Herman LeRoy
Herman LeRoy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 31, 1841 (aged 83) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, shipowner, financier |
| Known for | Co-founder of LeRoy, Bayard & Co.; president of the Bank of New York (1802–1804); consul-general for Holland; founder of Le Roy, New York |
Herman LeRoy (January 16, 1758 – March 31, 1841) was a prominent American entrepreneur, shipowner, and financier.
Early life
LeRoy was born in New York City in 1758 to Jacob LeRoy, a merchant originally from Rotterdam who also served as an alderman in New York City, and Cornelia Rutgers. His family ties included notable individuals such as Henry Rutgers and Samuel Provoost.
Career
In 1786, LeRoy took on the role of consul-general for Holland. Two years afterward, he partnered with William Bayard Jr. to establish LeRoy, Bayard & Co., which grew into one of New York City's leading commercial enterprises involved in international shipping and trade. The partnership briefly expanded to include Julian McEvers. By 1792, the firm acted as agents for the Holland Land Company, managing extensive land assets amounting to approximately 300,000 acres across Western New York. In 1813, LeRoy was instrumental in founding the town of Le Roy in Genesee County.
LeRoy also held a directorship at the Bank of the United States. Following the death of Nicholas Gouverneur, he assumed the presidency of the Bank of New York from 1802 until 1804.
Personal life
On October 19, 1786, LeRoy married Hannah Cornell (1760–1818), daughter of Loyalist Samuel Cornell and a descendant of early settler Thomas Cornell. Due to their Loyalist allegiance, Hannah's family moved to British-held New York after 1777. The couple initially resided at 4 Bowling Green before relocating to 7 Broadway, where LeRoy constructed a residence made of white marble. Additionally, he owned a country estate in Pelham, New York, where their daughter Caroline wed Daniel Webster. Remarkably, he was one of only fifteen carriage owners in New York at that time. Together they raised ten children to adulthood, including:
- Cornelia LeRoy (1787–1860), wife of William Edgar.
- Catharine Augusta LeRoy (1790–1835), married Thomas Haines Newbold.
- Herman LeRoy Jr. (1791–1869), who wed Juliet Edgar in 1813.
- Susan LeRoy (1793–1832), spouse of Judge David Samuel Jones, son of New York Comptroller Samuel Jones.
- Jacob Rutgers LeRoy (1794–1868), builder of Le Roy House and Union Free School, married Charlotte Downes Otis.
- William Henry LeRoy (1795–1888), married Elizabeth Emmet in 1819.
- Caroline LeRoy (1797–1882), second wife of U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster from 1829.
- Daniel LeRoy (1799–1885), married Susan Fish—daughter of Adjutant General Nicholas Fish and sister to Senator Hamilton Fish—in 1826.
- Mary LeRoy (1800–1828), who died unmarried.
- Edward Augustus LeRoy (1804–1865), husband to Sarah Louisa Morris.
LeRoy passed away on March 31, 1841, in New York City.
Descendants
Through his daughter Catharine, he was grandfather to Thomas Haines Newbold—who married Mary Elizabeth Rhinelander—and great-grandfather to New York State Senator Thomas Newbold, husband to Sarah Lawrence Coolidge, a descendant of Thomas Jefferson.
Via his son Jacob, he was grandfather to Charlotte LeRoy who married Henry Louis De Koven and great-grandfather to Reginald De Koven, a music critic who wed Anna Farwell, daughter of U.S. Senator Charles B. Farwell.