John Van Ness Yates (December 18, 1779 – January 10, 1839) was a

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 * '' ...

lawyer,

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 ...

politician, and Secretary of State from 1818 to 1826.

Early life

He was born in Albany on December 18, 1779. He was one of six children born to Jannette "Jane" Van Ness (1741–1818) and Robert Yates, a prominent

Anti-Federalist Anti-Federalism was a late-18th century political movement that opposed the creation of a stronger U.S. federal government and which later opposed History of the United States Constitution#1788 ratification, the ratification of the 1787 United St ...

attorney and jurist. His maternal uncle was Judge Peter Van Ness of Kinderhook and his cousins included

John Peter Van Ness Johannes Petrus "John Peter" Van Ness (November 4, 1769 – March 7, 1846) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1801 to 1803 and Mayor of Washington, D.C. from 1830 to 1834. Early life Van Ne ...

William P. Van Ness William Peter Van Ness (February 13, 1778 – September 6, 1826) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New York and the United States District Court for the Souther ...

, and

Cornelius P. Van Ness Cornelius Peter Van Ness (January 26, 1782 – December 15, 1852) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the tenth governor of Vermont from 1823 to 1826 and Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Spain f ...

Career

He became a lawyer after clerking in the office of

John Vernon Henry John Vernon (or Vernor) Henry (1767 – October 22, 1829) was an American lawyer and politician. Life John V. Henry was born in 1767, the son of Robert and Elizabeth Vernor Henry. He was admitted to the bar in 1782. He was a Federalist membe ...

. He held a number of offices in Albany, and was one of the first trustees of the Albany United Presbyterian Church. He was a captain of a light infantry company in 1806, master in chancery in 1808, recorder of the city 1809–1816, and

New York Secretary of State The secretary of state of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York who leads the Department of State (NYSDOS). The current secretary of state of New York is Robert J. Rodriguez, a Democrat. Duties The secre ...

1818–1826. He co-authored ''History of the State of New-York: Including Its Aboriginal and Colonial Annals'' (1826). This book features a vision of the Erie Canal, then under construction, in a ruined state in some distant, postapocalyptic future.

Personal life

Yates was married to Eliza Ross Cunningham (1789–1847), who was from

Kilbarchan Kilbarchan ( gd, Cill Bhearchain) is a village and civil parish in central Renfrewshire, in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The village's name means "cell (chapel) of St. Barchan". It is known for its former weaving industry. History ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Together, they were the parents of John Van Ness Yates Jr. (1834–1837). After his death on January 10, 1839, in Albany, he was buried in Albany Rural Cemetery.

References

External links

* 1779 births 1839 deaths American people of Dutch descent Secretaries of State of New York (state) Politicians from Albany, New York Burials at Albany Rural Cemetery Lawyers from Albany, New York 19th-century American lawyers {{NewYork-politician-stub