John Hamilton (New Jersey politician)

John Hamilton (c. 1681–1747) was an American politician from the colonial period who served as acting governor of the Province of New Jersey from 1736–1738, and from 1746–1747.

John Hamilton
President of the New Jersey Provincial Council
In office 1736–1747
Preceded by	John Anderson
Succeeded by	John Reading
Member of the New Jersey Provincial Council for the Western Division
In office June 15, 1713 – 1747
Personal details
Born	c. 1681
Died	1747 Perth Amboy, Middlesex County, Province of New Jersey
Resting place	Perth Amboy
Spouse	Elizabeth de Peyster
Children	Stephen Hamilton
Residence	Perth Amboy

Career

The son of Andrew Hamilton, proprietary governor of both East New Jersey and West New Jersey, John Hamilton was first appointed to the New Jersey Provincial Council on June 15, 1713 during the administration of Governor Robert Hunter. Although a resident of Perth Amboy, in the Eastern Division of the province, Hamilton was appointed to a Western Division seat. He remained on the council through the administrations of governors William Burnet, John Montgomerie, Sir William Cosby and Lewis Morris.

The senior councillor actually residing in New Jersey would, by virtue of his seniority, be president of council. Hamilton became president after the death of John Anderson on March 28, 1736. Anderson had been acting governor for 18 days, since the March 10 death of Governor Cosby; John Hamilton thus became acting governor, and served until 1738, when Governor Lewis Morris took office.

In 1735 John Hamilton was appointed an assistant judge of the New Jersey Supreme Court. In 1740 he was appointed a commissioner to settle the boundary between Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He was again acting governor after the death of Morris in 1746.

John Hamilton died in 1747 in Perth Amboy.

See also

• List of colonial governors of New Jersey

References

de Peyster family tree

Johannes de Peyster Sr. (c. 1600–c. 1685) Abraham de Peyster (1657–1728), Mayor of New York City Catherine de Peyster, married Philip Van Cortlandt, son of Stephanus Van Cortlandt Pierre Van Cortlandt (1721–1814) Abraham de Peyster (1696–1767), Treasurer of the Province of New York, married Margaret Van Cortlandt, daughter of Jacobus Van Cortlandt James Abraham de Peyster (1726–1799) Capt. Abraham de Peyster (1753–1798), married Catherine Livingston, granddaughter of Philip Livingston Frederick de Peyster (1758–1834) James Ferguson de Peyster (1794–1874), married (1) Susan Maria Clarkson (1800–1823), daughter of Matthew Clarkson; married (2) Frances Goodhue Ashton (1805–1871) Susan Maria de Peyster (1823–1910), married Robert Edward Livingston (1820–1889) Goodhue Livingston (1867–1951), an architect, married Louisa Robb (1877–1960), daughter of James Hampden Robb Frederic James de Peyster (1839–1905), lawyer, married Augusta McEvers Morris (1851–1911) Frederic de Peyster (1796–1882), lawyer John Watts de Peyster (1821–1907), military officer, married Estelle Livingston John Watts de Peyster Jr. (1841–1873), Union Army officer Johnston de Peyster (1846–1903), New York State Assembly member Pierre Guillaume de Peyster (b. 1707), married Cornelia Schuyler Arent DePeyster (1736–1822), British military officer Pierre Guillaume de Peyster (1745–1807) William Sheriff de Peyster, married Mary Roosevelt, niece of Nicholas Roosevelt Cornelia de Peyster, married Jacob R. Van Rensselaer Johannes de Peyster (1666–1719), Mayor of New York City, married Anna Bancker, sister of Albany mayor Evert Bancker Johannes de Peyster III (1694–1783), married Anna Schuyler, daughter of Albany mayor Myndert Schuyler Anna de Peyster (1723–1794), who married Albany mayor Volkert P. Douw Maria de Peyster, married Gerard Bancker Gerard Bancker (1740–1799), surveyor and politician William de Peyster, married Margaret Roosevelt William de Peyster Elizabeth de Peyster, married Charles Willson Peale (1741–1827), painter Franklin Peale (1795–1870), Philadelphia Mint officer Titian Peale (1799–1885), naturalist Catharina de Peyster, married Hendrick Rutgers (1712–1779) Henry Rutgers (1745–1830), Revolutionary War hero, namesake of Rutgers University Elizabeth de Peyster, married New Jersey provincial Governor John Hamilton Maria de Peyster, married New York City Mayor David Provost