Jeremiah Russell (January 26, 1786 – September 30, 1867) was an American businessman and banker who served one term as a

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 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 * '' ...

from 1843 to 1845.

Biography

Born in

Saugerties, New York Saugerties () is a town in the northeastern corner of Ulster County, New York. The population was 19,038 at the time of the 2020 Census, a decline from 19,482 in 2010. The village of the same name is located entirely within the town. Part ...

, Russell received limited schooling. His father died when Russell was nine years old, and he aided in the support of his family by working on local farms until becoming a clerk in a store in order to learn the retail business. He served as

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

in Saugerties, and engaged in several business ventures, including ownership of a general store

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

, real estate, road and turnpike construction, and banking. Russell later transferred most of his business ventures to his sons and concentrated on banking.

Political career

He served

Town Supervisor The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the State of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, townships called "towns", and villages. (The only borou ...

from 1825 to 1828, 1830 to 1833, and 1837 to 1840. He was twice a presidential elector, casting his ballot for

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

and John C. Calhoun in 1828, and for

Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party (Uni ...

and

Richard Mentor Johnson Richard Mentor Johnson (October 17, 1780 – November 19, 1850) was an American lawyer, military officer and politician who served as the ninth vice president of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841 under President Martin Van Buren ...

1836 Events January–March * January 1 – Queen Maria II of Portugal marries Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. * January 5 – Davy Crockett arrives in Texas. * January 12 ** , with Charles Darwin on board, r ...

. Russell was 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 ...

1842 Events January–March * January ** Michael Alexander takes office, as the first appointee to the Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem. ** American medical student William E. Clarke of Berkshire Medical College becomes the first pe ...

Congress

Russell was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the Twenty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1844 to the Twenty-ninth Congress, and afterwards resumed his banking and business interests.

Death and burial

Russell died in Saugerties on September 30, 1867, and was interred in Mountain View Cemetery.

Family

Russell was married twice. In 1806 he married Elizabeth Moose (1788-1846). In 1847 he married Christina Crawford (1801-1883). With his first wife Russell was the father of eight children, including William Fiero Russell, who also served in Congress.

Sources

External links

* 1786 births 1867 deaths People from Saugerties, New York Businesspeople from New York (state) New York (state) postmasters Town supervisors in New York (state) Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Burials in New York (state) 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople {{NewYork-NYAssembly-stub