William Chetwood (June 17, 1771 – December 17, 1857) was a U.S. Representative from New Jersey. He was the mayor of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, from 1839 to 1841.

William Chetwood
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's at-large district
In office
December 5, 1836 – March 3, 1837
Preceded byPhilemon Dickerson
Succeeded byJohn Bancker Aycrigg
Mayor of Elizabeth, New Jersey
In office
1839–1841
Preceded byPhilemon Dickerson
Personal details
Born(1771-06-17)June 17, 1771
Elizabeth, Province of New Jersey, British America
DiedDecember 17, 1857(1857-12-17) (aged 86)
Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
Resting placeEvergreen Cemetery
EducationPrinceton College

Early life

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Chetwood was born on June 17, 1771, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was the son of John Chetwood, an attorney, and Mary (née Emott) Chetwood (d. 1786). His elder sister, Elizabeth Chetwood, was the wife of Aaron Ogden, a U.S. Senator who also served as the 5th Governor of New Jersey.[1]

He graduated from Princeton College in 1792, where he studied law.[2] He was admitted to the bar in 1796 and commenced practice in Elizabeth, New Jersey.[3]

Career

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He served as prosecutor of the pleas for Essex County, became a member of the State Council of New Jersey, was a major of militia and served in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 as aide-de-camp to Major General Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee.[3]

Chetwood was elected as a Whig (at the time, a coalition of National Republican Party members) to the Twenty-fourth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Philemon Dickerson. He served in Congress from December 5, 1836, to March 3, 1837, afterwards resuming the practice of law. In 1841 and 1842 he was elected to the New Jersey Legislative Council from Essex County, New Jersey.[3]

Personal life

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Chetwood was married to Mary Barber (1780–1873), a daughter of Anna (née Edwards) Barber and Col. Francis Barber, who served in the Revolutionary War.[4] Together, they were the parents of:

  • Matilda Maria Chetwood (1811–1899),[5] who married William Gedney Bull,[6][7] a wealthy merchant engaged in the "China trade".[5]

He died on December 17, 1857, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, at the age of 86. He was interred in Hillside's Evergreen Cemetery.[3]

Descendants

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Through his daughter Matilda, who lived at 3 East 9th Street in Manhattan, he was a grandfather of Hetty Bull (1946-1906),[8] who married John Cuming Beatty and had three children, including Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, the American-British mining magnate.[9]

References

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  1. ^ Virkus, Frederick Adams (1942). The Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy: First Families of America: A Genealogical Encyclopedia of the United States. F. A. Virkus & Company. p. 273. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  2. ^ General Catalogue of Princeton University 1746-1906. Princeton University. 1908. p. 107. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "CHETWOOD, William 1771 – 1857". bioguide.congress.gov. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  4. ^ The Genealogy of Martin-Price: With Barber Genealogy Establishing Data on Barber-Wansley Connection with Beck, Davis and Allied Families. Otto. 1978. p. 6. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Matilda Chetwood Bull". The New York Times. 24 August 1899. p. 7. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  6. ^ The Art Bulletin. College Art Association of America. 1956. p. 115. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  7. ^ Barbour, Lucius Barnes (1977). Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-8063-0764-0. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  8. ^ "DIED -- BEATTY". The New York Times. 11 August 1906. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Sir Chester Beatty Dead at 92; Mine Expert and Art Collector". The New York Times. 21 January 1968. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's at-large congressional district

December 5, 1836 – March 3, 1837
Succeeded by