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David Mathews (c. 1739 – July 28, 1800) was an American born British lawyer and politician from New York City. He was a Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War and was the 43rd and last Colonial Mayor of New York City from 1776 until 1783.
Jul 3, 2019 · Mayor David Matthews, the last colonial mayor of New York, had been an alderman and took office as Mayor February 20, 1776, less than five months before the start of the Revolutionary War. Common Council Records, NYC Municipal Archives. Mayor David Matthews took office on February 14, 1776.
After holding some minor offices in the administration of New York City, he was appointed mayor in February 1776. Soon afterwards, he was accused of “treasonable practices against the States of America” in connection with his alleged involvement in the “Hickey Plot” to assassinate George Washington and was jailed in Litchfield, Connecticut.
David Mathews (circa 1739 – 1800) was a lawyer and politician from New York City. He was a Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War and was the 43rd Mayor of New York City from 1776 until 1783. He resettled in Nova Scotia after the war, and became a leading political figure in the Cape Breton colony that was created in 1786.
It was formed by the British-appointed governor of New York William Tyron and the loyalist mayor of New York City David Matthews. (This was not Tyron’s only attempt at sabotaging the colonies: he was also found guilty of running a counterfeiting operation to undermine their already struggling economy.)
Among this less recognizable cohort is David Mathews, the city’s mayor from 1776 to 1783. It may seem inscrutable how a man who served in such an important period is so little known yet he achieved little during his tenure and frankly, he’s something of a notorious figure. All that said, his story is certainly intriguing.
Mar 5, 2002 · David Mathews (Matthews), an attorney who had been appointed mayor of New York City by Gov. William Tryon in February 1776, was accused of carrying money from Tryon to Gilbert Forbes, a gunsmith on Broadway, to pay for rifles and muskets.
