births 1883 deaths American drink industry businesspeople American brewers People from Dundee Businesspeople from Newark, New Jersey Burials at Mount Pleasant Cemetery (Newark, New Jersey) Businesspeople from Albany, New York Scottish emigrants to the United States American company founders Deaths from bronchitis 19th-century American businesspeople