{{Short description|American Revolution officer (1745–1791)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = William Malcolm | image = William Malcolm.png | office = Member of the New York State Assembly | term = 1774–1774 | predecessor = | successor = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1745|01|23|df=yes}} | birth_place = Glenrothes, Scotland | death_date = {{Death date and age|1791|9|01|1745|01|23|df=yes}} | death_place = New York City, New York, U.S. | party = | education = | parents = Richard Malcolm, Bt. | spouse = {{plainlist| *{{marriage|Abigail Tingley|1765|1770|reason=died}} *{{marriage|Sarah Ayscough|1772}} }} | children = Richard Montgomery Malcolm<br />Samuel Bayard Malcolm | relatives = | allegiance = {{flag|United States|1777}}<br/>{{flagicon|New York|1778}} New York | branch = Continental Army<br/>New York State Militia | rank = Brigadier General | commands = Malcolm's Additional Continental Regiment | service_years = | battles = {{tree list}} * Revolutionary War ** Battle of Long Island ** Battle of White Plains ** Battle of Trenton ** Battle of Princeton {{tree list/end}} | caption = Portrait by Edward Greene Malbone }} General '''William Malcolm''' (January 23, 1745 – September 1, 1791) was a New York City merchant and officer in the American Revolution. He commanded Malcolm's Regiment, with Aaron Burr as his second in command.<ref name="Baxter1897">{{cite book|last1=Baxter|first1=Katharine Schuyler|title=A Godchild of Washington|date=1897|publisher=F.T. Neely|url=https://archive.org/details/agodchildwashin00baxtgoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/agodchildwashin00baxtgoog/page/n449 443]|access-date=18 June 2017|language=en}}</ref>
==Early life== William Malcolm was born in Glenrothes, Scotland on January 23, 1745, and was a member of the Clan Malcolm. He was the third son of Richard Malcolm, Baronet of Balbedie and Innertiel in the county of Fife, Scotland. When he came to America in 1763, he brought a number of family portraits and other valuables.<ref name="Baxter1897"/>
==Career== In 1763, he moved to New York City as agent of a Glasgow firm of which he was a partner, and established himself as an import/export merchant. His business was in Queen Street, now known as Pearl Street. The same year he joined the Society of St. Andrew and was its secretary from 1765 to 1766, treasurer and secretary from 1772 to 1774, one of the managers in 1784, and vice president from 1785 to 1787.<ref name="Baxter1897"/>
Malcolm grew wealthy, and as his influence increased he took part in politics and government, including serving as a member of the New York Assembly in 1774.<ref>Tuttle Company, [https://books.google.com/books?id=TRRWAAAAMAAJ&q=%22william+malcolm%22 The Tingley Family], 1910, page 31</ref>
===Revolutionary War service=== Malcolm was also active in the militia, and volunteered for military service during the American Revolution. He served in New York's military and the Continental Army throughout the Revolution, including assignments as Deputy Adjutant General of the Northern Department under Horatio Gates.<ref>Henry Whittemore, [https://archive.org/details/heroesofamerican00whit/page/15 The Heroes of the American Revolution and Their Descendants], 1897, page 15</ref>
In 1777, Malcolm was appointed to command a regiment. Called Malcolm's Additional Continental Regiment, he raised the organization and used his own funds to pay and equip it.<ref>Nancy Isenberg, [https://books.google.com/books?id=PGeEPtjzzZkC&pg=PA37 Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr], 2007, page 37</ref><ref name="Proper2017">{{cite book|last1=Proper|first1=Rev. Gordon R.|title=Once Upon a Time in the American Revolution|date=2017|publisher=Xlibris Corporation|isbn=9781524531164|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A4zcDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT123|access-date=18 June 2017|language=en}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|certain=yes|date=January 2018}} He commanded as Colonel, with Aaron Burr as second in command and Lieutenant Colonel, though Burr was often the de facto commander as the result of Malcolm's detached assignments as Deputy Adjutant General or for other duties.<ref>Buckner F. Melton, [https://books.google.com/books?id=PwTAsTfuMHkC&pg=PA1910 Aaron Burr: The Rise and Fall of an American Politician], 2004, page 1910</ref><ref>Nathan Schachner, [https://books.google.com/books?id=VSF3AAAAMAAJ&q=%22william+malcolm%22+%22aaron+burr%22 Aaron Burr: A Biography], 1937, page 53</ref> Malcolm took part in the battles of Long Island, White Plains, Trenton and Princeton. He was with the Army during the 1777-1778 winter at Valley Forge, and he later commanded Continental forces in upstate New York.<ref>Katharine Schuyler Baxter, [https://archive.org/details/agodchildwashin00baxtgoog/page/n446 <!-- pg=440 quote="william malcolm" schuyler. --> A Godchild of Washington], 1897, pages 440 to 443</ref>
Near the end of the Revolution he was appointed commander of the militia in New York, Kings and Richmond Counties with the rank of brigadier general.<ref>Thomas Edward Vermilye Smith, [https://archive.org/details/cityofnewyorkiny00smit_2/page/66 The City of New York in the Year of Washington's Inauguration, 1789], 1889, page 66</ref><ref name="Heath2014">{{cite book|last1=Heath|first1=William|last2=Heuvel|first2=Sean M.|title=The Revolutionary War Memoirs of Major General William Heath|date=2014|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476617374|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4nWuBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT224|access-date=18 June 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=General Orders, 14 July 1776|url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-05-02-0216|website=founders.archives.gov|publisher=Founders Online|access-date=18 June 2017|language=en}}</ref>
===Post-war=== In 1784, and again in 1787, he was elected to the New York Provincial Congress where he supported Alexander Hamilton in his motion to restore the elective franchise to the Tories and he favored the United States Constitution.<ref name="Baxter1897"/> In 1785, he served on New York City's Board of Aldermen.<ref>New York Assembly, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ujMbAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA697 Documents of the Assembly of the State of New York], Volume 33, 1913, page 697</ref><ref>Oregon Society, Sons of the American Revolution [https://books.google.com/books?id=FWNBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA88 Year Book], 1903, page 51</ref>
As head of the militia in and around New York City, Malcolm commanded George Washington's escort when Washington took the oath of office as the first president.<ref>Michael Brander, [https://books.google.com/books?id=cSeOAAAAMAAJ&q=%22william+malcolm%22+washington+inauguration+escort The Emigrant Scots], 1982, page 90</ref>
Malcolm was a Freemason as a member of St. John's Lodge No. 1 in New York City,<ref>William R. Denslow, Harry S. Truman, [https://books.google.com/books?id=D-cCeOEXGyoC&pg=PA126 10,000 Famous Freemasons], Volume 3, 2004, page 126</ref> a member of the Saint Andrew's Society<ref>George Austin Morrison, [https://archive.org/details/historysaintand00morrgoog/page/n277 <!-- pg=185 --> History of Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York, 1756-1906], 1906, page 185</ref> and the Saint Nicholas Society,<ref>Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York, [https://archive.org/details/saintnicholassoc01sain/page/n249 <!-- pg=244 --> The History of the Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York], Volume 1, 1905, page 235</ref> and a founder of New York City's Chamber of Commerce.<ref>Gordon DenBoer, [https://books.google.com/books?id=rklx9c7MJFoC&pg=PA457 The Documentary History of the First Federal Elections: 1788-1790], 1987, page 457</ref>
==Personal life== Malcolm was married twice. His first wife was Abigail Tingley, whom he married in 1765, and who died in 1770.<ref name="NYS1968">{{cite book|last1=Committee|first1=New York Colony|last2=(State)|first2=New York|title=New York Marriages Previous to 1784|date=1968|publisher=Genealogical Publishing Com|isbn=9780806302591|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bxaFZzGqEmAC&pg=PA253|access-date=18 June 2017|language=en}}</ref> His second wife was Sarah Ayscough, the daughter of Richard Ayscough and Catharine Bayard,<ref name="Baxter1897"/> whom he married on February 5, 1772.<ref>[http://longislandgenealogy.com/NYSMarrLic/NYmarlicense.htm Province of New York - Marriage Licenses prior to 1784], accessed December 4, 2012</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=FJYyAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA96 New York Genealogical and Biographical Record], Volumes 9-10, 1878, page 96</ref> Together, they were the parents of:
* Richard Montgomery Malcolm (1776–1823), who married Ann Henry. * Samuel Bayard Malcolm (1777–1817), who married Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler (1780–1875), the youngest daughter of Philip Schuyler.<ref name="nysmCaty">{{cite web|last1=Bielinski|first1=Stefan|title=Catherine Schuyler Malcolm Cochran|url=https://exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/bios/s/caschuyler1251.html|website=exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov|publisher=New York State Museum|access-date=18 June 2017}}</ref> After his death, his widow married James Cochran (1769–1848).<ref name="Lange2017">{{cite web|last1=Lange|first1=Allynne|title=The Women of Schuyler Mansion|url=http://www.hrmm.org/history-blog/category/revolutionary-war|website=Hudson River Maritime Museum|access-date=18 June 2017|date=April 14, 2017}}</ref>
William Malcolm died in New York City on September 1, 1791. He was buried in Manhattan's Brick Presbyterian Church Cemetery.<ref>Henry Collins Brown, [https://books.google.com/books?id=CcdHVjGJrNwC&pg=PA225 Valentine's Manual of Old New York], 1916, page 225</ref>
===Descendants=== Malcolm's descendants included members of the prominent Bayard, Schuyler and Montgomery families.<ref>Sons of the Revolution. New York Society, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Tq5YAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA365 Year Book], 1893, page 365</ref><ref>New England Historic Genealogical Register, [https://books.google.com/books?id=E7LMFLDeNU0C&pg=PA53 The Weaver Family of New York City], Volume 47, 1893, page 53</ref><ref name="Minute1921">{{cite book|title=The Minute Man|date=1921|publisher=The Sons of the Revolution in the State of Illinois|location=Chicago|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=duwQAQAAMAAJ&pg=PR239|access-date=18 June 2017|language=en}}</ref> His grandchildren, through his son, Samuel, included Philip Schuyler Malcolm (b. 1804),<ref name="1910YearBook">{{cite book|last1=Chapter|first1=Sons of the Revolution New York Society Philip Livingston|title=Year Book|date=1910|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ka8pAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA537|access-date=18 June 2017|language=en}}</ref> Catharine Elizabeth Malcolm (b. 1809), William Schuyler Malcolm (1810–1890), and Alexander Hamilton Malcolm (1815–1888).<ref>{{Cite book|title=Colonial New York: Philip Schuyler and His Family, Volume 2|last=Schuyler|first=George W.|publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons|year=1885|location=New York|pages=283}}</ref>
Through his son, Richard, he was the grandfather of Sarah Ayscough Malcolm (1802–1888), who married Thomas P. Ball (1792–1744).<ref name="SNS1902">{{cite book|last1=York|first1=Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New|title=Genealogical Record of the Saint Nicholas Society: Advanced Sheets, First Series|date=1902|publisher=Society|url=https://archive.org/details/genealogicalreco00sain|page=[https://archive.org/details/genealogicalreco00sain/page/42 42]|access-date=18 June 2017|language=en}}</ref> His great-grandson was James Mortimer Montgomery (1855–1926).<ref name="Minute1921"/>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{commons category-inline}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malcolm, William}} Category:1745 births Category:1791 deaths Category:People from Glenrothes Category:Continental Army officers from New York (state) Category:New York (state) militiamen in the American Revolution Category:British emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies Category:Members of the New York State Assembly Category:Members of the New York Provincial Congress Category:New York City Council members Category:18th-century American merchants Category:18th-century members of the New York State Legislature