Peter Henry Silvester | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from 'sNew York's 11th district | |
| In office March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1851 | |
| Preceded by | John F. Collin |
| Succeeded by | Josiah Sutherland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 17, 1807 |
| Died | November 29, 1882 (aged 75) |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse | Catherine Susan Bronk |
| Relations | Peter Silvester (grandfather) |
| Children | Francis Silvester John L.B. Silvester |
| Parent(s) | Francis Silvester Lydia Van Schaack |
| Education | Kinderhook Academy |
| Alma mater | Union College |
| Profession | Lawyer,Politician |
Peter Henry Silvester (February 17, 1807 – November 29, 1882) was aU.S. Representative from New York in the30th and31st United States Congress. Silvester was the grandson of prominent attorney and former U.S. Congressmen,Peter Silvester.
Silvester was born on February 17, 1807, inKinderhook, New York. He was the only son of Francis Silvester (1767–1845) and Lydia Van Schaack, a niece ofPeter van Schaack and a descendant of theSchuyler family.[1][2] He was the grandson ofPeter Silvester (1734–1808) and his wife, Jane Van Schaack.[3] Silvester attendedKinderhook Academy, and graduated fromUnion College,Schenectady, New York, in 1827. He studied law, wasadmitted to the bar in 1830 and practiced inCoxsackie, New York.[4]
He was originally a member of theDemocratic-Republican Party, and joined theNational Republicans and then theWhigs.[4]
Silvester was elected as a Whig to theThirtieth andThirty-first Congresses (March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1851). He did not run for reelection in 1850 and resumed practicing law. Like most Whigs, Silvester became aRepublican when the party was organized in the mid-1850s. In 1860 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House, losing narrowly toJohn B. Steele.[4]
Silvester married Catherine Susan Bronk (d. 1858), the daughter of John Leonard Bronk and Alida Conine, and born in Coxsackie. She attendedTroy Seminary in Troy New York. Her father was a lawyer andColumbia College graduate.[5] Together, Silvester and Bronk had four children, of which two survived to adulthood:[5]
Silvester later retired to one of his farms in Coxsackie, where he lived until his death on November 29, 1882.[8] He was interred in Kinderhook Cemetery, along with his family.
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 11th congressional district March 4, 1847–March 3, 1851 | Succeeded by |
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