William Drayton (1776-1846)

Colonel Drayton, Congressman & President of the Second Bank of the United States

He was born at Charleston and became known as "Colonel Drayton" after reaching that rank during active service in the War of 1812. He was a U.S. Congressman (1825 to 1833), but made himself 'persona non grata' in his native state when he supported Federal authority during the Nullification Crisis of 1832-1833. At that point, he removed his family north to Philadelphia. There, he served as the last President of the Second Bank of the United States, from 1839 until it closed in 1841. He was married twice to: (1) Anna Gadsden, by whom he had four children, and, (2) Maria Miles Heyward, by whom he had five children but only two survived to adulthood. 
Contributed by Mark Meredith on 06/07/2019 and last updated on 11/10/2021.
Image Courtesy of the Frick Art Reference Library