John Delafield

John Delafield (March 16, 1748 – July 3, 1824) was an English-American merchant and socialite. Known for his 1783 deliverance of the Treaty of Paris, Delafield would settle in New York City, achieving further financial prosperity there.

John Delafield
Delafield, c. 1780–1800
Born	(1748-03-16)March 16, 1748 Cripplegate, Middlesex, England
Died	July 3, 1824(1824-07-03) (aged 76) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Merchant

Biography

Born in England on March 16, 1748, in Cripplegate, London, to an affluent cheese merchant, Delafield was among the first Englishmen to settle in America as the Revolutionary War came to a close. Arriving in New York City in the spring of 1783, while it was still under British control, he brought with him the first copy of the provisional treaty of peace between the United States and Great Britain.

He was said to have arrived with significant wealth, holding the title of “Count of the Holy Roman Empire” by descent, and by the turn of the century, had become one of New York’s wealthiest individuals, earning the title "one of the fathers of Wall Street." His mansion, located across the East River from New York City, was a grand estate where he lived with his wife, Ann Hallett—herself from a notable Revolutionary family—and their eleven children. He was an original director of the Mutual Insurance Company of New York, established by Alexander Hamilton in 1787, and later became president of the United Insurance Company.

He died on July 3, 1824, at the age of 76.