Jacob LeRoy (1727-1793)

He was born in Rotterdam, Holland, to a Huguenot mercantile family long settled in La Rochelle, France, until the Edict of Nantes. He came to New York City with his father in 1753 and made rope for ship's rigging. By 1770 he was one of the ten wealthiest men in the city and after the Revolution lived at 52 Queen Street. In business, he was first associated with his brother-in-law, Captain Anthony Rutgers, before establishing Jacob LeRoy & Sons. He was an Alderman, Foreman of the first Grand Jury in the State of New York, and on the City Hall Building Committee. In 1753, he married Cornelia Rutgers and four of their seven children survived to adulthood: (1) Herman LeRoy, married Hannah Cornell (2) Maria, married John Livingston of Oak Hill (3) Daniel LeRoy, died unmarried (4) Jacob LeRoy, married Martha, daughter of Goldsbrow Banyer. In 1766, after Cornelia died, he married her sister, Catherine, and they had two children: (5) Elizabeth, Mrs Julian McEvers (6) Robert, married Catherine Cuyler.