Hamilton's Estranged Older Brother - Peter Lavien
Peter Lavien was the older estranged half-brother of Alexander Hamilton.
Rachel Faucett
Rachel Faucett had only married John Michael Lavien due to pressure from her mother.
By 1746, she fled her home on St. Croix, met a man named James, and had two sons.
One of these sons was Alexander Hamlton.
Peter Lavien
Sadly, when Rachel left her first husband she also left a 4 year old boy...Peter Lavien.
Peter grew up in the care of his father and at age 18 moved to Beaufort, South Carolina.
Much of the details of Peter’s life are still in question, but it is known that he became a fairly successful merchant while partnering with John Kean and serving as an active member of his local church.
South Carolina
When Rachel died in 1768, Peter inherited her entire ‘snug fortune’ because his parents’ divorce had never been finalized.
This left young Alexander Hamilton (and their other brother James) orphaned and with no money.
While it may seem harsh for Peter to leave his brothers out in the cold like that, it is easy to suspect that he felt little sympathy for siblings his mother actually raised.
Relationship with Hamilton
When the Revolutionary War broke out, Peter became a Loyalist.
He relocated to Georgia to escape the Patriots where he passed away in 1801 at just 35-years-old.
Although he never had a strong relationship with Hamilton, the two were aware of each other.
In fact, upon Peter’s death, Hamilton wrote to his wife, Eliza, the following revealing letter:
“I have received (intelligence) from a gentleman of Georgia. He tells me of the death of my brother Levine. You know the circumstances that abate my distress, yet my heart acknowledges the rights of a brother. He dies rich, but has disposed of the bulk of his fortune to strangers. I am told he has left me a legacy. I did not inquire how much.”
Here is an article about an ALMOST brother of Hamlton’’s from his adopted family.:
Hamilton’s Adoptive Brother - Edward Stevens
The Ron Chernow biography (on which the famous Broadway musical is based) goes into pretty good detail on Hamilton’s mom’s history.
Pick up a copy through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same).
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Main Source:
This letter from Hamilton to William Jackson goes through his family history in his own words.
