Alfred Conkling (October 12, 1789 – February 5, 1874) was a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...

of the

United States District Court for the Northern District of New York The United States District Court for the Northern District of New York (in case citations, N.D.N.Y.) serves one of the 94 judicial districts in the United States and one of four in the state of New York. Appeals from the Northern District of New ...

and

United States Minister to Mexico The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Mexico since 1823, when Andrew Jackson was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to that country. Jackson declined the appointment, however, and Joel R. Poinsett bec ...

Early life

Conkling was born on October 12, 1789, in

Amagansett Amagansett is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet by the same name in the Town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, United States, on the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 United States Census, t ...

. He was the son of Benjamin Conkling and Esther Hand. He graduated from

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

in 1810 and

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 the ...

in 1812.

Career

He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in Johnstown, New York, from 1812 to 1813. He continued private practice in

Canajoharie Canajoharie (), also known as the "Upper Castle", was the name of one of two major towns of the Mohawk nation in 1738. The community stretched for a mile and a half along the southern bank of the Mohawk River, from a village known as ''Dekanohage' ...

, New York, from 1813 to 1819. He was district attorney for Montgomery County, New York, from 1819 to 1821.

Congressional service

Conkling was elected as a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

from

New York's 14th congressional district New York's 14th congressional district is a List of United States congressional districts, congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City, represented by United States Democratic Party, Democrat A ...

to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

of the

17th United States Congress The 17th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. While its term was officially March 4, 1821, t ...

, serving from March 4, 1821, to March 3, 1823. Following his departure from Congress, he resumed private practice in Albany, New York, from 1823 to 1825.

Federal judicial service

Conkling received a

recess appointment In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the president of a federal official when the U.S. Senate is in recess. Under the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause, the President is empowered to nominate, and with the advi ...

from President

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...

on August 27, 1825, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge

Roger Skinner Roger Skinner (June 1, 1773 – August 19, 1825) was an attorney and government official from New York. He was most notable for his service as United States district judge for the Northern District of New York from 1819 to 1825. A native of ...

. He was nominated to the same position by President Adams on December 13, 1825. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on December 14, 1825, and received his commission the same day. While on the bench, he moved from Albany to

Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...

, New York, in 1839. There were several attempts to impeach him, but they failed. His service terminated on August 25, 1852, due to his resignation.

Later career

Conkling was United States Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Mexico for the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

from August 6, 1852, to August 17, 1853. He resumed private practice in

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

, from 1853 to 1861. He was a writer in

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

and Geneseo, New York, from 1861 to 1872. He was a writer in Utica, New York, from 1872 to 1874.

Personal life

On May 5, 1812, Conkling was married to Elizabeth "Eliza" Cockburn (1791–1851). Together, they were the parents of five children, including: * Margaret Cockburn Conkling (1814–1890), who became an accomplished author, with works such as ''The American Gentleman's Guide To Politeness and Fashion'', ''Memoirs of the Mother and Wife of Washington'', ''Isabel; or, Trials of the Heart'' and a translation of Florian's ''History of the Moors of Spain''. * Frederick Augustus Conkling (1816–1891), a

from New York. * Aurelian Conkling (1819–1861), who studied law and served as the Clerk of Court for the Northern District of New York in Buffalo until his death in May 1860. He married Harriet Adriana Schermerhorn (1815–1886), a daughter of

Commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...

John F. Schermerhorn. * Eliza Conkling (1820–1868), who married Reverend Samuel Hanson Coxe, the son of abolitionist minister, author, and educator

Samuel Hanson Cox Samuel Hanson Cox (August 25, 1793 – October 2, 1880) was an American Presbyterian minister and a leading abolitionist. Cox was born in Rahway, New Jersey to Quaker family. After renouncing his religion and serving in the War of 1812, he s ...

. *

Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling (October 30, 1829April 18, 1888) was an American lawyer and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician who represented New York (state), New York in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Se ...

(1829–1888), a United States Representative and

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

from New York. Conkling died on February 5, 1874, in Utica. He was interred in Forest Hill Cemetery in Utica.

Descendants and legacy

Conkling's grandson Alfred Conkling Coxe Sr. also served as United States District Judge in the Northern District of New York, and later a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; Coxe's own son (Conkling's great-grandson)

Alfred Conkling Coxe Jr. Alfred Conkling Coxe Jr. (May 7, 1880 – December 21, 1957) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Education and career Born in Utica, New York, on May 7, 1880, Coxe recei ...

was a Judge of the

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a United States district court, federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of New York (state), New York ...

. A photograph of Judge Conkling hangs in the courtroom at the United States District Court in Utica, New York.

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Conkling, Alfred 1789 births 1874 deaths People from Amagansett, New York People from Canajoharie, New York County district attorneys in New York (state) Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York United States federal judges appointed by John Quincy Adams 19th-century American judges Union College (New York) alumni 19th-century American diplomats Ambassadors of the United States to Mexico New York (state) Republicans Nebraska Republicans Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Gardiner family 19th-century American politicians Conkling family Burials at Forest Hill Cemetery (Utica, New York)