Killian Killian Van Rensselaer (June 9, 1763 – June 18, 1845) was an American
lawyer and
Federalist politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
who served in the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
as a
Representative
Representative may refer to:
Politics
* Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
* House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
* Legislator, som ...
from the
state of New York
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. state ...
.
Early life
Killian Killian Van Rensselaer was born on June 9, 1763 at the old
family mansion owned by his uncle Johannes in
Greenbush in the
Province of New York
The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the U ...
to
Kiliaen Van Rensselaer (1717–1781) and his first wife, Ariantje "Harriet" Schuyler (1720–1763), who died four months after his birth.
Killian was therefore the youngest of nine children born to his parents, including older brothers
Henry Kiliaen Van Rensselaer (1744–1816) and
Philip Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1747–1798), and
Nicholas Van Rensselaer (1754–1848). His elder sister, Catharine Van Rensselaer, married
William Henry Ludlow (1740–1803).
His father was commissioned as a Colonel of the
4th Regiment, Albany County Militia on October 20, 1775, and was wounded during the
Battles of Saratoga and received the highest compliments about his courage from General
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
.
Killian K. completed preparatory studies and attended
Yale College
Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
, where he studied
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
.
Extended family
On his father's side, he was the cousin of
Jeremiah Van Rensselaer
Jeremiah Van Rensselaer (August 27, 1738February 19, 1810), from the prominent Van Rensselaer family, was Lieutenant Governor of New York and a member of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York in the 1st United Sta ...
, who was also 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 ...
. His paternal grandfather was
Hendrick van Rensselaer
Hendrick van Rensselaer (October 23, 1667 – July 4, 1740) was director of the Eastern patent of the Rensselaerswyck manor.
The estate was composed of land in Columbia County, New York, and land opposite Albany, New York, on the Hudson River, ...
(1667–1740), director of the Eastern patent of the
Rensselaerswyck
The Manor of Rensselaerswyck, Manor Rensselaerswyck, Van Rensselaer Manor, or just simply Rensselaerswyck ( nl, Rensselaerswijck ), was the name of a colonial estate—specifically, a Dutch patroonship and later an English manor—owned by the va ...
manor, and his paternal grandmother was Catharina Van Brugh, daughter of merchant
Johannes Pieterse Van Brugh (1624–1697).
His maternal grandfather, Nicholas Schuyler (1691–1748), was the nephew of
Pieter Schuyler
Pieter Schuyler (17 September 1657 – 19 February 1724) was the first mayor of Albany, New York. A long-serving member of the executive council of the Province of New York, he acted as governor of the Province of New York on three occasions ...
(1657–1724), the first mayor of Albany, and the grandson of
Philip Pieterse Schuyler
Colonel Philip Pieterse Schuyler or Philip Pieterse (1628 – 9 May 1683) was a Dutch-born colonist landowner who was the progenitor of the American Schuyler family.
Early life
Philip Pieterse Schuyler was born in Amsterdam, Holland in the Repub ...
(1628–1683), the Dutch fur trader who became the progenitor of the American
Schuyler family.
Career
He was admitted to the
bar in 1784, and commenced practice in
Claverack, New York
Claverack is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 6,021 at the 2010 census. The town name is a corruption for the Dutch word “Klaverakker” for "Clover Fields" or "Clover Reach". In 1705, the first discovery ...
. He owned slaves.
He was private secretary to General
Philip Schuyler
Philip John Schuyler (; November 18, 1804) was an American general in the Revolutionary War and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.
Born in Alb ...
(1733–1804), a general in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
and later a
United States senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
, and also a cousin through his mother.
In 1794, he corresponded with
James Madison
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for h ...
regarding a letter of introduction for Robert S. Van Rensselaer, the son of his brother Philip, on his trip to Europe, at which time he met with members of the extended Van Rensselaer family in Holland.
United States Congress
Van Rensselaer was elected as a
Federalist to the
Seventh United States Congress, taking his seat on March 4, 1801, during the first Congress that met in Washington, D.C.,
as the previous congresses had met in New York and Philadelphia.
The start of seventh Congress immediately followed the election of
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...
over
Aaron Burr by the preceding
United States House of Representatives
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 ...
. Van Rensselaer went on to serve in the
Eighth,
Ninth,
Tenth, and
Eleventh United States Congress
The 11th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1809, ...
es, serving until March 3, 1811.
While in Congress, he was placed on the
Ways and Means Committee. He was invited and dined at the White House with President Jefferson and President Madison, as well as at
The Octagon House
The Octagon House, also known as the Colonel John Tayloe III House, is located at 1799 New York Avenue, Northwest in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. After the British destroyed the White House during the War of 1812, the hou ...
, the residences of
Col. John Tayloe - a close friend of
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
. He was associated with
Count Fyodor Palen, the
Plenipotentiary of the Czar of Russia to the United States, and
Louis Marie Turreau, Napoleon's
Ambassador to the United States
The following table lists ambassadors to the United States, sorted by the representative country or organization.
See also
*Ambassadors of the United States
Notes
{{reflist, 30em
External linksCurrent and former Ambassadors to the United Sta ...
.
Afterwards, he returned to
Claverack and resumed the
practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the profess ...
.
Personal life
On January 27, 1791, Van Rensselaer married Margaretta "Margaret" Sanders (1764–1830), daughter of John Sanders (d. 1782) and Deborah Glen (d. 1786) of
Scotia
Scotia is a Latin placename derived from ''Scoti'', a Latin name for the Gaels, first attested in the late 3rd century.Duffy, Seán. ''Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge, 2005. p.698 The Romans referred to Ireland as "Scotia" around ...
, and a cousin of his brother Philip's wife. Her sister, Maria, was the wife of Mayor
Johannes Jacobse Beekman
Johannes "John" Jacobse Beekman (August 8, 1733 – December 17, 1802) was a New York politician and businessman of Dutch descent. He served as Mayor of Albany, New York and a member of the New York State Assembly.
Early life
Beekman was ...
. Together they had five children, one of whom died in infancy:
*
John Sanders Van Rensselaer (1792–1868), who married Ann Dunkin (1795–1845)
* William Van Rensselaer (1794–1855)
* Deborah Van Rensselaer (1795–1796), who died in infancy
* Richard Van Rensselaer (1797–1880),
who married Elizabeth Van Rensselaer (d. 1835), and later Matilda Fonda Van Rensselaer (d. 1863)
* Bernard Sanders Van Rensselaer (1801–1879), who married Elizabeth Hum (d. 1834), and later Mary Targee (d. 1858).
They lived at
112 State Street, a home built for them in 1801, at the same time
Philip S. Van Rensselaer, the Mayor, built his home on the corner of Chapel Street (which was later purchased by
Erastus Corning
Erastus Corning (December 14, 1794 – April 9, 1872) was an American businessman and politician from Albany, New York. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as mayor of Albany from 1834 to 1837, in the New York State Senate from 1842 ...
). Van Rensselaer died on June 18, 1845 in
Albany, New York
Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York C ...
, aged 82, and was interred in a private cemetery at East Greenbush.
Descendants
Killian's grandson was
Charles van Rensselaer (1823–1857), the first officer on the
SS ''Central America'', when it was lost during a hurricane in September 1857.
[''Loss of the Central America''](_blank)
September 21, 1857 New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
article; Retrieved August 1, 2013.
References
;Notes
;Sources
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Rensselaer, Killian
1763 births
1845 deaths
People from Rensselaer County, New York
People of the Province of New York
Killian
American people of Dutch descent
Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
New York (state) lawyers
American slave owners
People from Claverack, New York