Peter Augustus Jay (1776 - 1843)
Peter
Augustus
Jay
Born in Elizabethtown, New Jersey
Ancestors 
Son of John Jay
and Sarah Van Brugh (Livingston) Jay
Husband of
Mary Rutherford (Clarkson) Jay
— married
[location unknown]
Descendants 
Father of
John Clarkson Jay, Mary Rutherford (Jay) Prime, Sarah (Jay) Dawson, Catherine Helena (Jay) DuBois, Anna Maria (Jay) Pierrepont, Peter Augustus Jay, Elizabeth Clarkson Jay and Susan Matilda (Jay) Clarkson
Died in Rye or NYC
Jay-5 created 18 Nov 2008 | Last modified
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Biography
Peter Augustus Jay was the eldest son of Federalist, politician and American Founding Father, John Jay. As a child he spent most of his time with his grandparents - who carefully educated him. Like his father, he would graduate from King's College with a degree in law being admitted to the bar in 1797 and later establishing a practice with his cousin, Peter Jay Munro, in New York City. His public service record was extensive. According to the Jay Heritage Center, Peter served as "President, Society for Manumission of Slaves; President, Board of Kings College, New York Hospital; New York State Assemblyman (active in arranging the financing for Erie Canal); he is a Westchester County Judge; a founder of the Bank for Savings (thereby establishing New York State savings bank system); private secretary to his father in London for Jay Treaty. President of the New York Historical Society."
Peter Jay married Mary Rutherford Clarkson in 1808. They had eight children, all of which reached adulthood. In 1816, he declined to run for governor of New York, but was elected, as a Federal Republican, to the New York State Assembly, where he supported legislation for the creation of the Erie Canal and for the abolition of slavery. In 1822, he inherited the Jay Property from his father - later demolishing the farmhouse to build the Greek Revival that stands today.
In 1832, Peter was honored with a Doctor of Laws from Harvard University for his "talents and virtues." His wife died in 1838 and he passed away five years later in 1843.
Burial:
John Jay Cemetery
Rye
Westchester County
New York, USA
Find A Grave Memorial# 91562473
Sources
- Jay Family Bible transcription. Robison, Jeannie Floyd Jones and Henrietta C. Bartlett. (editors) The Colonial Dames of New York: Genealogical records; manuscript entries of births, deaths and marriages taken from family Bibles, 1581-1917. New York, 1917. p. 110 At Hathi Trust.
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Memories: 2
On 18 Nov 2008 Crystal McCann wrote:
From Paris in May 1803, Peter wrote to his father: "Our Affairs respecting
Louisiana are settled. We have purchased it of the French for a Sum of money & for certain commercial privileges . . . which are yet secret."
On 18 Nov 2008 Crystal McCann wrote:
In December of 1800, Peter's father wrote to him: "Your Time for offices is not yet come. The wisdom of accepting them at any Time is frequently dubious. Stand
independently on your own legs, and next to Providence, Trust to your Talents, your Industry and Prudence." He was encouraging Peter to engage in politics.
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DNA
No known carriers of Peter's Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA have taken yDNA or mtDNA tests and no close relatives have taken a 23andMe, AncestryDNA, or Family Tree DNA "Family Finder" test.
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No known carriers of Peter's Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA have taken yDNA or mtDNA tests and no close relatives have taken a 23andMe, AncestryDNA, or Family Tree DNA "Family Finder" test.
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