PINTARD
PISE
Hempstead, L.I., and was graduated at the Col-
lege of New Jersey, A.B., 1776, A.M., 1779. He
volunteered for service in the Revolution in 1776,
entering the army at the time of the British
occupation of New York city; was sent on
various expeditions to harass the British; was
deputy commissary for the prisoners in New
York city under his uncle, serving until 1781,
and in 1782 became a clerk in his uncle's count-
ing room. He was for some time employed by
the government as a French translator. He was
married Nov. 12, 1784, to Eliza, daughter of Col.
Abraham and Helena (Kortright) Brasher of
Paramus, N.J. Col. Abraham Brasher was a
member of the first provincial convention that
luet in New York in 1775 to choose delegates to
represent the colony of New York in the Con-
tinental congress. Mr. Pintard engaged in the
East India trade on his own account in 1785; was an
alderman in 1788; represented the city in the state
assemblj'in 1790, and in 1791 was a commissioner
to erect bridges over the Hackensack and Passaic
rivers and also to survey the country between Jer-
sey City and Newark. He lost his entire property in
1792, by indorsing for William Duer, associated
with Hamilton in the plan to fund the national
debt, and removed to Newark, N.J., wliei-ehe was
confined for a time in jail for Duer's debts. He
established a museum in 1791, in connection with
the Tammany society, originally a historical and
antiquarian organization, of which he was the
founder and first sachem, and which formed the
nucleus of Barnum's American museum. He
returned to New York city in 1800, and engaged
in the book trade and auction business. In the
winter of 1801 he went to New Orleans, La.,
where he gathered valuable statistics relating to
the territory which contributed to its purchase.
He edited the Daily Advertiser, 1802; was clerk
to the corporation of New York city, and city in-
spector, 1804-09; secretary of the Mutual Insu-
rance company, 1809-29, and a director of the
same, 1829-44. He signed all the paper notes of
small denomination during the scarcity of change
in 1812; was secretary of the New York Chamber
of Commerce, 1817-27; in 1819 originated the
first savings bank that was established in New
York city, and served as its president, 1823-41,
Avhen he became blind, and resigned. He was
the founder of the New York Historical society
in 1804, and served as its recording secretary and
librarian; was among the first in 1805 to agitate
the " free school system," and Avas influential in
securing the construction of the Erie canal. He
was a founder, secretary and vice-president of
the American Bible society, and was manager of
the then popular lotteries in New York city.
His plan for a system of avenvies and streets was
adopted by the common council for upper New
York. He was a vestryman of the Huguenot
church. New York city, 1810-44; treasurer of
Sailors' Snug Harbor, 1819-23, and a principal
supporter of the General Theological seminary.
which he was instrumental in removing to New
York city from New Haven. Pintard Hall, one
of the dormitories of the seminary, was erected
in his honor in 1885. He received the degree
LL.D. from Allegheny college in 1822. His pub-
lished works include: An Account of New Orleans,
in the New York Medical Repository; Notice of
Philip Freneau in the New York Jlfuror (1833),
and a French translation of the Book of Common
Prayer. He died in New York citj', June 21, 1844.
PISE, Charles Constantine, R. C. clergyman
and author, was born in Annapolis, Md., Nov.
22, 1802. He was graduated at Georgetown col-
lege, D.C., and went to Rome to complete his
theological studies, but his father's deatii recalled
him to America, and he was graduated at Mount
St. Mary's seminary, Emmittsburg, Md., teach-
ing rhetoric and belles lettres while puisuing his
studies. He was ordained priest in 1825, and
served the church at Frederick, Md., and in the
cathedral at Baltimore. While at Rome several
years after he received the degree D.D., and was
made a Knight of the Holy Roman Empire in
recognition of his literary work in the United
States. He served in St. Patrick's church,
Washington, D.C., and as chaplain of the U.S.
senate, being the only Roman Catholic to hold
that office, up to 1903. He declined a professor-
ship in Transylvania miiversity obtained for him
by Henry Clay, who was his personal friend.
Bishop Dubois induced him to come to New York,
where he was connected with St. Patrick's, St.
Joseph's and St. Peter's churches, and about
1849 founded the Church of St. Charles Boriomeo,
Brooklyn, N.Y., where he remained till liis death.
He was associate editor of the Catholic Exposi-
tor; editor of the Metropolitan, and translated
Tlie Catholic Bride from the Italian (1848). He
is the author of: Father Rowland (1829); Indian
Cottage (1829): History of the Church from its
Establishment to the Reformation (5 vols.. 1830);
Tlie Pleasures of Religion and other Poems (1833);