field with a discourse on " Darwin and Moses." which has been repeatedly delivered in the princi- pal cities, and many of the larger villages, of New York. Her most successful sketch is " Little Ja- key," a true story of a blind boy (New York, 1871). She has never recovered her sight.
DELAFIELD, John, merchant, b. in England,
16 March, 1748 ; d. in New York city, 3 July, 1824.
Soon after coming of age he emigrated to this
country. The ship upon which he took passage
boi'e letters of marque, and captured a French ves-
sel. Mr. Delafield volunteered in the action, and
shared the prize-money to the extent of £100. He
landed in New York city, 5 April, 1783, and found
himself especially welcomed as the bearer of a
manuscript copy of the text of the treaty of
peace, which had been handed him at the moment
of sailing by an official in the British service. The
conditions of peace were known, but the text
had not yet been made public in England ; and,
although the official copy had been forwarded,
the " Vigilant " had outstripped the bearer of the
government despatches by some days. After sev-
eral experiments, Mr. Delafield established himself
in New York as a merchant. He was exceptional-
ly successful, retiring in 1798 one of the wealthiest
men in the country. A twelvemonth afterward
he was at the head of the private underwriters of
the city. Time brought reverses, as both the
French and the English were striving to sweep
American commerce from the seas. While many
of the private underwriters were obliged to suspend, Mr. Delafield was among those who paid
every loss, but only by sacrificing his entire capital
and mortgaging his real estate. He was a founder
and director of the Mutual insurance company, es-
tablished 15 June, 1787, that being the first com-
pany organized to take risks against fire in the
city of New York after the Revolution. On 12
Jan., 1792, he was appointed a director of the
branch of the U. S. bank, and was afterward elect-
ed to the same office. He was one of forty gentle-
men who subsci'ibed $10,000 each, and founded (1
Feb., 1796) the United insurance company, also
acting as a director, and serving as president for
many years. His summer residence on the East
river, opposite Blackwell's island, known as " Suns-
wick," built in 1791, was one of the largest and
best-appointed private houses near New York.
Mr. Delafield had nine sons and four daughters.
Two of his sons died young.— His son John,
banker, b. in New York city, 22 Jan., 1786; d. 22
Oct., 1853, was graduated at Columbia in 1802, and
immediately obtained employment as confidential
clerk and supercargo. A few years later, having
embarked in the shipping business, and being on
board one of his own vessels, he was driven by
stress of weather into the harbor of Corunna,
Spain, and witnessed the storming of that city by
the French. On the night of 17 Jan., 1808,' the
enemy having opened fire on the shipping, the
cables were cut, and Mr. Delafield put to sea with
a family of noble Spanish refugees in addition to
his crew. Although short of provisions and almost
in a sinking condition, the vessel was brought safe-
ly to London. There he established himself as a
banker, 1808-'10. During the war of 1812-'14 he
was held as a prisoner, but, through the influence
of relatives in England, he was permitted to con-
tinue his business, with the privilege of travelling
fifteen miles around Uxbridge, where he had a country seat, and to the city of London. His large fortune was suddenly swept away in a financial crisis, and it was then that his friend, Washington Irving, dedicated to him the graceful story
entitled " The Wife," published in the " Sketch-
Book." In 1820 he returned to New York and
served as cashier and president of the Phoenix
bank from 1820 till 1838, when he resigned to ac-
cept the presidency of the New York banking com-
pany. Mr. Delafield was the first president of the
New York philharmonic society, which for several
years met at his house. He also suggested the
plan, and was an original member, of the Musical
fund society. He obtained large subscriptions for,
and greatly aided in establishing, the New York
university, and expended time and money in re-
viving the New York historical society. How'ever
deeply engaged in similar pursuits, or in business,
he still found leisure to devote to the embellish-
ment of his country seat at Hell Gate, making it
a marA'-el of horticultural beauty. Owing to the
repudiation of their obligations by some of the
western states, the New York banking company
was forced to suspend, and for a second time Mr.
Delafield found himself suddenh' impoverished.
The remainder of his life was devoted to agricul-
ture, his favorite occupation. He purchased a
large estate, " Oaklands," near Geneya, N. Y., and
removed there in 1842. Before many years his was
known as the model farm of the state. He was
among the first to urge the importance of a chem-
ical analysis of the soil, scientific drainage, and the
value and uses of various kinds of manure. A de-
scription of his farm is given in the " Transactions "
of the New Yoi'k state agricultural society for 1847,
pp. 200-211, of which association he was for several
years chosen president. He was also the first presid-
ing officer elected by the State agricultural college.
— Another son, Joseph, scientist, b. in New York
city, 22 Aug., 1790; d. in New York city, 12 Feb.,
1875, was graduated at Yale in 1808, studied law,
and was admitted to practice in 1811. He was ap-
pointed lieutenant in the 5th regiment. New York
state militia, in 1810, and captain of drafted militia
in 1812. At the close of the latter year he was com-
missioned in the U. S. service as a captain in Haw-
kins's regiment, and promoted to be major of the
46th infantry, 15 April, 1814, but resigned at the
close of the w'ar. He was appointed U. S. agent,
under the 6th and 7th articles of the treaty of
Ghent, for setting off the northern boundary of
the United States, and had command of the parties
in the field from 1821 till 1828. Both the presi-
dent and congress formally acknowledged the fideli-
ty with which Maj. Delafield had discharged his
duties. During his sojourn in the north, he began
the formation of the collection of minerals that for
many years ranked as one of the best in private
hands in the country. Maj. Delafield was a member
of many scientific associations, both in the United
States and in Europe. He served as president of
the New York lyceum of natural history from 1827
till 1866, when lie declined a re-election, and was a
member of the society for fifty-two years. In 1830
Maj. Delafield built at his country seat on the
Hudson, in the southern part of the town of Yon-
kers. known as " Fieldston," a lime-kiln so con-
structed as to burn continuously, on a plan until
then unknown in this country. For several years
the works yielded large profits, and served as the
model for others. — Henry and WilHani, mer-
chants, twnn brothers of the preceding, b. in " Suns-
wick " (now a part of Long Island City, N. Y.), 19
Julv, 1792 : Henry d. in New York citv, 15 Feb.,
187b ; William d. in New York city, 20 Nov., 1853.
They were prepared to enter Yale, but their father
yielded to their desire to begin business at once.
A few years later the firm of H. & W. Delafield
was founded, dealing at first with England, then
