Anthony Lispenard Bleecker was born on 18 June 1741 at possibly, New Rochelle, Westchester County, New York. He was the son of
Jacobus Bleecker and
Abigail Lispenard. Anthony Lispenard Bleecker married
Mary Noel, daughter of
Garrat Noel and
Frances Matilda Jaymee, on 4 May 1763 at First and Second Presbyterian Church, New York City, New York County, New York. Anthony Lispenard Bleecker was Merchant/Real Estate. He left a will on 3 November 1814. He died on 26 April 1816 at New York City, New York County, New York, at age 74. He was buried on 27 April 1816 at Trinity Church Cemetery, New York City, New York County, New York. Anthony was one of the most well-known and important Bleeckers sinceJan Jansen Bleecker. He was shipping merchant and real estate auctioneer of New York City and was a very wealthy man. He owned the farm where the present-day Bleecker St. lies. His residence was 74 Broadway, across from Rector St., where the large Bleecker family lived for many years. It has been described as aspacious house with a garden. Access to the stables was from Wall St. Anthonywas a Major in the 1st Regiment Provincials under a Col. Henry in 1775. Duringthe British occupation of New York City, the family lived in New Jersey (Morristown?) from 1776-1783. He is listed in the 'March Tax List' for Newark, NJ in 1782. When General George Washington returned to Manhattan after the British evacuation in 1783, Anthony is said to have been on the committee to offically welcome him back. Upon his own return to New York City, Anthony started the family real estate and auctioning business, located for a time at 178 Pearl St. Healso owned the Roger Jumel Mansion at 160th St. for a time. It was Washington's headquarters for awhile during the war and it is now the oldest and most historic house left in Manhattan. He is listed on p. 22 in the 1786 New York Directory, the city's first, as an auctioneer at 40 Wall St. The original reads: 'Bleecker L. Anth 40 auctioneer Wall Sf'. By 1792, 'Anthony L. Bleecker and Sons' were listed as stock brokers. (Bleeckers occupied four of the 28 seats on the New York Stock Exchange in 1818). His signature appears on the original list of subscribers of the capital stock for the Manhattan Company, later the Bankof Manhattan Trust Company. The list dates from April 1799. Anthony also was involved in New York's historic Trinity Episcopal Church, situated across from Wall St. He became a vestryman there in 1785. He served until 1807 when he became a warden for five years. He purchased the family vault in its churchyard in 1790 where Bleecker family burials took place well into the 20th century. Hewas by far the most powerful Bleecker in New York City history. The size of his land, his political and business influence is well documented. However, it isprobably the quality of his descendants in the 19th century, and the families they married into, which shows the respect he had. Among the names: Roosevelt, Neilson and Harriman. The New York Times obituary of his grandson Anthony J.Bleecker (18 Jan 1884; 8:1) recalled the family tale of Anthony coming into his house one day to announce he had bought 160 acres 'out in the country' and that his friends laughed at him for wasting his money. That land of course became Greenwich Village where Bleecker St. runs today. It has been written he never lived on the land and that he died at the family homestead at 74 Broadway. Alexander McDonald's book on the Bleecker family has their marriage on 10 May 1762, performed by a Rev. Joseph Trent. Anthony's obituary in The New-York Evening Post states his funeral was to be on 'Sunday afternoon 5 o'clock from lateresidence 74 Broadway.' His will was proven 8 May 1816. He left everything to his wife Mary and mentioned son's James, Garrat and Anthony as executors. Mary Bleecker and her father are listed as 'communicants of the First Presbyterian Church' of New York City in a member's list dated 11 December 1769. (NYGBR, Vol. 131, Number 4, p.289). 4 May 1763New YorkGideon Tucker, 'Names of Persons for whom Marriage Licenses were issued by theSecretary of the Province of New York Previous to 1784,' (Albany, 1860), p.33.3.