Representative Dudley Sanford Gregory

Dudley Sanford Gregory (February 5, 1800 – December 8, 1874) was an American businessman, banker, and politician who became the first Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, and later represented New Jersey’s 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Whig Party from 1847 to 1849. His public career spanned the formative years of Jersey City’s municipal government and coincided with a period of rapid economic expansion and political realignment in the United States.

Gregory was born on February 5, 1800, in Redding, Connecticut. In his childhood he relocated with his family to Albany, New York, where he began a long association with public administration and finance. As a young man he entered government service in Albany, working as a clerk in the office of the New York State Comptroller. He remained in that office for fourteen years, gaining experience in public finance and administration, and rose to become Chief Clerk of the Canal Department, an important post at a time when New York’s canal system was central to commerce and transportation. In 1824 he was selected as a member of the guard of honor that received General Marquis de Lafayette during the latter’s celebrated tour of the United States, an early indication of Gregory’s standing in civic affairs.

On September 10, 1822, Gregory married Ann Marie Lyon of Albany, New York. The couple had a large family of fourteen children: Caroline, Mary Louisa, Clara Bartlett, George Washington, Joseph, Dudley Sanford, Ann Eliza, Ann Marie, Walter, Charles Edward, Benjamin, Laura Drew, Archibald McIntyre, and David Henderson. During these years he continued to build his experience in public and commercial life in New York before moving closer to the emerging industrial and transportation centers along the Hudson River.

Gregory moved from New York City to Jersey City in 1834, at a time when the community was beginning to develop as a distinct urban and commercial center. He quickly became involved in local politics and civic development. When Jersey City was newly incorporated, he was elected its first mayor in 1838, serving until 1840. During this initial mayoral term he simultaneously served as a member of the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders, reflecting the fact that Jersey City was then part of Bergen County. He was elected again as mayor in 1841 and served until 1842, giving him two early, nonconsecutive terms as the city’s chief executive. When Hudson County was created in 1840, separating Jersey City from Bergen County, Gregory continued his involvement in county affairs, ultimately serving three terms on the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Alongside his political responsibilities, he became deeply engaged in the region’s burgeoning transportation sector and was, at one time, a director of sixteen different railroads.

Gregory’s growing prominence in business and local government led naturally to a broader role in finance. He was a co-founder of the Provident Bank of New Jersey, an institution that would play a significant role in the economic life of Jersey City and the surrounding region. He served as president of the bank from 1841 until his death in 1874, a tenure of more than three decades that underscored his influence in banking and his reputation for financial stewardship. His business interests extended beyond banking and railroads into industrial enterprises, reflecting the diversification of the mid-nineteenth-century economy.

A committed member of the Whig Party, Gregory entered national politics in the mid-1840s. He was elected in 1846 to represent New Jersey’s 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives and served one term from March 4, 1847, to March 3, 1849. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history marked by the Mexican-American War and debates over territorial expansion and economic policy. As a Whig representing New Jersey, Gregory contributed to the legislative process during his single term in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents. After completing his term, he chose not to run for re-election and returned to his extensive business and local civic engagements.

Gregory remained a central figure in Jersey City politics after his congressional service. After a decade away from the mayor’s office, he was elected for a third term as mayor in 1858 and served until 1860. This later term coincided with the mounting sectional tensions that preceded the Civil War, and his leadership helped guide Jersey City through a period of continued growth and industrial development. Throughout these years he maintained his involvement in banking and railroads, reinforcing his dual identity as both public official and businessman.

In addition to his work in municipal government and banking, Gregory played a notable role in insurance and industry. After returning to private business, he was one of the incorporators of the Mutual Benefit Life and Insurance Company of the County of Hudson, formed with several partners, including Samuel Wescott, his immediate predecessor as mayor of Jersey City. He was also an original stockholder in the Adirondack Iron and Steel Works in Jersey City, an important industrial concern. In 1863 he purchased the company outright. Adirondack Iron and Steel Works was recognized as the oldest continually operating cast-steel works in the United States, and Gregory’s ownership underscored his commitment to industrial enterprise and the economic development of his city and region.

Dudley Sanford Gregory died at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey, on December 8, 1874. He was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, alongside his wife Ann Marie, who had died three years earlier on May 18, 1871. At the time of his death, his estate was estimated to be worth approximately $1 million, a substantial fortune for the era. His will provided for annual payments to several of his children and grandchildren, to his sister-in-law, and to “Adam Thompson, a colored servant,” reflecting both the size of his estate and the range of personal relationships he acknowledged in his final arrangements.