Johannes Bruyn (February 21, 1750 – February 10, 1814) was an American politician from

Ulster County, New York Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster. History ...

Early life

Bruyn was born on February 21, 1750, in

Shawangunk, New York Shawangunk is a town in southwestern Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 13,563 at the 2020 census. The town takes its name from its largest stream, the Shawangunk Kill. The name Shawangunk is from the language of the Lena ...

. He was a son of Jacobus Bruyn and Jane (

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 ...

Graham) Pruyn (d. 1764). Among his siblings was elder sister Gertruyd Bruyn (the wife of Cornelius DuBois), twin brothers Severyn Tenhout Bruyn (also a New York Assemblymen) and Jacobus S. Bruyn (also a New York Assemblymen and member of New York State Senate; married Margaret DeWitt, a daughter of Andries J. DeWitt and Blandina Elmendorf Ten Eyck; father of Andrew DeWitt Bruyn), sister Mary Bruyn (wife of Nicholas Hardenberg), and brother Cornelius Bruyn (also a New York Assemblymen).

Career

For a long time he was a judge of Ulster County and "enjoyed the esteem and confidence of the community; was a man of sound judgment, sterling integrity, and unwavering in his principles." In April 1781, Bruyn was elected as a

New York 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 in the United ...

men representing from Ulster County in the 5th and

6th New York State Legislature The 6th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from July 8, 1782, to March 27, 1783, during the sixth year of George Clinton's governorship, first at Poughkeepsie, then at Kings ...

s and serving from July 1, 1781, until June 30, 1783. After two years, he was succeeded by

John Cantine Johannes "John" Cantine (October 20, 1735 – April 30, 1808) was an American politician. Born in Marbletown, New York, Cantine served in both houses of the New York Legislature. Cantine also served in the New York state convention concerning ...

. He was a

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

for New York in

1792 Events January–March * January 9 – The Treaty of Jassy ends the Russian Empire's war with the Ottoman Empire over Crimea. * February 18 – Thomas Holcroft produces the comedy '' The Road to Ruin'' in London. * February ...

. In April 1796, he was again elected to the Assembly, this time 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 ...

, and served in the

20th New York State Legislature The 20th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 1, 1796, to April 3, 1797, during the second year of John Jay's governorship, first in New York City, then in Albany ...

from July 1, 1796, to June 30, 1797, when he was replaced by his brother

Jacobus A Jacobus is an English gold coin of the reign of James I, worth 25 shillings. The name of the coin comes from the Latin inscription surrounding the King's head on the obverse of the coin, IACOBUS D G MAG BRIT FRA ET HI REX ("James, by the grace o ...

. Two years later, Johannes replaced Jacobus in the Assembly. Johannes served in the

23rd New York State Legislature The 23rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 28 to April 8, 1800, during the fifth year of John Jay's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provisions ...

from July 1, 1799, to June 30, 1800. In April 1809, he was elected as a Democratic-Republican to a four-year term in 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 ...

for the

33rd New York State Legislature The 33rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 30 to April 6, 1810, during the third year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the pro ...

, and by virtue of that office a member of the Court of Errors. His seat was one of the 7 representing the Middle District which then consisted of

Dutchess Dutchess County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie, New York, Poughkeeps ...

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...

, Columbia,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

Rockland Rockland may refer to: People *Per Bergsland, nicknamed Peter Rockland, one of three successful escapees from Stalag Luft III (the "Great Escape") Places ;In Canada *Rockland, Greater Victoria *Rockland, Nova Scotia *Rockland, Ontario ;In the Uni ...

Greene Greene may refer to: Places United States *Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community *Greene, Iowa, a city *Greene, Maine, a town **Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene *Greene (town), New York **Greene (village), New York, in the town o ...

and Sullivan counties. Bruyn served in the 34th,

35th Military units *35th Fighter Wing, an air combat unit of the United States Air Force *35th Infantry Division (United States), a formation of the National Guard since World War I *35th Infantry Regiment (United States), a regiment created on 1 July 1 ...

36th New York State Legislature The 36th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 3, 1812, to April 13, 1813, during the sixth year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany. Background Und ...

s until June 30, 1813. In 1812, he was chosen as a member of the

Council of Appointment The Council of Appointment (sometimes also Council of Appointments) was a body of the Government of New York that existed from 1777 to 1822. History Under the New York Constitution of 1777, the Council of Appointment consisted of the Governor of Ne ...

Personal life

On April 10, 1783, Bruyn was married to Margaret DeWitt (1758–1827), a daughter of Blandina (née DuBois) DeWitt and Col.

Charles DeWitt Charles DeWitt (April 27, 1727 – August 27, 1787) was an American statesman and miller from the U.S. state of New York. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress. Early life DeWitt was born in Kingston, New York, the eldest s ...

, who served as a delegate to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

. Margaret's brother Gerrit was the father of Charles G. DeWitt, 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 ...

who was appointed the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to Guatemala by

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 ...

. Her sister Maria "Polly" DeWitt, was the wife of Jacobus "James" Hasbrouck, a prominent Kingston merchant. In addition, Margaret was a niece of Andries DeWitt and a first cousin of Jenneke DeWitt (the wife of Johannes' brother

). Together, they were the parents of: * Charles DeWitt Bruyn (1784–1849), a New York Assemblyman who married his cousin, Maria Hasbrouck (1793–1851), a daughter of James Hasbrouck and Polly (née DeWitt) Hasbrouck. * Cornelius Bruyn (1789–1873), the president of the Ulster County Bank who married Sarah Amelia Bevier, one of seven daughters of Capt. Philip DuBois Bevier and Ann (née DeWitt) Bevier. After her death in 1861 from stomach cancer, he married Catherine Van Vleck, a daughter of James Van Vleck of Shawangunk. Bruyn died in Shawangunk, New York, on February 10, 1814.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruyn, Jacobus S. 1750 births 1814 deaths Members of the New York State Assembly New York (state) state senators Burials in New York (state) 18th-century American politicians 19th-century American politicians 1792 United States presidential electors De Witt family Bruyn family