Abraham Lansing (February 27, 1835 – October 4, 1899) was an American lawyer and politician.

Early life

Abraham Lansing was born in Albany,

Albany County, New York Albany County ( ) is a county in the state of New York, United States. Its northern border is formed by the Mohawk River, at its confluence with the Hudson River, which is to the east. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was ...

. He was the son of Christopher Yates Lansing (1796–1872) and Caroline Mary (née Thomas) Lansing (1805–1845). Lansing was a grandson of state Treasurer

Abraham G. Lansing Abraham Gerritse Lansing (December 12, 1756 Albany, New York – May 15, 1834 Albany, New York) was an American politician. Early life Lansing was born on December 12, 1756, in Albany, New York. He was the son of Gerrit Jacobse Lansing (b. 171 ...

, grand-nephew of Chancellor

John Lansing, Jr. John Ten Eyck Lansing Jr. (January 30, 1754 – vanished December 12, 1829), a Founding Father of the United States, was an attorney, jurist, and politician. Born and raised in Albany, New York, Lansing was trained as a lawyer, and was long in ...

, and nephew of Gerrit Y. Lansing. Lansing attended

The Albany Academy The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, USA, enrolling students from Preschool (age 3) to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselae ...

, graduated from

Williams College Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a colonist from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was kille ...

with an A.B. in 1855, and was a member of

The Kappa Alpha Society The Kappa Alpha Society (), founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It is considered to be the oldest national, secret, Greek-letter social fraternity and was the first of the fraternities which would ...

. He

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under t ...

with his father, graduated from

Albany Law School Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and has an affiliation agreement with University at Al ...

in 1857, and later practiced law in partnership with his brother William.

Career

In 1868, he was appointed City Attorney of Albany, and in 1869 became the first

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...

reporter. He published the first seven volumes of the Supreme Court Reports. From June 1, 1874, he was Acting

New York State Treasurer The New York State Treasurer was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1776 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the ...

, appointed by Governor

John Adams Dix John Adams Dix (July 24, 1798 – April 21, 1879) was an American politician and military officer who was Secretary of the Treasury, Governor of New York and Union major general during the Civil War. He was notable for arresting the pro-Souther ...

while Treasurer Thomas Raines was incapacitated due to a nervous breakdown, and was treated at the Utica State Asylum.The 1874 Appointment article states erroneously he was a descendant of Chancellor Lansing who in fact was a brother of his grandfather, and so was Abraham Lansing's great-uncle. Raines resumed his duties on August 19, 1874. In 1876, he was chosen Corporation Counsel of Albany. Elected as a Democrat, he was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan comp ...

(17th D.) in

1882 Events January–March * January 2 ** The Standard Oil Trust is secretly created in the United States to control multiple corporations set up by John D. Rockefeller and his associates. ** Irish-born author Oscar Wilde arrives in t ...

and

1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Janua ...

. There he worked for the establishment of the State Railroad Commission and the

Niagara Falls State Park Niagara Falls State Park is located in the City of Niagara Falls in Niagara County, New York, United States. The park, recognized as the oldest state park in the United States, contains the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls, and a portion ...

. He was a director of the National Commercial Bank, trustee of the Albany Savings Bank, Park Commissioner of Albany, Governor of the Albany Hospital, trustee of

, the

Albany Medical College Albany Medical College (AMC) is a private medical school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1839 by Alden March and James H. Armsby and is one of the oldest medical schools in the nation. The college is part of the Albany Medical Center, whi ...

, the

Albany Rural Cemetery The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Colonie, New York, United States, just outside the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the U.S., at over . Many historical A ...

, the

Dudley Observatory Dudley Observatory is an astronomical observatory originally located in Albany, New York, and now in Loudonville, New York. It is no longer operating as a scientific observatory, but remains the oldest non-academic institution of astronomical res ...

. In 1879 he was an American delegate to the International Conference (London) for the Codification of the Law of Nations.

Personal life

On November 26, 1873, he married Catherine Gansevoort (1838–1918), the daughter of Peter Gansevoort (1789–1876) and Mary (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Sanford) Gansevoort (1814–1841). She was a granddaughter of

Peter Gansevoort Peter Gansevoort (July 17, 1749 – July 2, 1812) was a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is best known for leading the resistance to Barry St. Leger's Siege of Fort Stanwix in 1777. Gansevoort was also ...

and

Nathan Sanford Nathan Sanford (November 5, 1777 – October 17, 1838) was an American politician. Early life Sanford was born on November 5, 1777, in Bridgehampton, New York. He was the son of Thomas Sanford and Phebe (née Baker) Sanford, a family of farme ...

. They did not have any children. Lansing died in Albany on October 4, 1899, and was buried at the

Menands, New York Menands is a village in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 3,990 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Louis Menand. The village lies inside the town of Colonie and borders the northern city line of Albany. H ...

References

;Notes ;Sources
Raines reinstated
New York Times, August 20, 1874 *
Recollections: Abraham Lansing
'. 1909. Charles E. Fitch, editor. De Vinne Press, publisher.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lansing, Abraham 1835 births 1899 deaths Williams College alumni Albany Law School alumni New York (state) lawyers Democratic Party New York (state) state senators New York State Treasurers Politicians from Albany, New York Burials at Albany Rural Cemetery 19th-century American politicians Lawyers from Albany, New York The Albany Academy alumni 19th-century American lawyers Lansing family Gansevoort family