Robert Le Roy Livingston (October 10, 1778April 14, 1836) was a

United States 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 ...

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 * '' ...

Early life

Robert Le Roy Livingston was born on October 10, 1778Robert Le Roy Livingston
/ref> in Claverack, Columbia County to John Livingston (1749–1822) and Mary Ann Le Roy (1759–1797), daughter of Jacob Le Roy and Cornelia Rutgers,. After his mother's death in 1797, his father married Catherine (Livingston) Ridley, his first cousin, the daughter of

William Livingston William Livingston (November 30, 1723July 25, 1790) was an American politician who served as the first governor of New Jersey (1776–1790) during the American Revolutionary War. As a New Jersey representative in the Continental Congress, he sig ...

and the widow of Matthew Ridley. His siblings included: Cornelia Livingston (b. 1776), who married Nicholas G. Rutgers, Jacob Livingston (b. 1780) who first married Catherine Adriana de Peyster (granddaughter of

Abraham de Peyster Abraham de Peyster (July 8, 1657 – August 3, 1728) was the 20th mayor of New York City from 1691 to 1694, and served as Governor of New York, 1700–1701. Early life De Peyster was born in New Amsterdam on July 8, 1657, to Johannes de Peyst ...

), and second married Levantia White, John G. Livingston (b. 1782), who died unmarried after being killed in a duel, Daniel Livingston (b. 1786) who married Eliza Oothout, Philip Henry Livingston (b. 1787), Anthony Rutgers Livingston (b. 1789), who married Anna Hoffman (daughter of Martin Hoffman and Beulah Murray), Henry Livingston (b. 1791), who married Ann Eliza Van Ness, and Herman Livingston (1793–1872), who married Sarah Lawrence Hallett (1795–1868) and inherited the family home from their father, John Livingston. His parents were of Scottish and

French Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Bez ...

descent, whose families had been in the New York colony for generations. His paternal grandfather was Robert Livingston (1708–1790), the third and final Lord of

Livingston Manor Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the Province of New York granted to Robert Livingston the Elder during the reign of George I of Great Britain. History Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the colonial Province of New York granted ...

and a member of the assembly for the manor from 1737 to 1790.Kierner, Cynthia A., ''Traders and Gentlefolk: The Livingstons of New York, 1675-1790'', Cornell University Press, 1992
/ref> Livingston attended private school and graduated from College of New Jersey.

Career

He was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Twelfth United States Infantry on January 14, 1799 and

honorably discharged A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...

on June 15, 1800. He was elected as a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

from New York to the Eleventh and Twelfth United States Congresses, serving from March 4, 1809 until May 6, 1812, when he resigned. When the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

started, Livingston was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the Twenty-third Infantry on May 29, 1812 and served until February 1, 1813, when he resigned.

Personal life

He was married to Anna Maria Digges (1792–1865), daughter of George Digges (1742–1792) and Catherine Brent (1768–1835). Together, they had seven children: * Robert L. Livingston (b. 1812), who died unmarried * Eliza C. Livingston (1814–1888), who married Andrew Pierce * Cornelia Livingston, who married Abraham Pierce * John L. Livingston (1816–1849), who married Margaret Lockwood * William Le Roy Livingston * Edward Livingston (1824–1872), who married Caroline Ann Van Rensselaer (1823–1896), daughter of Robert Hendrick Van Rensselaer (1779–1835) and Anna Ten Broeck (1783–1861) * Norah Carroll Livingston (1830–1896), who married Ignatius Fenwick Young (1825–1892) Livingston died in 1836.

References

;Notes ;Sources *Dangerfield, George. ''Chancellor Robert R. Livingston of New York, 1746-1813.'' New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., 1960. {{DEFAULTSORT:Livingston, Robert Le Roy 1778 births 1836 deaths Princeton University alumni People from Claverack, New York United States Army officers Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)