Peter Silvester (1734-15 October 1808) was a member of the US House of Representatives (F-NY 5) from 4 March 1789 to 3 March 1793, preceding Theodorus Bailey.
Biography[]
Peter Silvester was born in Shelter Island, Long Island, New York in 1734, and he became a lawyer in 1763 and served as a clerk of the peace under William Johnson. He moved to Kinderhook in 1767, and he educated Martin Van Buren, a future President. Silvester was involved in Albany and state politics during the American Revolutionary War, and he served as a judge on the Columbia County Court of Common Pleas from 1786 to 1789 and as a member of the US House of Representatives from 1789 to 1793. From 1787 until his death in 1808, he served as a regent of the University of the State of New York.