Edward De Peyster Livingston (March 6, 1861 – January 19, 1932) was an American lawyer and society leader during the

Gilded Age In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Weste ...

Early life

Livingston was born in New York City on March 6, 1861. He was the second son of four children born to Robert Edward Livingston (1820–1889) and Susan Maria Clarkson (

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 ...

De Peyster) Livingston (1823–1910). His siblings included Catherine Goodhue Livingston, Robert Reginald Livingston, who married Mary Tailer, and

Goodhue Livingston Goodhue Livingston (February 23, 1867 – June 3, 1951) was an American architect who co-founded the firm of Trowbridge & Livingston. He designed the St. Regis Hotel, the Hayden Planetarium, and numerous buildings listed on the National Register ...

, an architect with

Trowbridge & Livingston Trowbridge & Livingston was an architectural practice based in New York City in the early 20th-century. The firm's partners were Samuel Beck Parkman Trowbridge and Goodhue Livingston. Often commissioned by well-heeled clients, much of the fir ...

who designed the

Hayden Planetarium The Rose Center for Earth and Space is a part of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The Center's complete name is The Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space. The main entrance is located on the no ...

. His paternal grandparents were

Edward Philip Livingston Edward Philip Livingston (November 24, 1779 in Kingston, Jamaica – November 3, 1843 in Clermont, New York) was an American politician. Early life He was the son of Philip Philip Livingston (1741–1787, son of Philip Livingston) and Sara (J ...

, the

New York State Senator 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 compo ...

and 11th Lt. Gov. of New York who was master of Clermont Manor, and Elizabeth Stevens Livingston, the eldest daughter of

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

Robert R. Livingston. His maternal grandparents were James Ferguson De Peyster and Susan Maria (née Clarkson) De Peyster, who died in 1823 shortly after his mother's birth. His uncle was Gen. Frederic James de Peyster. His maternal grandmother was the daughter of Gen.

Matthew Clarkson Matthew Clarkson (October 17, 1758 – April 25, 1825) was a colonial soldier and politician. Clarkson Street in Greenwich Village and the town of Clarkson in Western New York were both named after him. Early life Clarkson was born on October ...

and sister of Mary Rutherfurd Clarkson, the wife of Peter Augustus Jay. Livingston graduated from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1882, and Columbia Law School in 1884.

Career

After graduating from law school, where he was a member of

Delta Psi St. Anthony Hall or the Fraternity of Delta Psi is an American fraternity and literary society. Its first chapter was founded at Columbia University on , the feast day of Saint Anthony the Great. The fraternity is a non–religious, nonsectaria ...

, Livingston practiced law at 156 Broadway in New York.

Society life

In 1892, Livingston was included in Ward McAllister's "

Four Hundred 400 (four hundred) is the natural number following 399 and preceding 401. Mathematical properties 400 is the square of 20. 400 is the sum of the powers of 7 from 0 to 3, thus making it a repdigit in base 7 (1111). A circle is divided into ...

", purported to be an index of New York's best families, published in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. Conveniently, 400 was the number of people that could fit into Mrs. Astor's ballroom. From 1896 until 1917, Livingston was a vestryman of St. Paul's Church in

Tivoli, New York Tivoli is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population is 1,012, according to the 2020 census. The village, which was incorporated in 1872 from parts of Upper Red Hook Landing and Madalin, is the northernmost settlement ...

. He was a member of the Union Club of the City of New York, the Calumet Club, the Tuxedo Club, the St. Anthony Club, the St. Nicholas Society, and the

Society of Colonial Wars The Society of Colonial Wars is a hereditary society composed of men who trace their descents from forebears who, in military, naval, or civil positions of high trust and responsibility, by acts or counsel, assisted in the establishment, defense, ...

Personal life

Livingston, who did not marry, lived at his father's

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

estate, "Northwood" in

Clermont, New York Clermont is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,965 at the 2010 census. The name of the town is French for "Clear Mountain", in reference to the mountain views in the town. The town is in the southwestern co ...

, and in New York City at 271

Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping stre ...

, the former home of his mother, which he shared with his unmarried sister Catherine. He died at his home in New York on January 19, 1932.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Livingston, Edward De Peyster 1861 births 1932 deaths De Peyster family Edward De Peyster Columbia Law School alumni