Cooke, George Frederick b. April 17, 1756 d. September 26, 1812 Actor. Hailed on both sides of the Atlantic as the greatest tragedian of his era, he was dramatic even in death. The British star's skull was allegedly used in Edwin Booth's production of Hamlet, and his headless ghost is said to haunt this Manhattan churchyard. Born in Westminster, Cooke had been orphaned and impoverished as a child, then apprenticed to a printer. He turned to acting at age 15 after being inspired by a troupe of traveling players. His professional debut in 1771 went unnoticed...[Read More] (Bio by: Nikita Barlow) Saint Paul's Chapel and Churchyard, Manhattan, New York County, New York, USA
Denning, William b. April, 1740 d. October 30, 1819 US Congressman. He relocated to America as a child and later became successful as a merchant in New York City. From 1775 to 1777, he was deputy to the New York Provincial Congress, a member of the convention of State Representatives in 1776 and 1777, served in the State Assembly from 1784 to 1787 and in the State Senate from 1798 to 1808. In 1809, he was elected as a Republican to the Eleventh Congress and served until his resignation in 1810. (Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith) Saint Paul's Chapel and Churchyard, Manhattan, New York County, New York, USA
Holt, John b. 1721 d. January 30, 1784 Publisher, editor, Revolutionary War firebrand. A former mayor of colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, the city of his birth, Holt's tenacity as a newspaperman furthered the cause of liberty both before and during the American Revolution. Co-founder of the "New York Gazette and Post Boy" with fellow patriot James Parker, he established a second paper, the "New York Journal" in 1766. The paper's revolutionary tone was evident in its masthead, which bore Ben Franklin's illustration of a divided snake...[Read More] (Bio by: Nikita Barlow) Saint Paul's Chapel and Churchyard, Manhattan, New York County, New York, USA
Houstoun, William b. March, 1755 d. March 17, 1813 Continental Congressman. Houstoun, pronounced HOW-ston, was from a family active in Georgia's royal government. He was educated in England, including studying law at London's Inner Temple. At the start of the Revolution he supported independence, contrary to most of his family. Because Georgia was under British control, Houstoun maintained a low profile during the Revolution, though he may have been involved in unknown clandestine activities around Savannah. He served in the Continental...[Read More] (Bio by: Bill McKern) Saint Paul's Chapel and Churchyard, Manhattan, New York County, New York, USA
Montgomery, Richard b. December 2, 1738 d. December 31, 1775 Revolutionary War Continental Major General. Born in County Dublin, Ireland, he served in the British Army as a Captain before relocating to New York in 1772. In 1775, he was a delegate to the First Provincial Congress of New York and became Brigadier General in the Continental Army. During the Revolutionary War, his troops captured the colors of the 7th Royal Fusiliers and captured Montreal in November 1775. During the assault on Quebec, Canada in December 1775, he was killed in action and the...[Read More] (Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith) Saint Paul's Chapel and Churchyard, Manhattan, New York County, New York, USA
Rochefontaine, Stephen b. 1755 d. January 30, 1814 Revolutionary War Continental Army Officer. Born Etienne Bechet, Sieur de Rochefontaine in Rheims, France, he served during the Revolutionary War as a Captain in the Continental Army's Corps of Engineers, distinguishing himself at the 1783 Siege of Yorktown. Brevetted Major for his service, in 1795 he was commissioned as a Lieutenant Colonel, and was placed in command of the newly-created United States Army Corps of Artillerists and Engineers, a duty he performed from 1795 to 1798. Saint Paul's Chapel and Churchyard, Manhattan, New York County, New York, USA
White, Campbell P. b. November 30, 1787 d. February 12, 1859 US Congressman. He immigrated to the United States in 1816, settled in New York City and became a prominent merchant and banker. He served as a member of the New York City Board of Aldermen and on numerous civic committees. White was a Director of the New York branch of the Bank of the United States, and was appointed President of Chemical Bank when it was founded in 1831. As Cashier of the Manhattan Bank, he was charged with stealing the bank's books to hide evidence of fraudulent loans...[Read More] (Bio by: Bill McKern) Saint Paul's Chapel and Churchyard, Manhattan, New York County, New York, USA Plot: N1, Northside, Jacob Leroy Family Vault, dated 1803
b. April 17, 1756 d. September 26, 1812