Charles Devlin

Charles Devlin
Born	1805 Ireland
Died	February 1, 1881(1881-02-01) (aged 76) Manhattan, New York, United States
Cause of death	Pneumonia
Resting place	Calvery Cemetery
Nationality	Irish-American
Occupation	Contractor, bondsman and civil servant
Known for	Prominent New York contractor and bondsman during the mid-to late 19th century; involved in a dispute with Daniel D. Conover over the position of NYC street commissioner resulting in the Police Riot of 1857.
Political party	Democrat
Religion	Catholic
Children	John B. Devlin Joseph A. Devlin Mary Devlin Isabella Devlin Fanny Devlin
Relatives	Henry A. Brann, son-in-law William F. Croft, son-in-law

For the Canadian politician, see Charles Ramsay Devlin.

Charles Devlin (1805 – February 1, 1881) was an American contractor, bondsman and civil servant. He was the largest and one of the most successful city works contractors in New York City during the mid-to late 19th century and was the bondsman of several prominent New Yorkers including Boss Tweed and Henry W. Genet. His controversial appointment as city street commissioner over Daniel D. Conover resulted in the Police Riot of 1857. ^[1]

Biography

Charles Devlin was born in Ireland and migrated to the United States at the age of 27. Shortly after his arrival in New York City, he worked as a journeyman baker in Frankfort Street and later started a successful bakery in the same area. During the 1840s, he contained contracts on the Hudson River Railroad and spent two years building several sections of railway track. It was after this enterprise that he became employed by the city as a contractor for the City Works department. He received several major contracts for Central Park, however the majority of his work concerned grading, paving and general street improvements. ^[2]

He also had a brief sting into local politics running against Robert McGinnis for a seat on the Board of Alderman. His appointment by Mayor Fernando Wood as city street commissioner over Daniel D. Conover, who had been originally appointed by Governor John King, caused considerable controversy. Claims were made that Devlin had purchased the position from Wood for $50,000 and when Conover was thrown out of New York City Hall, attempts to serve two warrants for Wood's arrest resulted in the Police Riot of 1857. ^[2]

Devlin amassed a large personal fortune through this business and, at his height, was believed to be the largest contractor engaged in city works. He also became a noted bondsman, providing bail for such figures as Boss Tweed and Henry W. Genet, the latter bring him to national attention during his criminal trial in 1872-73. He lost most of his wealth endorsing notes for many of his friends, declared bankruptcy in 1879. Devlin died from pneumonia at his East Fifty-Seventh Street home on the afternoon of February 1, 1881 and was buried in the family vault at Calvery Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, three daughters and two sons; his daughter Isabella was the wife of lawyer Henry A. Brann and Fanny was married to industrialist and real estate mogul William F. Croft. Devlin left a huge estate consisting of 75 city lots. ^[2]

References

1. ^ Asbury, Herbert. The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the New York Underworld. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928. (pg. 98-99) ISBN 1-56025-275-8
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Death Of Charles Devlin.; Career Of The Contractor And The Bondsman Of William M. Tweed". New York Times. 2 Feb 1881

Further reading

• Ackerman, Kenneth D. Boss Tweed: The Rise and Fall of the Corrupt Pol Who Conceived the Soul of Modern New York. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2005. ISBN 0-7867-1686-X
• Allen, Oliver E. The Tiger: The Rise and Fall of Tammany Hall. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley, 1993. ISBN 0-201-62463-X
• Hershkowitz, Leo. Tweed's New York: Another Look. Garden City, New York: Anchor Press, 1977. ISBN 0-385-07656-8
• Moehring, Eugene P. Public Works and the Patterns of Urban Real Estate Growth in Manhattan, 1835-1894. New York: Arno Press, 1981. ISBN 0-405-13948-9

Persondata
Name	Charles Devlin
Alternative names
Short description	Prominent New York contractor and bondsman during the mid-to late 19th century; involved in a dispute with Daniel D. Conover over the position of NYC street commissioner resulting in the Police Riot of 1857.
Date of birth	1805
Place of birth	Ireland
Date of death	February 1, 1881
Place of death	Manhattan, New York, United States