{{about||his son, the American merchant and real estate investor|Peter P. Goelet}} {{Infobox person | name = Peter Goelet | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date|1727|01|05}} | birth_place = New York City, Province of New York, British America | death_date = {{dda|1811|10|11|1727|01|05}} | death_place = New York, United States | known_for = | occupation = Merchant, real estate developer | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Elizabeth Ratsey|April 27, 1755|1769|reason=died}} * {{marriage|Mary Ludlow|December 4, 1770|1773|reason=died}} * {{marriage|Elizabeth Farmer|October 26, 1775||reason=died}} * {{marriage|Rachel Farmer|February 1, 1792}} }} | children = 12 | relatives = ''See'' Goelet family }} '''Peter Goelet''' (January 5, 1727 – October 11, 1811) was a merchant and real estate entrepreneur of New York City.
==Early life== Peter Goelet was born on January 5, 1727, in New York City. He was the fifth of thirteen children born to Jan "John" Goelet (1694–1753) and Jannetje (née Cannon) Goelet (1698–1778), who married in 1718. Among his siblings was Raphael, Jacobus, Frans, Maria, John, and Catharine Goelet (wife of Peter Theobaldus Curtenius).<ref name="Whittelsey1902">{{cite book |last1=Whittelsey |first1=Charles Barney |title=The Roosevelt Genealogy 1649-1902 |date=1902 |publisher=J. B. Burr & Co. |location=Hartford, Connecticut |url=http://www.oudvossemeer.com/roosevelt.pdf |accessdate=20 August 2019}}</ref>
He was descended from a family of Huguenots of La Rochelle in France who, due to the Edict of Nantes, escaped in 1621 to Amsterdam.<ref name="Weeks1898">{{cite book |last1=Weeks |first1=Lyman Horace |title=Prominent Families of New York: Being an Account in Biographical Form of Individuals and Families Distinguished as Representatives of the Social, Professional and Civic Life of New York City |date=1898 |publisher=The Historical Company |location=New York |url=https://archive.org/details/prominentfamilie00week_0 |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref> His paternal grandfather, Jacobus Goelet, was ten years old when he arrived in New York in 1676 with his widowed father, François "Francis" Goelet. Francis returned to Amsterdam on business, and left Jacobus in the care of Frederick Philipse (who became 1st Lord of Philipsburg Manor in 1693), but was lost at sea before his return.<ref name="Bergen1915">{{cite book |last1=Bergen |first1=Tunis Garret |title=Genealogies of the State of New York: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation |date=1915 |publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company |page=509 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wekpAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA509 |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Peter's father was one of six children born to Jacobus Goelet and Jannetje (née Cossart) Goelet (daughter of Dutch-born Jacques Jacob Cossart).<ref name="Wheatley2011">{{cite book |last1=Wheatley |first1=Robert Evan |title=The Cossart Chronicles: A Family History Narrative |date=2011 |publisher=Robert Evan Wheatley |isbn=9781463768355 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_D3QygAACAAJ |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref> His maternal grandparents were merchant Jan Cannon and Mary (née Le Grand) Cannon.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Barrett |first1=Walter |title=The Old Merchants of New York City: Vol. II--Part 1 |date=1870 |publisher=M. Doolady |location=New York |pages=34–36 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9lI2AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA34 |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
==Career== Goelet was at first in partnership as a hardware merchant with his brother-in-law, Peter Theobaldus Curtenius, but from 1763 his place of business was Hanover Square, at the sign of the Golden Key. After their partnership dissolved, he moved his business to his residence at 113-115 Pearl Street, where he sold musical instruments, brushes, hardware, and cutlery.<ref name="Weeks1898"/>
In May 1775, he was elected a member of the Committee of One Hundred and the Committee of Correspondence in support of the American patriots.<ref name="ChemBank1913">{{cite book |last1=N.Y.) |first1=Chemical Bank and Trust Company (New York |title=History of the Chemical Bank, 1823-1913 |date=1913 |publisher=Country Life Press |pages=101–104 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b7IpAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA104 |accessdate=19 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref> He used his profits from his merchant business, and the Revolutionary War, to buy real estate in Manhattan, later acquiring a wharf and yard on Exchange Slip, and establishing the Goelet family fortune.<ref name="Myers2002">{{cite book |last1=Myers |first1=Gustavus |title=History of the Great American Fortunes (Volume One) |date=2002 |publisher=The Minerva Group, Inc. |isbn=9781410203403 |pages=242–249 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iKLXsymAXRAC&pg=PA242 |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Tully1947">{{cite book |last1=Tully |first1=Andrew |title=Era of Elegance |date=1947 |publisher=eNet Press |isbn=9781618867056 |pages=56–57 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ykB0AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA56 |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
In 1799, Goelet wrote to Alexander Hamilton regarding Gen. Philip Schuyler's purchase of lands from Robert Morris as a trustee of the American Iron Company.<ref name="Hamilton1976">{{cite book |last1=Hamilton |first1=Alexander |title=The Papers of Alexander Hamilton |date=1976 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=9780231089227 |page=455 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5Ax8fsPNL8sC&pg=PA455 |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
==Personal life== 150px|thumb|Coat of Arms of Peter Goelet In 1755, he married Elizabeth Ratsey (1734–1769) at Trinity Church in New York. Elizabeth was the daughter of another prominent New York merchant.<ref name="Weeks1898"/> Elizabeth inherited extensive lands around 14th Street. They were the parents of six children (two sons married daughters of wealthy Scottish merchant Thomas Buchanan, at one time a director of the United States Bank):<ref name="Almanac1916">{{cite book |title=The World Almanac and Encyclopedia |date=1916 |publisher=Press Publishing Company (The New York World) |page=[https://archive.org/details/worldalmanacency1916newy/page/626 626] |url=https://archive.org/details/worldalmanacency1916newy |accessdate=19 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
* Alice Goelet (1756–1793)<ref name="Phillips1942">{{cite book |last1=Phillips |first1=Alexander Van Cleve |title=The Lott family in America, including the allied families: Cassell, Davis, Graybeal, Haring, Hegeman, Hogg, Kerley, Phillips, Thompson, Walter and others |date=1942 |publisher=Edwards Brothers sold by Traver's Book Store, Trenton, N. J. |page=30 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JBU3AAAAMAAJ |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref> * Jannetje Goelet (1758–1840), who married Lt. Colonel Robert Troup of the Continental Army.<ref name="nysm">{{cite web |last1=Bielinski |first1=Stefan |title=Robert Troup |url=http://exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/bios/t/rotroup.html |website=exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov |publisher=New York State Museum |accessdate=20 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="nypl">{{cite web |title=Robert Troup Papers |url=http://archives.nypl.org/uploads/collection/pdf_finding_aid/troup.pdf |website=archives.nypl.org |publisher=New York Public Library |accessdate=20 August 2019}}</ref> * John Goelet (1759–1853), who married Eliza Taylor Buncombe (1766–1840), daughter of Edward Buncombe.<ref name="Wheeler1884">{{cite book |last1=Wheeler |first1=John Hill |title=Reminiscences and Memoirs of North Carolina and Eminent North Carolinians |date=1884 |publisher=Columbus Print. Works |page=[https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesmemwhee/page/422 422] |url=https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesmemwhee |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref> * Peter P. Goelet (1764–1828), who married Almy Buchanan (1768–1848) in 1799.<ref name="StNick1902">{{cite book |title=Genealogical Record of the Saint Nicholas Society: Advanced Sheets, First Series |date=1902 |publisher=Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York |page=27 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_6Q-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA27 |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref> * Elizabeth Goelet (1766–1856), who married William Cornelius Bucknor.<ref name="Bayne1907">{{cite book |last1=Bayne |first1=Howard Randolph |title=The Buckners of Virginia and the Allied Families of Strother and Ashby |date=1907 |publisher=Genealogical Association |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_h0obAAAAYAAJ/page/n387 299] |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_h0obAAAAYAAJ |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref> * Robert Ratsey Goelet (1769–1824), who married Margaret Buchanan.<ref name="Scoville1968">{{cite book |last1=Scoville |first1=Joseph Alfred |title=The Old Merchants of New York City |date=1968 |publisher=Greenwood Press |page=46 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gTCLSC5WMTkC |accessdate=19 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
After his first wife's death in 1769, Goelet remarried to Mary Ludlow (1734–1773), daughter of Henry Ludlow, Esq. of New York, on December 4, 1770.<ref name="Marriages1968">{{cite book |last1=York (State) |first1=New |title=New York Marriages Previous to 1784 |date=1968 |publisher=Genealogical Publishing Com |isbn=9780806302591 |page=240 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bxaFZzGqEmAC&pg=PA240 |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Before Mary's death in 1773, they were the parents of Mary Goelet (1773–1774), who died in infancy.<ref name="Bergen1915"/>
After the death of his second wife, Goelet remarried for a third time to Elizabeth Farmer, the daughter of Thomas Farmer and Sarah (née Billop) Farmer, who inherited the Bentley estate in Staten Island. Peter and Elizabeth, who married on October 26, 1775,<ref>{{cite book |title=Documents Relating to the Colonial, Revolutionary and Post-Revolutionary History of the State of New Jersey |date=1900 |publisher=Press printing and publishing Company |page=621 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y7JIAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA621 |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref> had five children, Sarah, Thomas Billop, Mary, Catherine, and Christopher Billop Goelet. Elizabeth also died and Peter married her sister, Rachel Farmer, on February 1, 1792.<ref name="Schneider2013">{{cite book |last1=Schneider |first1=Jim |title=Burnet - Ferguson - Schneider: A Family History |date=2013 |location=Boise, Idaho |isbn=9781300853060 |pages=144–145 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pf_GBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA144 |accessdate=20 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
Goelet died in New York on October 11, 1811.<ref name="Bergen1915"/>
===Descendants=== {{main|Goelet family}} His son, Peter P. Goelet, added to his real estate holdings and had four children, Peter (1800–1879), Jean Buchanan (1802–1882), Hannah Green (1806–1895), who married Capt. Thomas Russell Gerry, USN (a son of U.S. Vice President Elbridge Gerry), and Robert Goelet (1809–1879).<ref name="Weeks1898"/> Peter and for a time, his sister Hannah lived in a mansion on the northeast corner of Broadway and 19th Street, which grounds were known for peacocks, storks, and other exotic birds.<ref name="PGObit1879">{{cite news |title=An Eccentric Man Gone; Death of Peter Goelet, in His Eightieth Year. Yielding to the Advance of Old Age-- Peculiarities of Mr. Goelet's Career --Economy Without Meanness--Tenacious Hold of Real Estate. |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1879/11/22/102808245.pdf |accessdate=19 August 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=22 November 1879}}</ref><ref name="PGFuneral1879">{{cite news |title=Miscellaneous City News; Peter Goelet's Funeral. the Interment in a Vault in St. Mark's Church-Yard. |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1879/11/25/94115777.pdf |accessdate=19 August 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=25 November 1879}}</ref> Robert was the father of Robert Goelet and Ogden Goelet, who were both prominent in New York and grew the Goelet wealth further.<ref name="Bergen1915"/> Peter Goelet's great-grandson George Goelet Kip was also a prominent landowner in Manhattan and a business associate of his cousins Robert and Ogden.<ref>{{cite news|title=Society At Home and Abroad|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1906/04/08/101773393.html?pageNumber=45|accessdate=26 February 2018|work=The New York Times|date=April 8, 1906}}</ref><ref name="Bar Association">{{cite book|title= Yearbook |date=1900|publisher=Association of the Bar of the City of New York|location=New York City|page=112|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IfdCAQAAMAAJ&q=george+g.+dewitt+goelet&pg=RA3-PA112|accessdate=20 May 2019|language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * [http://scdb.swem.wm.edu/?p=collections/controlcard&id=7467 Peter Goelet Papers], Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Goelet, Peter}} Category:1727 births Category:1811 deaths Peter Category:Huguenot participants in the American Revolution Category:Businesspeople from New York City Category:Merchants from the Province of New York Category:18th-century American merchants