Comfort Sands

Comfort Sands (1748 in Cow Neck, Long Island – 1834) was an American merchant, banker and politician.

Life

Comfort Sands was born in Cow Neck, Long Island on February 26, 1748. While still in his teens, Comfort left Long Island for Manhattan to work as a clerk. Comfort Sands married twice. In 1769, he married Sarah Dodge (1749-1795) of Hunts Point in Westchester County, N.Y. (now part of the Bronx). After the death of Sarah, Comfort married Cornelia Lott (1761-1856), daughter of Abraham Lott of Brooklyn. Comfort Sands had 18 children, 15 of whom were born to his first wife Sarah and three born to his second wife Cornelia. In 1825, Comfort and Cornelia Sands moved to Hoboken, N.J. where he died in 1834. worked at several positions including at Joseph Decker's store that was located on Peck Slip in lower Manhattan. Around 1769, Comfort opened his own store and by 1776 he had become a wealthy merchant. During the American Revolutionary War, Comfort was a member of the New York Provincial Congress and was appointed as the first New York State Auditor-General (now known as the New York State Comptroller) in 1776. He served in this position until his resignation in 1782. In 1784, Comfort served as the first director, and one of the founders, of the Bank of New York, the oldest bank in the United States. He was a member of the New York Provincial Congress, the body which appointed him the first New York State Auditor-General in 1776. He resigned the office in 1782. In 1784, he became one of the first directors of the Bank of New York at its incorporation. He was a member of the New York State Assembly from New York County in 1784-85, 1788 and 1788-89. He was President of the New York Chamber of Commerce from 1794 to 1798.

Family

The poet Robert Charles Sands was his son. U.S. Representative Joshua Sands was his brother.