Archibald Gracie

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Archibald Gracie
BornJune 25, 1755
Dumfries, Scotland
DiedApril 11, 1829 (aged 73)
New York City, U.S.
Resting placeWoodlawn Cemetery
OccupationMerchant
Spouses
Esther Rogers
​
(after 1784)​
  • Elizabeth Fitch
ChildrenEliza Gracie
Sarah Gracie
Archibald Gracie II
Esther Rogers Gracie
ParentWilliam Gracie
Relatives
James Gore King (son-in-law)
William Lawrence
(son-in-law)

Archibald Gracie (June 25, 1755 – April 11, 1829) was a

American businessman and merchant in New York City and Virginia whose spacious home, Gracie Mansion, now serves as the residence of the Mayor of New York City.[1]

Early life

Archibald Gracie was born June 25, 1755, in Dumfries, Scotland. He was the son of a weaver named William Gracie. In 1776, Gracie moved to Liverpool and clerked for a London shipping firm. He used his earnings to purchase a part interest in a merchant ship.

Career

In April 1784, he sailed to America with a cargo of goods that were his own profit stock. He used the proceeds to invest in a mercantile company in New York City. He later moved to Petersburg, Virginia, and engaged in the export of tobacco to Great Britain.[2] In 1793, he moved back to New York and became a commissary merchant and shipowner (Archibald Gracie and Sons, East India Merchants). Gracie was a business partner of Alexander Hamilton and a friend of John Jay.[3]

Gracie was a member of the

New York Bank for Savings.[4] He was an incorporator of the Eagle Fire Insurance Company and vice president of the New York Insurance Company, a director of the United States Bank and of the Bank of America.[3]

He served as Vice-President of the New York Chamber of Commerce from 1800 to 1825 and the 18th president of the

St. Andrew's Society of New York, serving from 1818 to 1823.[3]

Gracie Mansion

Gracie Mansion

In 1798, Gracie purchased a large tract of land on Horn's Hook near the

Louis Phillippe.[2]

In 1823, Gracie sold the estate to pay off debts. It was acquired by New York City in 1891 and now serves as the residence of the Mayor of the city.[2]

Personal life

Woodlawn Cemetery

In 1784, he married Esther "Hetitia" Rogers (1757–1833), a daughter of Nehemiah Rogers (1718–1760) and Elizabeth Fitch (1723–1812). Rogers was the granddaughter of Samuel Fitch (1701–1787), a member of the House of Representatives of the Colony of Connecticut who was the brother of Thomas Fitch (1699–1774), former governor of the Connecticut Colony.[3] Together, they had several children, including:[1]

After the death of his wife, Gracie married Elizabeth Fitch. His marriage yielded ten children.[3]

Descendants

Gracie's grandson,

Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. (1831–1878).[10][11]

His granddaughter, Emily Sophia King (1823–1853), married Stephen Van Rensselaer Paterson (1817–1872),

Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.[13]

Gracie's great-grandson,

RMS Titanic in 1912. Coincidentally, one of Gracie IV's fellow travellers on the Titanic was John Jacob Astor IV, great-grandson of frequent Gracie Mansion visitor, and personal friend of Gracie I, John Jacob Astor.[14]

References

Notes
  1. ^ a b "Archibald Gracie (1755–1829)". www.nyhistory.org. New-York Historical Society. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  2. ^ a b c American Heritage magazine Archived 2008-12-01 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2008-11-14.
  3. ^ a b c d e Morrison, p. 91.
  4. ^ Knowles, Charles, "History of the Bank for Savings in the City of New York," 1936.
  5. ^ "The Sackett Family Association – Hon James Gore King". www.sackettfamily.info. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  6. ^ "William Beach Lawrence (1800–1881)". www.nyhistory.org. New-York Historical Society. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  7. ^ "William Beach Lawrence facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about William Beach Lawrence". www.encyclopedia.com. The Columbia University Press. Retrieved 20 February 2017 – via The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.
  8. ^ "Litchfield Ledger – Student". www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org. Litchfield Historical Society. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  9. ^ Brooks, James Wilton (1896). History of the Court of Common Pleas of the City and County of New York: With Full Reports of All Important Proceedings. New York, Pub. by subscription. p. 64. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  10. ^ "LEGACY TO MR. ROOSEVELT; President Inherits $30,000 from James King Gracie. Kermit and Ethel Receive $5,000 Each – Estate of $500,000 Is Disposed Of, Partly to Charity". The New York Times. December 4, 1903. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  11. ^ "TR Center – Last will and testament of James King Gracie". www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  12. OCLC 163664761
    .
  13. ^ Myers, Gustavus (1912). History of the Supreme Court of the United States. C. H. Kerr. p. 149. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  14. ^ Twenty-fifth Annual Report of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, 1920, Albany: J. B. Lyon, p. 156.
Sources
  • Morrison Jr., George Austin, History of Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York, 1756–1906. New York: 1906.
  • American Heritage magazine
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