Peter P. Goelet

Peter P. Goelet (August 18, 1764 – October 23, 1828), was an American merchant and real estate investor. Early life Goelet was born on August 18, 1764, in New York City. He was the second son of Peter Goelet (1727–1811) and, his first wife, Elizabeth Ratse (1734–1769). His siblings were Alice Goelet, Jannetje Goelet (wife of Lt. Colonel Robert Troup), John Goelet (who married Eliza Taylor Buncombe, a daughter of Edward Buncombe), and Elizabeth Goelet (wife of William Cornelius Bucknor), and Robert Ratse Goelet. He was descended from a family of Huguenots of La Rochelle in France who, due to the Edict of Nantes, escaped in 1621 to Amsterdam. His paternal great-grandfather, Jacobus Goelet, was ten years old when he arrived in New York in 1676 with his widowed father, François "Francis" Goelet. Francis returned to Amsterdam on business, and left Jacobus in the care of Frederick Philipse (who became 1st Lord of Philipsburg Manor in 1693), but was lost at sea before his return. His grandfather was one of six children born to Jacobus Goelet and Jannetje (née Cossart) Goelet (daughter of Dutch-born Jacques Jacob Cossart). Career Goelet was a merchant with offices at 65 Water Street in Manhattan. He was also a member of the Western Inland Dock Navigation Company. In addition, he inherited considerable real estate and other property which he added to through his lifetime, including from his marriage.