John Frederick Frelinghuysen (March 21, 1776 – April 10, 1833) was an American

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

and lawyer.

Biography

John Frelinghuysen was born in Millstone, then in the

Province of New Jersey The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1783. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland but came under English rule after t ...

, on March 21, 1776 to Frederick Frelinghuysen and Gertrude Schenck. He had four siblings: Catharine, Maria, Theodore, and

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick ...

. John graduated from Queen's College (now

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

) in 1792 after studying law, and he was admitted to the bar in the state of New Jersey in 1797. He was a member representing Somerset County, New Jersey in the

New Jersey Legislative Council The New Jersey Legislative Council was the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature under the New Jersey Constitution of 1776 until it was replaced by the New Jersey Senate under the Constitution of 1844. History The Legislative Council replaced ...

(now the New Jersey Senate) from 1805 to 1814 and 1815 to 1820, and served three consecutive five-year terms on the

Surrogate Court A probate court (sometimes called a surrogate court) is a court that has competence in a jurisdiction to deal with matters of probate and the administration of estates. In some jurisdictions, such courts may be referred to as Orphans' Courts o ...

for Somerset County, New Jersey. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

, he joined the military, and commanded the New Jersey State Militia at

Sandy Hook Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern ...

, where his assignment was to prevent ships from attacking

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. At the close of the war he was promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. John Frelinghuysen married Louisa Mercer in 1797, and they had two daughters: Gertrude and Mary Ann. Louisa died around 1809 and John married Elizabeth Mercereau Van Vechten on November 13, 1811. They had eight children: Louisa, Theodore, Frederick J., Catharine, Sallie, Sophia, and Elizabeth LaGrange Frelinghuysen. John Frelinghuysen died in

Millstone, New Jersey Millstone is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It was originally known as Somerset Courthouse and was the county seat. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 418,

on April 10, 1833, and was buried in the Old Somerville Cemetery in Somerville, New Jersey. His tombstone reads: "Sacred to the memory of General John Frelinghuysen who died on the 10th day of April A.D. 1833 in the fifty eighth year of his age ..."

Legacy

John Frelinghuysen House, Raritan, NJ north view

His house was donated to the Raritan Public Library in 1970 and retains its 19th-century interior finishes and exterior appearance and serves as an active community library.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Frelinghuysen, John United States Army generals New Jersey lawyers Members of the New Jersey Legislative Council Rutgers University alumni 1776 births 1833 deaths

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

People from Millstone, New Jersey American people of Dutch descent 19th-century American lawyers