James Irving Burns (August 10, 1843

Biddeford Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. Its population was 22,552 at the 2020 census. The twin cities of Saco and Biddeford include the resort communities of Biddeford Poo ...

, York County, Maine – December 17, 1925) was an American lawyer and politician 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 * '' ...

Life

He was the son of Jeremiah Burns (died 1874) and Aphia (Dennett) Burns (died 1901). The family removed to Yonkers, New York, in the 1850s. He attended

Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...

in 1859 and 1860. He graduated from Union College in 1862, and from Columbian College Law School. He was secretary and treasurer of

Rutgers Female College Rutgers Female College was chartered in April 1838 under the name Rutgers Female Institute. Its first home was at 262–66 Madison Street on the Lower East Side of New York City, on land lent by William B. Crosby, one of the first incorporators. ...

(located on Fifth Avenue in New York City) for seven years; and superintendent of Bonded Warehouses of the Port of New York from 1874 to 1884. Then he became manager of the Knickerbocker Subscription Agency, and president of the

Spring Creek A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring creek may additionally be ...

and

Rockerville Rockerville is a small unincorporated community in Pennington County in the Black Hills of the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally established as a mining camp, it was named for the "rockers" which were used to separate placer gold from stre ...

Water and Mining Company of South Dakota. He was an alderman of Yonkers in 1883 and 1884; and 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 ...

(Westchester Co., 1st D.) in

1887 Events January–March * January 11 – Louis Pasteur's anti-rabies treatment is defended in the Académie Nationale de Médecine, by Dr. Joseph Grancher. * January 20 ** The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Har ...

1888 In Germany, 1888 is known as the Year of the Three Emperors. Currently, it is the year that, when written in Roman numerals, has the most digits (13). The next year that also has 13 digits is the year 2388. The record will be surpassed as late ...

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 ...

and

1895 Events January–March * January 5 – Dreyfus affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his army rank, and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. * January 12 – The National Trust for Places of Histor ...

. 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 com ...

(22nd D.) from 1896 to 1898, sitting in the 119th, 120th and

121st New York State Legislature The 121st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to July 16, 1898, during the second year of Frank S. Black's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provi ...

Sources

''RUTGERS FEMALE COLLEGE''
in NYT on June 23, 1876
Biographical sketches of the members of the Legislature
in ''The Evening Journal Almanac'' (1888)
Sketches of the members of the Legislature
in ''The Evening Journal Almanac'' (1895; pg. 58)
''The New York Red Book''
compiled by Edgar L. Murlin (published by James B. Lyon, Albany NY, 1897; pg. 137f, 404, 506ff and 512)
''Obituary Notes; Mrs. APHIA DENNETT BURNS...''
in NYT on April 15, 1901 {{DEFAULTSORT:Burns, J Irving 1843 births 1925 deaths Republican Party New York (state) state senators Politicians from Yonkers, New York Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly George Washington University Law School alumni Union College (New York) alumni Colgate University alumni Politicians from Biddeford, Maine