William Nicoll Jr.

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William Nicoll Jr.
Speaker of the New York General Assembly
In office
January 31, 1759 – February 6, 1768
Preceded by
Succeeded byPhilip Livingston
Personal details
Born1702
Province of New York, British America
Died1768(1768-00-00) (aged 65–66)
Province of New York, British America
ChildrenMatthias Nicoll (grandfather)
Jeremias van Rensselaer (grandfather)
ParentsWilliam Nicoll
Anna Van Rensselaer Nicoll

William Nicoll Jr. (1702 – 1768) was an English-American colonial merchant and politician who served as the Speaker of the New York General Assembly.

Early life[]

He was a son of English-born politician William Nicoll (1657–1723) (who is remembered for his vehement opposition to the Leisler Rebellion) and Anna (née Van Rensselaer) Nicoll (1665–1723), widow of the patroon Kiliaen van Rensselaer, and daughter of Jeremias van Rensselaer and Maria (née Van Cortlandt) Van Rensselaer.[1] Among his siblings was Mary Nicoll, wife of Robert Watts; Benjamin Nicoll, husband of Charity Floyd;[2] Catherine Nicoll, wife of Jonathan Havens;[3] and Frances Nicoll, wife of Edward Holland, the 40th mayor of New York City.[4]

His paternal grandparents were Abigail (née Johns) Nicoll and Matthias Nicoll, who served as the 6th Mayor of New York City from 1672 to 1673. His grand-uncle was Richard Nicolls, the 1st Colonial governor of the Province of New York. His paternal aunt, Margaret Nicoll, was married to Col. Richard Floyd Jr., the colonel of provincial troops of Suffolk County and judge of the Court of Common Pleas and grandfather of William Floyd.[5]

Career[]

His father was granted a royal patent of 50,000 acres on the Long Island by Governor Thomas Dongan in November 1683, later receiving further land grants making Plandome Manor the largest on Long Island totaling 100 square miles (260 km2).[6]

Nicoll was elected a member of the New York General Assembly, representing Suffolk County, in 1739 and, like his father, served until his death in 1768.[7] From January 31, 1759 until February 6, 1768, he also served as the Speaker of the Assembly.[8] During his service as Speaker, the 18th Assembly was dissolved for a short period of time upon the death of George II which occurred on October 25, 1760.[7]

Personal life[]

As Nicoll died unmarried and without issue, the Nicoll estate was inherited by his nephew, (d. 1778), the eldest son of Benjamin, who became the third family member to be elected to the General Assembly where he served from 1768 until 1769.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ Genealogical Record. Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York. 1916. p. 37. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Thompson, Benjamin Franklin (1843). The History of Long Island, from Its Discovery to the Present Time: With Many Important and Interesting Matters, Including Notices of Numerous Individuals and Families, Also a Particular Account of the Different Churches and Ministers. Gould, Banks & Company. pp. 368–9. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  3. ^ The Journal of American History | Vol. 12, First Quarter, Number 1 | January, February, March. National Historical Society. 1918. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  4. ^ Bielinski, Stefan. "Frances Nicoll Holland". exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov. New York State Museum. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  5. ^ Cutter, William Richard (1913). New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 1209. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  6. ^ Toy, Vivian S. (June 12, 2005). "Endangered: Historic Preservation". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Hough, A.M., M.D., Franklin B. (1858). The New York Civil List: Containing The Names And Origin Of The Civil Divisions, And The Names And Dates Of Election Or Appointment Of The Principal State And County Officers From The Revolution To The Present Time. Albany: Weed, Parsons and Co. Retrieved 19 September 2018.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Murlin, Edgar L. (1908). The New York Red Book. J. B. Lyon Company. pp. 356–365. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
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