BIOGRAPHY: Benjamin Seixas; New York co., NY surname: Seixas, Cardoza, Levy, Cohen, Hart, Phillips, Piexotto, Moses 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: 3.6 Kb ************************************************ Author: Walter Barrett Benjamin Seixas Page 125 Old Merchants, Walter Barrett, Thomas R. Knox, 1885 Mr. Benjamin Seixas was a merchant and did a large business in Hanover Square as early as 1780. In 1792 he moved to Broad Street, No. 76. He bought the ground and built a large double house on it in 1791. At that time he had a country seat up in Greenwich Village. It was adjoining that of Isaac Moses. The house at No. 76 Broad Street was for many years the residence of Harmon Hendricks, also Mrs. Giles. After the great fire in 1835 that swept Delmonico off, he opened 76 as Delmonico's Hotel. Benjamin Seixas was a wonderful old man. He was born in this city in 1746. In January 1779 he married Ziporah Levy, daughter of old Hayman Levy. The latter was once in the fur business and in his account books are many records of money paid John Jacob Astor for day's work in beating furs, at the rate of one dollar a day. Miss Levy was a beautiful girl and was born in 1760; she lived until 1832 when she died, leaving fifteen children and seventy grandchildren. His relative the old clergyman, the Rev. Gershon Seixas lived at 11 Mill Street. Mr. B. Seixas in 1800 moved to 321 Greenwich Street. He had several sons as well as daughters; and when he died in 1816 he left sixteen children living, eight sons and eight daughters. Men talked of the beauty of the daughters half a century afterward. Their destiny is worth noting. Rebecca married Bernard Hart. Leah is yet living, having never married. Hester married Napthali Phillips. They are both living and both blind. He is over eighty five years old. I remember him well, many years ago, when General Jackson was President. He was then in the Custom House. They have a numerous family of children and grandchildren. I have before me writing of his when he was a boy. Grace married Jacob I. Cohen of Charleston, S.C. She is, I think the mother of Gershon Cohen, a successful politician of the Eighth Ward. She is living. Rachel married Dr. D.M.L. Piexotto, once President of the Medical College of this city. He is dead, but she is still living. Sarah married Seixas Nathan. She is dead and so is Abigail, who married Benjamin Phillips of Philadelphia. Miriam married David Moses of Charleston, S.C. The sons that I remember are Daniel, who is in business in Wall Street and has been many years. The eldest son was named Moses. He married Miss Levy, a daughter of Jacob Levy of this city. He is dead but his children are doing business n this city. Isaac was a minister of the Congregation Shearith Israel, in Crosby Street. He is dead but his widow is alive and his sons are in business in this city. Hayman L. Seixas, named after his grandfather is married, has a family and is, I believe, in a department of the custom house. Aaron died in 1852. I knew him well and a better hearted man never lived than he was. Solomon is dead. He was a Colonel in the War of 1812. His widow is alive and so are two sons. Abraham died in Charleston, where he married Rachel Cardoza. Madison is in New Orleans and a partner of the large house of Gladden and Seixas.