John Alsop
Encyclopedia
John Alsop was an American merchant and politician from New York City during the American Revolution
. He was a delegate for New York
to the Continental Congress
from 1774 to 1776.
, Orange County, New York
. He was the son of John Alsop, Sr., a lawyer first of New Windsor, New York, where he was largely interested in real estate. A few years later he removed to New York City and there practiced his profession for many years. He was a son of Capt. Richard Alsop and Hannah Underhill (2 Dec 1666-23 Aug 1757) the daughter of Captain John Underhill (c.1609-21 Sep 1672) and Elizabeth Feake who was the daughter of Lt. Robert Feake and Elizabeth Fones
.
Captain Richard Alsop first settled in New York during the 1650s. He had served as a major in Oliver Cromwell
's army, but after a disagreement with the Lord Protector
, he fled to the obscurity of colonial life.
John's mother was Abigail Sackett, 1695–1752, the daughter of Captain Joseph Sackett and Elizabeth Betts, the daughter of Capt. Richard Betts and Joanna Chamberlayne She married John Alsop, Sr. in 1718 and they were the parents of four children.
As a young man he moved to New York City and entered the mercantile world with his brother Richard. The brothers became importers and merchants in cloth and dry goods. Their enterprise prospered, and the Alsops, for several generations, became one of the great merchant houses of the city. With the business secure, John became interested in civic and political activities. He was elected by New York County to serve in the Province of New York
Assembly. He was one of the civic leaders that incorporated the New York Hospital Association, and served as its first governor from 1770 to 1784.
of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Mary Alsop married Rufus King
in New York City on March 30, 1786, he being at that time a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress then sitting in that city. Mrs. King was a lady of remarkable beauty, gentle and gracious manners, and well cultivated mind.
Their nephew was Richard Alsop, one of The Hartford Wits
(also called the Connecticut Wits) who were a group of American writers centered around Yale University and flourished in the 1780s and 1790s.
Their grand nephews were the brothers, Joseph Alsop
and Stewart Alsop
, both American newspaper journalists and political analysts.
, John Jay
, Philip Livingston
, and Isaac Low
were named by several counties, extending from Long Island
to Albany
. When the Congress convened on September 5, it accepted these credential when John Jay presented them. Alsop wasn't able to attend until he arrived in Philadelphia
on September 14.
As the revolution escalated in 1775, John Alsop was one of the leaders of the Committee of Sixty
which became the provisional government in New York City. He actively supported the non-importation agreements that he had signed the previous October in the Congress, despite the costs to his business. He was active in recruiting militia and in efforts to equip and arm them. As the Assembly continued to refuse to recognize the national Congress, he was elected to the alternative revolutionary New York Provincial Congress
, and they in turn returned him to the second Continental Congress.
1776 was a critical year in the struggle for New York. Alsop began the year at Philadelphia, in a session of Congress. He made several trips between there and New York, acting as an agent of congress through his business to acquire supplies, and particularly powder for the Continental Army. After General Washington
visited Congress in late May, Alsop returned with him to New York in early June. He added efforts to find housing for 8,000 Continental Army troops to his earlier and continuing work on the supply problems. When his home in Newtown was captured by the British in August, he kept working from Manhattan
. By September the British had occupied Manhattan as well, ending his effective contributions to the revolution. He escaped to Middletown, Connecticut
and remained until the British occupation ended in 1783.
in 1784 and 1785. He died at his home in Newtown, Queens County, New York on November 22, 1794 and is buried in Trinity Church Cemetery
on Manhattan.
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. He was a delegate for New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
from 1774 to 1776.
Early life and career
John Alsop, born in 1724 in New WindsorNew Windsor, New York
New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was estimated at 25,244 in 2010 by the US Census.The Town of New Windsor is in the eastern part of the county, bordering the Town of Newburgh and the City of Newburgh....
, Orange County, New York
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
. He was the son of John Alsop, Sr., a lawyer first of New Windsor, New York, where he was largely interested in real estate. A few years later he removed to New York City and there practiced his profession for many years. He was a son of Capt. Richard Alsop and Hannah Underhill (2 Dec 1666-23 Aug 1757) the daughter of Captain John Underhill (c.1609-21 Sep 1672) and Elizabeth Feake who was the daughter of Lt. Robert Feake and Elizabeth Fones
Elizabeth Fones
Elizabeth Fones Winthrop Feake Hallett was an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony where her father-in-law John Winthrop served as Governor...
.
Captain Richard Alsop first settled in New York during the 1650s. He had served as a major in Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's army, but after a disagreement with the Lord Protector
Lord Protector
Lord Protector is a title used in British constitutional law for certain heads of state at different periods of history. It is also a particular title for the British Heads of State in respect to the established church...
, he fled to the obscurity of colonial life.
John's mother was Abigail Sackett, 1695–1752, the daughter of Captain Joseph Sackett and Elizabeth Betts, the daughter of Capt. Richard Betts and Joanna Chamberlayne She married John Alsop, Sr. in 1718 and they were the parents of four children.
As a young man he moved to New York City and entered the mercantile world with his brother Richard. The brothers became importers and merchants in cloth and dry goods. Their enterprise prospered, and the Alsops, for several generations, became one of the great merchant houses of the city. With the business secure, John became interested in civic and political activities. He was elected by New York County to serve in the Province of New York
Province of New York
The Province of New York was an English and later British crown territory that originally included all of the present U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont, along with inland portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as eastern Pennsylvania...
Assembly. He was one of the civic leaders that incorporated the New York Hospital Association, and served as its first governor from 1770 to 1784.
Marriage
He married on June 6, 1766 at New York City, Mary Frogat, (1744 - April 14, 1772). They were the parents of one daughter, Mary who was born in New York on October 17, 1769 and died in Jamaica, New York on June 5, 1819. She was also a great niece of Governor John WinthropJohn Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Mary Alsop married Rufus King
Rufus King
Rufus King was an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate for Massachusetts to the Continental Congress. He also attended the Constitutional Convention and was one of the signers of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
in New York City on March 30, 1786, he being at that time a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress then sitting in that city. Mrs. King was a lady of remarkable beauty, gentle and gracious manners, and well cultivated mind.
Their nephew was Richard Alsop, one of The Hartford Wits
Hartford Wits
The Hartford Wits were a group of American writers centered around Yale University and flourished in the 1780s and 1790s. Mostly graduates of Yale, they were conservative federalists who attacked their political opponents with satirical verse...
(also called the Connecticut Wits) who were a group of American writers centered around Yale University and flourished in the 1780s and 1790s.
Their grand nephews were the brothers, Joseph Alsop
Joseph Alsop
Joseph Wright Alsop V was an American journalist and syndicated newspaper columnist from the 1930s through the 1970s.-Early years:...
and Stewart Alsop
Stewart Alsop
Stewart Johonnot Oliver Alsop was an American newspaper columnist and political analyst.Born and raised in Avon, Connecticut, Alsop attended Groton School and Yale University...
, both American newspaper journalists and political analysts.
The revolution
During the first phases of the American Revolution, the Province of New York Assembly could not reach a conclusion about the Continental Congress. As a result, delegates were selected by the revolutionary committees in each county. In 1774, John Alsop, along with James DuaneJames Duane
James Duane was an American lawyer, jurist, and Revolutionary leader from New York. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, New York state senator, Mayor of New York, and a U.S...
, John Jay
John Jay
John Jay was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, a Founding Father of the United States, and the first Chief Justice of the United States ....
, Philip Livingston
Philip Livingston
Philip Livingston was an American merchant and statesman from New York City. He was a delegate for New York to the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1778, and signed the Declaration of Independence.-Family history:...
, and Isaac Low
Isaac Low
Isaac Low was an American merchant in New York City.-Biography:He was born on April 13, 1735 at Raritan Landing, New Jersey...
were named by several counties, extending from Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
to Albany
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
. When the Congress convened on September 5, it accepted these credential when John Jay presented them. Alsop wasn't able to attend until he arrived in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
on September 14.
As the revolution escalated in 1775, John Alsop was one of the leaders of the Committee of Sixty
Committee of Sixty
The Committee of Sixty was an extra-legal group formed in New York City, in 1775, by rebels to enforce the Continental Association, a boycott of British goods enacted by the First Continental Congress...
which became the provisional government in New York City. He actively supported the non-importation agreements that he had signed the previous October in the Congress, despite the costs to his business. He was active in recruiting militia and in efforts to equip and arm them. As the Assembly continued to refuse to recognize the national Congress, he was elected to the alternative revolutionary New York Provincial Congress
New York Provincial Congress
The New York Provincial Congress was an organization formed by rebels in 1775, during the American Revolution, as a pro-rebellion alternative to the more conservative Province of New York Assembly, and as a replacement for the Committee of One Hundred.A Provincial Convention assembled in New York...
, and they in turn returned him to the second Continental Congress.
1776 was a critical year in the struggle for New York. Alsop began the year at Philadelphia, in a session of Congress. He made several trips between there and New York, acting as an agent of congress through his business to acquire supplies, and particularly powder for the Continental Army. After General Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
visited Congress in late May, Alsop returned with him to New York in early June. He added efforts to find housing for 8,000 Continental Army troops to his earlier and continuing work on the supply problems. When his home in Newtown was captured by the British in August, he kept working from Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. By September the British had occupied Manhattan as well, ending his effective contributions to the revolution. He escaped to Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
and remained until the British occupation ended in 1783.
Later years
After the war he worked to help rebuild the family business, and again became active as a civic leader. He was president of New York City's Chamber of CommerceChamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
in 1784 and 1785. He died at his home in Newtown, Queens County, New York on November 22, 1794 and is buried in Trinity Church Cemetery
Trinity Church Cemetery
Trinity Church Cemetery consists of three separate burial grounds associated with Trinity Church in Manhattan, New York, USA. The first was established in the Churchyard located at 74 Trinity Place at Wall Street and Broadway...
on Manhattan.
Descendants
John Alsop's descendants number in the thousands today. Some of his notable descendants include;- Dr. C. Loring BraceC. Loring BraceC. Loring Brace is an anthropologist at the University of Michigan. He considers the attempt "to introduce a Darwinian outlook into biological anthropology" to be his greatest contribution to the field of anthropology.-Life and work:...
IV, noted Biological anthropologist. - Gerald Warner BraceGerald Warner BraceGerald Warner Brace was an American novelist, writer, educator, sailor and boat builder. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England.-Early life and ancestors:...
(1901–1978) was an American writer, educator, sailor and boat builder. - Charles Loring BraceCharles Loring BraceCharles Loring Brace was a contributing philanthropist in the field of social reform...
(1826–1890) was a philanthropist and was most renowned for founding the Children's Aid SocietyChildren's Aid Society__notoc__The Children’s Aid Society is a private charitable organization based in New York City. It serves 150,000 children per year, providing foster care, medical and mental health services, and a wide range of educational, recreational and advocacy services through dozens of community centers,...
. - David CrosbyDavid CrosbyDavid Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
, is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of three bands: The ByrdsThe ByrdsThe Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, Crosby, Stills & Nash and CPR (band). - Floyd CrosbyFloyd CrosbyFloyd Delafield Crosby, A.S.C. was an American cinematographer.Crosby was born and raised in West Philadelphia, the son of Julia Floyd and Frederick Van Schoonhoven Crosby...
, was an award winning American cinematographerCinematographerA cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
. - Wolcott GibbsWolcott GibbsWolcott Gibbs was an American editor, humorist, theatre critic, playwright and author of short stories, who worked for The New Yorker magazine from 1927 until his death. He is best remembered for his 1936 parody of Time magazine, which skewered the magazine's inverted narrative structure...
, was an American editor, humorist, theater critic, playwright and author of short stories. - Archibald Gracie IIIArchibald Gracie IIIArchibald Gracie III was a career United States Army officer, businessman, and a graduate of West Point. He is well known for being a Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War and for his death during the Siege of Petersburg.-Early life and career:Archibald was born into a...
, was a career United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
officer, businessman, and a graduate of West PointUnited States Military AcademyThe United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
. He is well known for being a ConfederateConfederate States ArmyThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
brigadier general during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and for his death during the Siege of PetersburgSiege of PetersburgThe Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
. - Archibald Gracie IV, was an American writer, amateur historian, real estateReal estateIn general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
investor, and survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. - Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr.William Halsey, Jr.Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr., United States Navy, , was a U.S. Naval officer. He commanded the South Pacific Area during the early stages of the Pacific War against Japan...
, USNUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, (called "Bill Halsey" and sometimes known as "Bull" Halsey), was a U.S. Naval officer and the commanderCommanding officerThe commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the United States Third Fleet during part of the Pacific WarPacific WarThe Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
against Japan. Earlier, he had commanded the South Pacific Theater during desperate times. - Isabella Beecher HookerIsabella Beecher HookerIsabella Beecher Hooker was a leader in the women's suffrage movement and an author.-Biography:Born in Litchfield, Connecticut, she was a daughter of Reverend Lyman Beecher, a noted abolitionist. Among her half brothers and sisters were Henry Ward Beecher, Charles Beecher, Catharine Beecher, and...
(1822–1907) was a leader in the women's suffrage movement and an author. - Charles King (academic)Charles King (academic)Charles King was an American academic, politician and newspaper editor. He succeeded Nathaniel Fish Moore to become the ninth president of Columbia College , holding the role from 7 November 1849 to 1864...
, was an American academic, politician, newspaper editor and the ninth president of Columbia College (now Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
). - Charles KingCharles King (general)Charles King was a United States soldier and a distinguished writer.-Biography:...
, was a United States soldier and a distinguished writer. - James G. KingJames G. KingJames Gore King was an American businessman and Whig Party politician who represented New Jersey's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1849 to 1851...
, was an American businessman and Whig Party politician who represented New Jersey's 5th congressional districtNew Jersey's 5th congressional districtNew Jersey's Fifth Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Scott Garrett. Garrett defeated Democrat Paul Aronsohn and independent candidate R. Matthew Fretz 55%-44% in the United States general elections, 2006....
in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. His daughter, Frederika Gore King, married Bancroft DavisBancroft DavisJohn Chandler Bancroft Davis , commonly known as Bancroft Davis, was an American lawyer, judge, diplomat, and president of Newburgh and New York Railway Company.-Early life:...
. - John Alsop KingJohn Alsop KingJohn Alsop King was an American politician who served as governor of New York.He was born in the area now encompassed by New York City on 3 January 1788 and was educated at Harrow School in England...
, was an American politician who served as governor (1857–1859) of New York. - Rufus King, was a newspaper editor, educator, U.S. diplomat, and a Union brigadier general in the American Civil War.
- Rufus King, Jr.Rufus King, Jr.Rufus King, Jr. was an artillery officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and a Medal of Honor recipient.-Family:...
, was an artillery officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and a Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient. - Ellin Travers Mackay, 2nd wife of composer and lyricist, Irving BerlinIrving BerlinIrving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
. - Alice Duer MillerAlice Duer MillerAlice Duer Miller was an American writer and poet.-Biography:Alice Duer was born in New York City on July 28, 1874 into a wealthy family. She was the daughter of James Gore King Duer and Elizabeth Wilson Meads. Elizabeth was the daughter of Orlando Meads of Albany, New York...
, was an American writer and poet. - Halsey MinorHalsey MinorHalsey McLean Minor is a technology entrepreneur who founded CNET in 1993 . Minor ran CNET for 8 years during which time it became one of the Internet's first companies to achieve profitability. From 1999 to 2001, CNET was a member of the NASDAQ-100 index...
is a technology entrepreneur who founded CNETCNETCNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
in 1993. - Mary Alsop King WaddingtonMary Alsop King WaddingtonMary Alsop King Waddington was an American author, who wrote about her life as the wife of a French diplomat.-Early life and ancestors:...
, was an American author. - Jane WyattJane WyattJane Waddington Wyatt was an American actress perhaps best known for her role as the housewife and mother on the television comedy Father Knows Best, and as Amanda Grayson, the human mother of Spock on the science fiction television series Star Trek...
, was an American actress perhaps best known for her role as the housewife and mother on the television series Father Knows BestFather Knows BestFather Knows Best is an American radio and television comedy series which portrayed a middle class family life in the Midwest. It was created by writer Ed James in the 1940s.-Radio:...
and as Amanda Grayson, the human mother of SpockSpockSpock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
on the science fiction television show, Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
.