BIOGRAPHY: Bernard Hart; New York co., NY surname: Hart, Hendricks, Seixas submitted by Elizabeth Burns (burns at asu.edu) ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.org/ny/nyfiles.htm Submitted Date: June 3,2005 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/nyfiles/ File size: 9.6 Kb ************************************************ Author: Walter Barrett Bernard Hart Page 119 Old Merchants, Walter Barrett, Thomas R. Knox, 1885 I have now before me the venerable form of Bernard Hart, who died about six years ago, at the advanced age of ninety one. Mr. Hart was born in England in 1764. He came to this country in 1777 during the War and was then thirteen years old. He made a visit to a relative in Canada for three years and then in 1780 settled down for a life in this city and that life was prolonged seventy five years more. The city had been incorporated just ninety years, since 1696. Its outskirts were Chambers Street, although there were some scattering farmhouses--among them was that of Mr. Lispenard, who afterwards became a partner of Mr. Hart under the firm of Lispenard and Hart. Standing where the northwest corner of where the Park now is, you could see the chimneys of the dwelling of Mr. Lispenard among the trees, over towards the North River, where Desbrosses Street now enters Hudson. Broadway ended where the Park now ends. To get off the Island north, you had to take the road outside of what is now the Park, pass up the Bowery and wind around to where Madison Square now is. There Kings Road separated; and old trees in Madison Square yet mark the Boston Road. Broadway commanded an uninterrupted view of the Hudson River and the promenaders up it could look down at the sail boats and ships. Wall Street was then quite a wide street, and filled with costly edifices. Hanover Square and Dock Street was the great place for business and had many handsome houses-the families of the great merchants living overhead and the stores beneath. William Street was a good street and it was the place for retail dry goods stores. The City Hall, an old brick building, stood in Wall overlooking Broad Street. The Battery had pleasant walks. The old city was the gayest place in America in 1786. Water was much needed in those days and there were very few wells in the city. There was a pump near the head of Queen Street which received water from a spring about a mile from the city. Carts conveyed water to the doors of people in casks filled from the pump. Towering among the magnates of the city of the last and present century is Bernard Hart. In 1795 he resided and did business at No. 100 Water Street. That year the yellow fever raged so fearfully and 732 died. Although 2,086 died in 1798, yet it was not as horribly fearful to the citizens as in 1795 for then they had got used to it. It was not a new pestilence. Mr. Hart and Mr. Pell, of the firm of Pell and Ferris, who kept store at 108 Water Street, a few doors from Mr. Hart, were unceasing in their exertion-- night and day, hardly giving themselves time to sleep and eat; they were among the sick and dying in those awful days of the first great pestilence. Two years before in 1792, Mr. Hart had become a member of the St. George's Society, re-established in 1876 and he was a constant watcher on the health of the few members of that society in the sickly season of 1795. In those days too, they were famed for their sociability. There were all sorts of societies and clubs. There was one called the "Friary" and the chancellor was Charles Buxton and Baltus P. Melick was Secretary. This B.P. Melick was founder of the great commercial house of Melick and Burger. They kept at 76 Washington Street and did a heavy St. Croix business. They owned the ship "Chase" in the trade. She was commanded by David Rogers, and I think that in after years David Rogers founded the great sugar house of David Rogers and Son. Thirty years ago I visited his sugar plantation in Santa Cruz, an island belonging to Denmark. Another member, Dr. Buxton was a physician and lived at 216 Broadway. John Marschalk was treasurer. He lived at 3 Wall Street and was an old fashioned book-keeper. Of this "Friary" Walter Bowne, Jacob Bradford and John Motley were "Priors." Walter Bowne was a merchant in Pearl Street. We knew all about him in after years. Jacob Bradford was a merchant and lived with his sister, Catherine at 38 Courtland Street. John Motley was a merchant too and lived at 30 Beekman Street and his store was 188 Front. The "Friary" men had a standing committee of such names as William Hartshorn. He was a large merchant of the firm of Hartshorn and Lindley. Andrew Smyth lived at 53 Beekman Street and was of the firm of Smyth and Moore, iron merchants. Robert Murray was of the firm of John Murray and Son in Burling Slip. He lived at 31 Warren Street. In 1798 Bernard lived at 12 Broad Street. Nicholas G. Carmer kept a hat store in Pearl Street and was of the firm of N.G. & H. Carmer. William Parker was a grocer up in Augusta Street (now City Hall Place). John Banks had been a merchant but from some cause did not succeed. He was personally acquainted with General Washington, and the latter ordered the Collector to appoint him in the Custom House. Isaac L. Kip was a notary public and a clerk in the Chancery Court. He lived at 4 Nassau Street. These gay gents, members of the "Friary" met every first and third Sunday at No. 56 Pine Street. Bernard Hart was also a great military man in his early years. In 1797 although New York was exceedingly small, she could sport a brigade of militia, of which James M. Hughes was Brigadier General. Jacob Morton was Lieutenant and Colonel Command of the Third Regiment. Isaac Heyer, Henry J. Wyckoff, John Elting, Nathaniel Bloodgood and John Graham were Captains. William Hosack, Edward W. Laight, Henry Sands, Peter A. Jay, Henry Cruger Jr. and such old names were Lieutenants. Bernard Hart was Quartermaster and John Neilson was Surgeon Mate. John Neilson was one of the most prominent physicians in this city. His house at the northwest corner of Greenwich Street and Liberty is still standing as also a magnificent palace that he built in Chambers Street near Greenwich that was afterwards purchased and is now occupied by the famous Madam Restell. I am not positive but I think Bernard Hart was a Mason and belonged to Holland Lodge No. 8 of which John Jacob Astor was Master in 1798 and they met at 66 Liberty Street. In 1802 Mr. Hart formed a partnership with Leonard Lispenard under the firm of Lispenard and Hart. At this time or from 1790 there were two prominent Lisepnards. They owned breweries on what as then called the Greenwich Road. One was named Anthony, and the other Leonard. They were the founders of the celebrated Lispernard Estates. Lispenard and Hart first started in business at 89 Water Street. At one time, they did a large auctioneer business but always did a general commission business. In 1806 they moved to 141 Pearl Street, and continued there as late as 1812. During this time in 1806 Mr. Hart married Miss Rebecca Seixas, a daughter of Benjamin Seixas, all of whose daughters were famous for their wonderful beauty and exceeding loveliness both in person and character. Rebecca was born in 1782 and is still alive at 79 years of age. In 1813 Bernard Hart left the Lispenard and went into business under his own name at No. 86 Water Street and lived at No. 24 Cedar Street. In 1818 he went into Wall Street. I think about this time the Board of Brokers must have been founded, for Mr. Hart was elected its secretary, without salary and he continued its secretary until he died in 1855. The title was "Brokers of the New York Exchange Board." In 1817 there were only twenty eight members: Leonard Bleecker, Benjamin Butler, William G. Bucknor, James W. and J. Bleecker, Samuel J. Beebe, Bleecker and Lefferts, Davenport and Tracy, A.N. Gifford and Son, Bernard Hart, Gurdon S. Mumford, R.H. Nevins, Nathan Seixas, Isaac G. Ogden and Company, Prime, Ward and Sands, Andrew Stockholm, John Roe, Fred A. Tracy, John G. Warren, W.H. Robinson, Benjamin Hungtinton, Israel Foote, Phillip Kearney, A.H. Lawrence and Company, W.I. Robinson, Smith and Lawton, H. Post Jr. and Henry Ward. Bernard Hart was much respected and was of the men that ought not to perish from the records. When he died his was the peaceful death of the just man. He was 91 years of age. He left several children and he lived long enough to see them occupy positions of usefulness and high honor. Emanuel B. Hart, one of his sons, has been a merchant and a broker, following in the footsteps of his father. This son was Alderman of the Fifth Ward in 1845 and 1846. He represented the city in Congress from December 1851 to March 1853. He was appointed Surveyor of the Port in 1859 and left it in 1861. Another son Benjamin I, Hart is also a broker and married Miss Hendricks, a daughter of old Mr. Hendricks. David Hart is another son and is a teller in the Pacific Bank. He went to war and fought gallantly at Bull Run but was badly wounded. Another son, Theodore in is business in this city. So also is Daniel Hart, another son.