Hamilton Fish II (April 17, 1849 – January 15, 1936) was an American lawyer and politician who served as

Speaker of the New York State Assembly The speaker of the New York State Assembly is the highest official in the New York State Assembly, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party. As in most countries with a British heritage, the speaker presides over the lower hous ...

and a member of 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 ...

Early life

Fish was born in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York C ...

, on April 17, 1849, while his father was serving as

Governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has ...

. Fish was the son of Julia Ursin Niemcewicz Kean (1816–1887) and

Hamilton Fish Hamilton Fish (August 3, 1808September 7, 1893) was an American politician who served as the 16th Governor of New York from 1849 to 1850, a United States Senator from New York from 1851 to 1857 and the 26th United States Secretary of State ...

(1808–1893). He graduated from

Columbia College of Columbia University Columbia College is the oldest undergraduate college of Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded by the Church of England in 1754 as King's ...

in 1869 and was a member of St. Anthony Hall. He also received a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree from Columbia. His paternal grandparents were Elizabeth (

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 ...

Stuyvesant) Fish and

Nicholas Fish Nicholas Fish (August 28, 1758 – June 20, 1833) was an American Revolutionary War soldier. He was the first Adjutant General of New York. Early life Fish was born on August 28, 1758 into a wealthy New York City family. He was the son of Jon ...

(1758–1833), a leading Federalist politician and notable figure of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, who named his father after their friend

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

.Corning (1918), pp. 12–15. In 1903, he succeeded his brother

Nicholas Fish II Nicholas Fish II (February 19, 1846–September 16, 1902) was a United States diplomat who served as the ambassador to Switzerland from 1877 to 1881 and the ambassador to Belgium from 1882 to 1885. In a widely reported crime of the time know ...

as a hereditary member of the Society of the Cincinnati.

Career

After graduating from Columbia, he served as private secretary to his father for two years. He then returned to Columbia and attended

Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...

, graduating in 1873. From 1873 to 1874 he was aide-de-camp to 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 ...

with the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. He was elected to twelve terms as a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

, representing Putnam County, in 1874, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1889,

1890 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony, in the Horn of Africa. ** In Michigan, the wooden steamer ''Mackinaw'' burns in a fire on the Black River. * January 2 ** The steamship ...

, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1895 and 1896. He was the Republican leader in 1890 and

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

in 1895 and 1896. He was selected in 1903 to serve as assistant

treasurer of the United States The treasurer of the United States is an officer in the United States Department of the Treasury who serves as custodian and trustee of the federal government's collateral assets and the supervisor of the department's currency and coinage produc ...

in charge of the Wall Street sub-treasury in the administration of

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. Roosevelt's first choice,

Robert Bacon Robert Bacon (July 5, 1860 – May 29, 1919) was an American statesman and diplomat. He was also a leading banker and businessman who worked closely with Secretary of State Elihu Root, 1905-1909, and served as United States Secretary of Sta ...

, declined the position. He withdrew his second choice, William Plimley, after objections from several senators and New York bank presidents to the appointment of a political aide who had no relevant experience. Roosevelt then nominated Fish, who was promptly confirmed. He resigned from the Treasury in 1908 to run for the

against Andrew C. Zabriskie. He defeated Zabriskie and was elected to represent New York's 21st district and served for a single term from March 4, 1909, until March 3, 1911. He was defeated for reelection. For many years Fish was considered to be one of the top Republican bosses in the

State of New York New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. state ...

, controlling Putnam County.

Personal life

In 1880, Fish was married to Emily Maria Mann (1854–1899) at St. John's Church in

Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany ...

. She was the daughter of Francis N. Mann (1802–1880) and Mary J. (

Hooker) Mann (1822–1875). Before her death in 1899, they were the parents of: * Janet Fish (1883–1970), who died unmarried. * Julia Kean Fish (1884–1960), who married William Lawrence Breese (1883–1915) in 1908. He was killed in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. His older sister, Eloise Lawrence Breese (1882–1953), was married Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster (1867–1951), and his younger sister, Anne Breese (1885–1959), who was married to Lord Alastair Robert Innes-Ker (b. 1880), the second son of

James Innes-Ker, 7th Duke of Roxburghe James Henry Robert Innes-Ker, 7th Duke of Roxburghe (5 September 1839 – 23 October 1892), became Duke of Roxburghe on the death of his father, James Henry Robert Innes-Ker, 6th Duke of Roxburghe. Early life He was born on 5 September 1839 to ...

and a first cousin of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

. Lord Alastair's brother,

Henry Innes-Ker, 8th Duke of Roxburghe Henry John Innes-Ker, 8th Duke of Roxburghe (24 July 1876 – 29 September 1932) was a Scottish peer and courtier. Early life Henry John Innes-Ker was born on 24 July 1876. He was the son of James Henry Robert Innes-Ker, 7th Duke of Roxburghe ...

, also married an American,

Mary Goelet Mary Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe ( Goelet; October 6, 1878 – April 26, 1937) was an American-born heiress and socialite who married into Scottish nobility. Early life Mary Goelet was born in 1878. Her parents were Mary Wilson Goelet (185 ...

(1878–1937), the daughter of the New York real-estate millionaire

Ogden Goelet Ogden Goelet (June 11, 1851 New York City – August 27, 1897 Cowes, Isle of Wight) was an American heir, businessman and yachtsman from New York City during the Gilded Age. With his wife, he built Ochre Court in Newport, Rhode Island, his so ...

. His younger brother, Lord Robert Edward Innes-Ker (1885–1958) married the actress

Jose Collins Charlotte Josephine Collins (23 May 1887 – 6 December 1958) was an English actress and singer known by her stage name, José Collins, who was celebrated for her performances in musical comedies, such as the long-running ''The Maid of the Mo ...

."Lord R. Innes-Ker weds Jose Collins; Brother of Duke of Roxburghe Married to Musical Comedy Actress in London. Ceremony was a Secret. Bride, Daughter of Late Lottie Collins, Won First Success Herein "The Merry Countess." ''New York Times'', 4 November 1920, p. 16]
(citation only)
full article) * Emily Rosalind Fish (1886–1975), who married Johnny Cutler, John Wilson Cutler (1887–1950), an investment banker, in 1910. * Hamilton Stuyvesant Fish III (1888–1991), also a U.S. Representative, who married Grace Chapin Rogers (1885–1960), daughter of Brooklyn Mayor

Alfred C. Chapin Alfred Clark Chapin (March 8, 1848 – October 2, 1936) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the Mayor of Brooklyn and for one year as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1891 to 1892. Early life Chap ...

in 1921. After her death in 1960, he married Marie Blackton in 1967. After her death in 1974, he was married to Alice Desmond from 1976 until their divorce in 1984. He married for the fourth time in 1988 to Lydia Ambrogio, whom he remained married to until his death at the age of 102. * Helena Livingston Fish (1893–1970), who married Henry Forster (1889–1989), a son of Frederick Prentiss Forster and Edith (née Allen) Forster, in 1920. After his first wife's death, he married Florence Delaplaine (1849–1926) in 1912. Florence, a widow of both James Beekman (1848–1902), a great-grandson of James Beekman, and Gustav Amsinck (1837–1909), was the daughter of Isaac C. Delaplaine and Matilda (née Post) Delaplaine (1821–1907). In the late 19th century, he purchased the Rock Lawn and Carriage House at

Garrison, New York Garrison is a hamlet in Putnam County, New York, United States. It is part of the town of Philipstown, on the east side of the Hudson River, across from the United States Military Academy at West Point. The Garrison Metro-North Railroad st ...

. Fish died at the home of his daughter, Julia, in

Aiken, South Carolina Aiken is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Aiken County, in western South Carolina. It is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. Founded in 1835, Aiken was named after William Aiken, the president of the S ...

, on January 15, 1936. He was buried at Saint Philip's Church Cemetery in Garrison.

Descendants

Through his daughter Julia, he was the grandfather of William Lawrence Breese Jr. (1909–2000), founder and chairman of the Longview Foundation for Education in World Affairs and International Understanding, and Hamilton Fish Breese (1910–1920). Through his son Hamilton, he was the grandfather of Hamilton Fish IV (1926–1996), a thirteen-term

U.S. 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 c ...

from New York who held office from 1969 to 1995, and Lillian Veronica Fish married David Whitmire Hearst (1915–1986), son of

William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst Sr. (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His flamboya ...

References

;Notes ;Sources * *

External links

The Political Graveyard

Desmond-Fish Library
Public Library co-founded by Hamilton Fish IV. Library has many Fish family artifacts, papers and portraits on display.

Contains many online documents on the Fish Family. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fish II, Hamilton 1849 births 1936 deaths Hamilton II Winthrop family Columbia Law School alumni American militia officers United States Department of the Treasury officials Politicians from Albany, New York Politicians from Putnam County, New York Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly Speakers of the New York State Assembly New York (state) lawyers Burials in New York (state) Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Lawyers from Albany, New York People included in New York Society's Four Hundred Columbia College (New York) alumni