[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] grandfather, Pierre Jay, a Huguenot of La Rochelle, France, emi-grated to England during the troublous times of Catholic persecu-tion, leaving a son, Augustus, who came to New York about 1686, married Anna Maria Bayard, daughter of Balthazar Bayard, and led a prosperous life as a merchant. Augustus's son, Peter, after ac-quiring a competency in business pursuits in the city, purchased a farm in our Town of Bye, where he lived with his numerous family for the remainder of his days. He is described by Smith, the Tory historian of New York, as " a gentleman of opulence, character, and reputation," and by Baird, the historian of Bye, as " a man of sin-cere and fervent piety, of cheerful temper, warm affections, and strong good sense." He married Mary, daughter of Jacobus Van Cortlandt and granddaughter of Oloff Stevense Van Cortlandt and the first Frederick Philipse. Their eighth child was John Jay, born in New York City, December 12, 1745. He lived with his parents throughout his childhood and youth in the homestead at Rye — " a long, low building, but one room deep and eighty feet wide, having attained this size to meet the wants of a numerous family." He was educated at King's College (now Columbia), taking the bachelor of arts degree in 1764, and, after being admitted to the bar, entered upon a professional career in which he soon gained a reputation os one of the most brilliant and intellectual men in New York. He 292