American philanthropist, born in Philadelphia, PA, on the 5th of September 1758. In 1779 he settled in New York and became a merchant, but failed in 1784. In 1790 he entered the insurance business, and soon made a large fortune. He was active in the establishment of a penitentiary system, and was director of the first building for four years. He became a governor of the New York Hospital in 1793, and in 1815 was one of the founders of the Bloomingdale Insane Asylum. He labored for the construction of the Erie canal, and was one of the originators of the New York Savings Bank, and also of the New York Bible Society. He wrote a work on the State Prison of New York. He died in New York City on the 16th of September 1827.
