William Bingham (March 8, 1752 – February 7, 1804) was an American statesman from Philadelphia. He was a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress from 1786 to 1788 and served in the United States Senate from 1795 to 1801.[1] Bingham was one of the wealthiest men in the United States during his lifetime, and was considered to be the richest person in the U.S. in 1780.[2]
Bingham first travelled to Europe in 1773 and, upon, returning to America joined the Philadelphia Society. Sent by the Committee of Secret Correspondence to Martinico (today's Martinique), to reside ostensibly as a merchant and to establish communications through that colony with Silas Deane,[4] the committee's agent in France. He departed America aboard the frigate Reprisal on July 3, 1776. During his voyages, he established links with French merchants at Martinique, captured several British ships, and returned in 1777 to America with several full loads of munitions, guns, and other vital goods necessary for the fighting of a war.[5]
Business interestsEdit
Share of the "Company of the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike Road", issued March 16, 1795, signed by William Bingham
Bingham was director of several other enterprises. He maintained shipping ventures after the Revolutionary war, through his mercantile house Bingham, Inglis, and Gilmore. He was a leading member of the Pennsylvania Society for the Encouragement of Manufactures and Useful Arts and donated a Philadelphia property to be converted into a textile factory.[8]
Mounted generalEdit
During the 1780s, Bingham marshaled the Second Troop of Philadelphia Light Horse, an outfit of 50 dragoons. They were glamorously clad and saw little action. William Jackson was first major and later became Bingham's land agent. Bingham escorted President-elect George Washington through Pennsylvania with his troop on his April 1789 journey from Valley Forge to New York City to assume the presidency.[9]
During the provisional government of the United States at Philadelphia, he wrote the by-laws for the national Bank of North America. He saw the national debt as beneficial in that it attracted interest into the affairs of the government. During the first presidency, Treasurer Alexander Hamilton sought Bingham as his mentor in managing taxes, tariffs, and in constructing a national bank.[11]
Speaker of Pennsylvania HouseEdit
In America, he represented Pennsylvania as a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1786 to 1788. In 1790 and 1791 he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving as its first speaker in 1791. He oversaw development of the land during a fledgling period of America as a member of the Society of Roads and Inland Navigation, where he worked closely with Albert Gallatin of western Pennsylvania.[12] He later served in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1793 through 1794.[13] He built roads and a bridge from Philadelphia to Lancaster, Pennsylvania called the Lancaster Pike.
U.S. SenatorEdit
By 1795, he was elected to the United States Senate where he served as a Federalist and Nationalist while it was originally at Philadelphia, but he left for England in 1801 when his wife had taken ill. In the midst of public debate and dissent focused on the Jay Treaty he was subjected to political violence in Philadelphia in the summer of 1795.[14] He was an active supporter of John Adams and when Adams was elected president, Bingham served as the Senate's President pro tempore in the Fourth Congress. On March 4, 1797, with the start of the Fifth Congress he administered the oath of office to Vice PresidentThomas Jefferson.[15] He was criticized by Jeffersonian politicians for "extravagance, ostentation and dissipation".[1] In 1813, nearly ten years after his death, John Quincy Adams said that the Presidency, the Capital and the Country had been governed by Bingham and his family connections.[1]
The several Bingham estates were renowned for hosting many prominent aristocrats from Europe as well as Federalist meetings. At the Bingham estate, Federalists agreed to hold preliminary votings before propositions were brought before Congress publicly, thus creating unanimity among party lines.[16]
BinghamtonEdit
He was also a land surveyor, and looked to develop areas currently a part of Southern New York, and Northern Pennsylvania. One of his prime prospects was at the confluence of the Chenango River and Susquehanna River. Judge Joshua Whitney Jr., settler and Bingham's agent, called this town Binghamton to honor him. Furthermore, Binghamton's resident university Binghamton University recognizes Bingham through the naming of Bingham Hall.
Maria Matilda Bingham (1783–1849), who, at the age of 15, was briefly married to a French aristocrat, Jacques Alexandre, Comte de Tilly. Afterwards she married her sister's brother-in-law, Henry Baring. They were the parents of five children. Maria and Henry were divorced in 1824; she married the Marquis de Blaisel in 1826.[citation needed]
William Bingham (1800–1852), who married Marie-Charlotte Chartier de Lotbinière (1805-1866), Seigneuresse de Rigaud, in 1822. She was the second of the three daughters and heiresses of Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière, by his second wife Mary, daughter of Captain John Munro. They lived in Montreal, Paris and London; and were the parents of six children. William Bingham settled in England and died in Kent in 1852.
Although his wife and two daughters factored prominently in the social affairs of American politics, Bingham's wife Anne died while his only son William was one year old. William Sr. left William Jr. to grow up in America with his grandfather Thomas Willing.
Bingham died on February 7, 1804, in Bath,[18]England and is interred in Bath Abbey. His estate remained in the family until the death of William Alexander Baring Bingham (1858-1915) but it was not settled until 1964.[19]
^ abcdMaine League of Historical Societies and Museums (1970). Isaacson, Doris A. (ed.). Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc. pp. 381–382.
^ abSpingola, Deanna (2011). The Ruling Elite: a Study in Imperialism, Genocide and Emancipation. Bloomington, IN: Trafford Publishing. p. 48. ISBN978-1-4269-5462-7. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^G. E. Cokayne, with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors. The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume I, page 277.
^The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane, July 8, 1776, franklinpapers.org
^Green, Nathaniel C. “‘The Focus of the Wills of Converging Millions’: Public Opposition to the Jay Treaty and the Origins of the People’s Presidency.” Journal of the Early Republic, vol. 37, no. 3, 2017, p. 459. JSTOR website Retrieved 21 Dec. 2022.
^The proceedings of the Senate at a session specially called on March 4, 1797, Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 1789-1873
^Associated Press. "Heirs of 1804 Trust to Divide $840,000." New York Times. November 15, 1964. Page One.
Further readingEdit
Robert C. Alberts, The Golden Voyage: The Life and Times of William Bingham, 1969, Houghton Mifflin.
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Bingham.
Archival CollectionsEdit
Guide to the Land Grant to William Bingham, Esq., for Property in Lycoming County from Thomas Mifflin, Governor of Pennsylvania. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
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For other people named William Bingham see William Bingham disambiguation William Bingham March 8 1752 February 7 1804 was an American statesman from Philadelphia He was a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress from 1786 to 1788 and served in the United States Senate from 1795 to 1801 1 Bingham was one of the wealthiest men in the United States during his lifetime and was considered to be the richest person in the U S in 1780 2 William BinghamPresident pro tempore of the United States SenateIn office February 16 1797 July 6 1797Preceded bySamuel LivermoreSucceeded byWilliam BradfordUnited States Senator from PennsylvaniaIn office March 4 1795 March 3 1801Preceded byRobert MorrisSucceeded byPeter Muhlenberg37th and 38th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of RepresentativesIn office December 4 1801 April 10 1802Preceded byHimself as Speaker of the Assembly Succeeded byGerardus Wynkoop IIMember of the Pennsylvania House of RepresentativesIn office 1793 1794Personal detailsBorn 1752 03 08 March 8 1752Philadelphia Province of Pennsylvania British AmericaDiedFebruary 7 1804 1804 02 07 aged 51 Bath EnglandResting placeNew York CityNationalityAmericanPolitical partyFederalistSpouseAnn WillingChildrenMaria MatildaAnne LouisaWilliamAlma materUniversity of PennsylvaniaProfessionBanker Contents 1 Early life 2 Philadelphia Society 3 Business interests 3 1 Mounted general 4 Politics 4 1 Speaker of Pennsylvania House 4 2 U S Senator 5 Binghamton 6 Family 6 1 Portraits 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links 10 1 Archival Collections 10 2 OtherEarly life EditWilliam Bingham was born on March 8 1752 in Philadelphia 3 He graduated from the College of Philadelphia now the University of Pennsylvania in 1768 Philadelphia Society EditBingham first travelled to Europe in 1773 and upon returning to America joined the Philadelphia Society Sent by the Committee of Secret Correspondence to Martinico today s Martinique to reside ostensibly as a merchant and to establish communications through that colony with Silas Deane 4 the committee s agent in France He departed America aboard the frigate Reprisal on July 3 1776 During his voyages he established links with French merchants at Martinique captured several British ships and returned in 1777 to America with several full loads of munitions guns and other vital goods necessary for the fighting of a war 5 Business interests Edit nbsp Share of the Company of the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike Road issued March 16 1795 signed by William BinghamToward the end of the American Revolution Bingham was regarded as the richest man in the United States 2 He had made his fortune through joint ownership of privateers and trading 1 He became a major land developer purchasing lands in upstate New York present day Binghamton and 2 million acres 8 000 km2 in Maine later known as the Bingham Purchase 6 He helped broker the Louisiana Purchase with Francis Baring and Henry Hope 7 Their agent Alexander Baring married his daughter Anne He was the founder and the first president of the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike Bingham was director of several other enterprises He maintained shipping ventures after the Revolutionary war through his mercantile house Bingham Inglis and Gilmore He was a leading member of the Pennsylvania Society for the Encouragement of Manufactures and Useful Arts and donated a Philadelphia property to be converted into a textile factory 8 Mounted general Edit During the 1780s Bingham marshaled the Second Troop of Philadelphia Light Horse an outfit of 50 dragoons They were glamorously clad and saw little action William Jackson was first major and later became Bingham s land agent Bingham escorted President elect George Washington through Pennsylvania with his troop on his April 1789 journey from Valley Forge to New York City to assume the presidency 9 Bingham was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1787 10 Politics Edit nbsp Memorial to Bingham in Bath Abbey Bath EnglandDuring the provisional government of the United States at Philadelphia he wrote the by laws for the national Bank of North America He saw the national debt as beneficial in that it attracted interest into the affairs of the government During the first presidency Treasurer Alexander Hamilton sought Bingham as his mentor in managing taxes tariffs and in constructing a national bank 11 Speaker of Pennsylvania House Edit In America he represented Pennsylvania as a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1786 to 1788 In 1790 and 1791 he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives serving as its first speaker in 1791 He oversaw development of the land during a fledgling period of America as a member of the Society of Roads and Inland Navigation where he worked closely with Albert Gallatin of western Pennsylvania 12 He later served in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1793 through 1794 13 He built roads and a bridge from Philadelphia to Lancaster Pennsylvania called the Lancaster Pike U S Senator Edit By 1795 he was elected to the United States Senate where he served as a Federalist and Nationalist while it was originally at Philadelphia but he left for England in 1801 when his wife had taken ill In the midst of public debate and dissent focused on the Jay Treaty he was subjected to political violence in Philadelphia in the summer of 1795 14 He was an active supporter of John Adams and when Adams was elected president Bingham served as the Senate s President pro tempore in the Fourth Congress On March 4 1797 with the start of the Fifth Congress he administered the oath of office to Vice President Thomas Jefferson 15 He was criticized by Jeffersonian politicians for extravagance ostentation and dissipation 1 In 1813 nearly ten years after his death John Quincy Adams said that the Presidency the Capital and the Country had been governed by Bingham and his family connections 1 The several Bingham estates were renowned for hosting many prominent aristocrats from Europe as well as Federalist meetings At the Bingham estate Federalists agreed to hold preliminary votings before propositions were brought before Congress publicly thus creating unanimity among party lines 16 Binghamton EditHe was also a land surveyor and looked to develop areas currently a part of Southern New York and Northern Pennsylvania One of his prime prospects was at the confluence of the Chenango River and Susquehanna River Judge Joshua Whitney Jr settler and Bingham s agent called this town Binghamton to honor him Furthermore Binghamton s resident university Binghamton University recognizes Bingham through the naming of Bingham Hall Family EditHe married Anne Willing daughter of Thomas Willing President of the First Bank of the United States and they had two daughters and a son Ann Louisa Bingham 1782 1848 17 In 1798 she married Alexander Baring 1st Baron Ashburton They were the parents of nine children Maria Matilda Bingham 1783 1849 who at the age of 15 was briefly married to a French aristocrat Jacques Alexandre Comte de Tilly Afterwards she married her sister s brother in law Henry Baring They were the parents of five children Maria and Henry were divorced in 1824 she married the Marquis de Blaisel in 1826 citation needed William Bingham 1800 1852 who married Marie Charlotte Chartier de Lotbiniere 1805 1866 Seigneuresse de Rigaud in 1822 She was the second of the three daughters and heiresses of Michel Eustache Gaspard Alain Chartier de Lotbiniere by his second wife Mary daughter of Captain John Munro They lived in Montreal Paris and London and were the parents of six children William Bingham settled in England and died in Kent in 1852 Although his wife and two daughters factored prominently in the social affairs of American politics Bingham s wife Anne died while his only son William was one year old William Sr left William Jr to grow up in America with his grandfather Thomas Willing Bingham died on February 7 1804 in Bath 18 England and is interred in Bath Abbey His estate remained in the family until the death of William Alexander Baring Bingham 1858 1915 but it was not settled until 1964 19 Portraits Edit Bingham commissioned artist Gilbert Stuart to paint the Lansdowne portrait a 1796 full length portrait of President George Washington that became a gift to Lord Lansdowne As British Prime Minister Lansdowne had secured a peaceful end to the American Revolutionary War and the portrait was commissioned soon after the American approval of the Jay Treaty Stuart also painted portraits of Bingham his wife and children nbsp George Washington Lansdowne Portrait 1796 by Gilbert Stuart National Portrait Gallery United States nbsp William Bingham 1797 by Gilbert Stuart Baring archive ING Bank NV London nbsp Anne Willing Bingham 1797 by Gilbert Stuart Philadelphia Museum of Art See also EditSpeaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives List of richest Americans in historyReferences Edit a b c d Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums 1970 Isaacson Doris A ed Maine A Guide Down East Rockland Me Courier Gazette Inc pp 381 382 a b Spingola Deanna 2011 The Ruling Elite a Study in Imperialism Genocide and Emancipation Bloomington IN Trafford Publishing p 48 ISBN 978 1 4269 5462 7 Retrieved August 13 2021 G E Cokayne with Vicary Gibbs H A Doubleday Geoffrey H White Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden editors The Complete Peerage of England Scotland Ireland Great Britain and the United Kingdom Extant Extinct or Dormant new ed 13 volumes in 14 1910 1959 reprint in 6 volumes Gloucester U K Alan Sutton Publishing 2000 volume I page 277 The Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane July 8 1776 franklinpapers org Hinman Marjory Barnum Bingham s Land Whitney s Town p 14 1996 Broome County Historical Society http newenglandtowns org maine franklin county Franklin County Maine New England Towns Retrieved November 22 2007 Hinman Marjory Barnum 1996 Pages 17 21 Bingham s Land Whitney s Town Broome County Historical Society Alberts page 222 Alberts page 166 William Bingham American Philosophical Society Member History American Philosophical Society Retrieved December 14 2020 Alberts page 195 Alberts page 239 Cox Harold Senate Members B Wilkes University Election Statistics Project Wilkes University Green Nathaniel C The Focus of the Wills of Converging Millions Public Opposition to the Jay Treaty and the Origins of the People s Presidency Journal of the Early Republic vol 37 no 3 2017 p 459 JSTOR website Retrieved 21 Dec 2022 The proceedings of the Senate at a session specially called on March 4 1797 Journal of the Senate of the United States of America 1789 1873 Alberts page 337 Lady Ashburton Maine Memory Network Alberts page 427 Associated Press Heirs of 1804 Trust to Divide 840 000 New York Times November 15 1964 Page One Further reading EditRobert C Alberts The Golden Voyage The Life and Times of William Bingham 1969 Houghton Mifflin External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Bingham Archival Collections Edit Guide to the Land Grant to William Bingham Esq for Property in Lycoming County from Thomas Mifflin Governor of Pennsylvania Special Collections and Archives The UC Irvine Libraries Irvine California Other Edit United States Congress William Bingham id B000474 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Biography at Virtualology com Biography and portrait at the University of Pennsylvania The William Bingham Correspondence including letters from 1791 to 1803 are available for research use at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania The Political GraveyardU S SenatePreceded byRobert Morris U S senator Class 3 from Pennsylvania1795 1801 Served alongside James Ross Succeeded byJohn Peter G MuhlenbergPolitical officesPreceded bySamuel Livermore President pro tempore of the United States Senate1797 Succeeded byWilliam BradfordPreceded byOffice Created Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives1791 1792 Succeeded byGerardus Wynkoop II Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Bingham amp oldid 1168468152, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
