William Bayard Jr.
William Bayard Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1761 New York City, Province of New York |
| Died | September 18, 1826 (aged 64–65) Westchester, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, merchant |
| Years active | Late 18th century – early 19th century |
| Known for | Providing residence for Alexander Hamilton after his duel with Aaron Burr |
William Bayard Jr. (1761 – September 18, 1826) was a distinguished banker based in New York City and an active member of the Society of the New York Hospital. He maintained a close relationship with Alexander Hamilton and notably provided his Greenwich Village residence as the place where Hamilton was taken for care after his infamous duel with Aaron Burr, where he ultimately passed away.
Early life and education
Born in 1761 in what is now New York City, Bayard was the son of Catharine McEvers (1732–1814) and William Bayard Sr. (–1804), who was a delegate at the Stamp Act Congress in 1765 and opposed taxation without representation. During the American Revolutionary War, Bayard Sr. remained loyal to The Crown and supported British forces occupying New York City in 1776. Unlike many relatives who fled or lost their estates, Bayard Jr. chose to remain in New York following the conflict. His siblings included Samuel Vetch Bayard (1757–1832) and Mary Bayard (1779–1849).
Family
Belonging to the prominent Bayard family of French Huguenot origin, his ancestry traces back to Balthazar Bayard, a Protestant refugee who settled in the Dutch Republic. The family emerged as significant landowners across New York and New Jersey during the early 1700s. Additionally, his lineage included notable families such as Stephanus Van Cortlandt and the Schuyler family.
Career
Bayard was a founding partner of the trading company LeRoy, Bayard & McEvers alongside Herman LeRoy and James McEvers. When McEvers retired in 1816, the firm was rebranded as Leroy, Bayard & Co. His financial leadership extended to serving as a director of the First Bank of the United States and as president of The Bank for Savings in the City of New York from its establishment in 1819. Beyond banking, Bayard held positions as governor of New York Hospital, trustee of Sailors' Snug Harbor, member of the New York Society Library, and part-owner of the Tontine Coffee House.
In December 1815, Bayard led the assembly that composed the petition advocating for construction of the Erie Canal and later oversaw festivities celebrating its completion in 1825. Between 1801 and 1821, he acted as a vestryman at Trinity Church and chaired the welcoming committee for General Lafayette’s visit in 1824.
Alexander Hamilton
A close confidant of Alexander Hamilton—the inaugural U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington—Bayard provided his Greenwich Village residence as a place for Hamilton’s care after his deadly duel with Aaron Burr on July 11, 1804; Hamilton succumbed to his injuries there the following day.
Personal life
In 1783, Bayard wed Elizabeth Cornell (d. 1854), daughter of Loyalist Samuel Cornell and descendant of Thomas Cornell. Elizabeth inherited assets in North Carolina from her father; however, these were confiscated by state authorities due to Loyalist affiliations, and her attempts to regain them through legal channels were unsuccessful.
Together, William Jr. and Elizabeth had seven children:
- Catherine Bayard (1786–1814), who married Duncan Pearsall Campbell, grandson of British Army officer Duncan Campbell
- Susan Bayard (1787–1814), who married Benjamin Woolsey Rogers, son of affluent merchant Moses Rogers
- William Bayard (1788–1875), who married Catherine Hammond
- Maria Bayard (1789–1875), who also became wife to Duncan Pearsall Campbell
- Eliza Justine Bayard (b. 1793), who married Joseph Blackwell
- Robert Bayard (1797–1878), who married Elizabeth McEvers
- Harriet Elizabeth Bayard (1799–1875), who married General Stephen Van Rensselaer IV, son of Stephen Van Rensselaer and related distantly through the Van Cortlandt family
Death
Bayard passed away on September 18, 1826, in Westchester, New York. He and his spouse, Elizabeth, were interred at the Churchyard Cemetery of Trinity Church located in Lower Manhattan, New York City.
Descendants
Eliza Bayard Rogers (1811–1835), Bayard's granddaughter and daughter of Susan Bayard Rogers, wed William Paterson Van Rensselaer (1805–1872), son of Stephen Van Rensselaer III, in 1833. William P. Van Rensselaer was the half-brother of Stephen Van Rensselaer IV, who was married to Bayard's youngest daughter, Harriet E. Bayard. Eliza and William had a son named William P. Van Rensselaer Jr. (1834–1854) before Eliza's death in 1835. Subsequently, William married Eliza's sister, Sarah Rogers, with whom he fathered additional children.
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