John Bayard
Encyclopedia
John Bubenheim Bayard was a merchant, soldier, and statesman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. He was a delegate for Pennsylvania
to the Continental Congress
in 1785 and 1786, and later mayor of New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Huguenot
s who escaped France through the Netherlands
. His ancestor, Samuel Bayard married Ann Stuyvesant there. After his death, she brought their four children to New Netherland
with her brother Peter Stuyvesant
in 1647. In 1698, their grandson Samuel Bayard (1675–1721) moved to Maryland
and established a plantation known as Bohemia Manor in Cecil County, Maryland
. It remained the seat for several new generations of the Bayard family
.
He was born to James Bayard and Mary Asheton at Bohemia Manor on August 11, 1738. In 1755, John moved to Philadelphia and became a merchant. In 1759 he married Margaret Hodge in Philadelphia. Before her death in 1780, the couple had a large family. Their children included James Bayard
(1760–1788) (1760–1788), Andrew Bayard (1762–1833), Samuel Bayard (1766–1840), Jane Bayard (1772–1851) who married Andrew Kirkpatrick, Nicholas Bayard
(1774–1821), Margaret Bayard (1778–1844), and Anna Bayard (1779–1869). The household was expanded even further when John's brother, James Asheton Bayard I, died in 1770. Two nephews and a niece were added: John H. Bayard (1762–1820), Jane Bayard (1765-?), and James Asheton Bayard II
(1767–1815). After Margaret died, John remarried twice: in 1781 to a widow Mary (Grant) Hodgson who died in 1785, and then another widow Johannah White who survived him and died in 1834. Neither of the later marriages had children who lived.
, even though it hurt his own business. By 1766, he had become one of the leaders of the Philadelphia Sons of Liberty
.
In the meantime, Hedge & Bayard became one of the firms under contract with the Continental Congress to supply the Continental Army
. John himself fitted out a ship sent out as a privateer
. But, in the fall of 1777, the British occupied Philadelphia. Bayard moved his family to a farm at Plymouth
, and took to the field with his regiment. They fought at the Battles of Brandywine
, Germantown
, and Princeton
. John was cited by General Washington
for his gallant leadership in the Battle of Princeton.
In 1781 Bayard became head of the Board of War, and as such joined the state's Executive Council. Under Pennsylvania's 1776 constitution this was a kind of combination of the roles of a governor's cabinet and the state Senate. Then in 1785 he was elected to the Continental Congress
. He served there in 1785 and 1786, attending their meetings in New York
.
and moved there looking to retire. But in 1790, he was elected mayor of New Brunswick. Then, for many of his remaining years he sat as the judge in the court of common pleas for Middlesex County
. He died at home in New Brunswick, New Jersey
on January 7, 1807 and is buried in the First Presbyterian Churchyard there.
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,...
. He was a delegate for Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
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....
in 1785 and 1786, and later mayor of New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Biography
Bayard's family were FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
s who escaped France through the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. His ancestor, Samuel Bayard married Ann Stuyvesant there. After his death, she brought their four children to New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
with her brother Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant , served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York...
in 1647. In 1698, their grandson Samuel Bayard (1675–1721) moved to Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and established a plantation known as Bohemia Manor in Cecil County, Maryland
Cecil County, Maryland
Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
. It remained the seat for several new generations of the Bayard family
Bayard family
The Bayard family has been a prominent family of lawyers and politicians throughout American history, primarily from Wilmington, Delaware. Beginning as Federalists, they joined the party of Andrew Jackson and remained leaders of the Democratic Party into the 20th century. Counting Richard Bassett,...
.
He was born to James Bayard and Mary Asheton at Bohemia Manor on August 11, 1738. In 1755, John moved to Philadelphia and became a merchant. In 1759 he married Margaret Hodge in Philadelphia. Before her death in 1780, the couple had a large family. Their children included James Bayard
James Bayard
James Bayard may refer to:*James Asheton Bayard I , Philadelphia doctor, and father of James Asheton Bayard II*James Asheton Bayard II , a politician and lawyer from Wilmington, Delaware...
(1760–1788) (1760–1788), Andrew Bayard (1762–1833), Samuel Bayard (1766–1840), Jane Bayard (1772–1851) who married Andrew Kirkpatrick, Nicholas Bayard
Nicholas Bayard
Colonel Nicholas Bayard was an official in the colony of New York. Bayard served as the sixteenth Mayor of New York City, from 1685 to 1686...
(1774–1821), Margaret Bayard (1778–1844), and Anna Bayard (1779–1869). The household was expanded even further when John's brother, James Asheton Bayard I, died in 1770. Two nephews and a niece were added: John H. Bayard (1762–1820), Jane Bayard (1765-?), and James Asheton Bayard II
James A. Bayard (elder)
James Asheton Bayard II was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Federalist Party, who served as U.S. Representative from Delaware and U.S. Senator from Delaware.-Early life and family:Bayard was born in Philadelphia,...
(1767–1815). After Margaret died, John remarried twice: in 1781 to a widow Mary (Grant) Hodgson who died in 1785, and then another widow Johannah White who survived him and died in 1834. Neither of the later marriages had children who lived.
Early career
John entered the business world in the counting-room of a merchant, John Rhea. He began making his own investments in voyages, prospered, and became one of the leaders in the merchant community. When he joined his own firm, it was named Hedge & Bayard. In 1765 he signed the non-importation agreement in protest of the Stamp ActStamp Act 1765
The Stamp Act 1765 was a direct tax imposed by the British Parliament specifically on the colonies of British America. The act required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp...
, even though it hurt his own business. By 1766, he had become one of the leaders of the Philadelphia Sons of Liberty
Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty were a political group made up of American patriots that originated in the pre-independence North American British colonies. The group was formed to protect the rights of the colonists from the usurpations by the British government after 1766...
.
The Revolution
Bayard was elected to the convention of Pennsylvania in July of 1774, and re-elected in 1775. This group was originally the revolutionary counter to the official assembly, but eventually replaced it as the legislature for the new government. When regiments were raised for the defense of Philadelphia in 1775, John became Colonel of the second regiment. In 1776, when the convention had become a constitutional assembly, he was named to the Committee of Safety. In March of 1777, he became a member of the state's Board of War, and the Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly, and was re-elected in 1778.In the meantime, Hedge & Bayard became one of the firms under contract with the Continental Congress to supply the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. John himself fitted out a ship sent out as a privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
. But, in the fall of 1777, the British occupied Philadelphia. Bayard moved his family to a farm at Plymouth
Plymouth, Pennsylvania
Plymouth is an incorporated borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States 4 miles west of Wilkes Barre, on the Susquehanna River. Prior to its incorporation in 1866, it was part of Plymouth Township, established in 1769 by the Susquehanna Company and claimed by Connecticut based on...
, and took to the field with his regiment. They fought at the Battles of Brandywine
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...
, Germantown
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
, and Princeton
Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton was a battle in which General George Washington's revolutionary forces defeated British forces near Princeton, New Jersey....
. John was cited by 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...
for his gallant leadership in the Battle of Princeton.
In 1781 Bayard became head of the Board of War, and as such joined the state's Executive Council. Under Pennsylvania's 1776 constitution this was a kind of combination of the roles of a governor's cabinet and the state Senate. Then in 1785 he was elected 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....
. He served there in 1785 and 1786, attending their meetings in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Later life
By 1788 Bayard had settled most of the debts he had run up during the war. He was forced to sell the estate in Maryland to another branch of the family, and closed down his Philadelphia business. He built a new home in New Brunswick, New JerseyNew Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
and moved there looking to retire. But in 1790, he was elected mayor of New Brunswick. Then, for many of his remaining years he sat as the judge in the court of common pleas for Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
. He died at home in New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
on January 7, 1807 and is buried in the First Presbyterian Churchyard there.