William Nelson (June 29, 1784 – October 3, 1869) was an American lawyer and judge from

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

. He represented

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 * '' ...

in the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

from 1847 to 1851.

Biography

Born in Hyde Park, Dutchess County, New York, on June 29, 1784, Nelson attended the common schools and was graduated from Poughkeepsie Academy. He studied law and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1807, and commenced practice in

Peekskill Peekskill is a city in northwestern Westchester County, New York, United States, from New York City. Established as a village in 1816, it was incorporated as a city in 1940. It lies on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across fr ...

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

, New York. He married Cornelia Mandeville Hardman, and they had 12 children, Richard, Joseph, Cornelia, Dorinda, George, Thomas, Sarah, William, Elizabeth, Edward, Laura, and Robert.

Career

Nelson was a member of New York state assembly from Westchester County from 1819 to 1821. He was a member of the New York state senate, 2nd District, from 1824 to 1827. He was a state court judge for the correction of errors in New York from 1824 to 1827. For thirty years he served as district attorney for Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester Counties. Elected as a Whig to the Thirtieth and Thirty-first Congresses as

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 ...

from New York for the 7th District, Nelson served from March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1851. He resumed the practice of his profession.

Death

Nelson died in Peekskill, Westchester County, New York, on October 3, 1869 (age 85 years, 96 days). He is

interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

at Hillside Cemetery, Cortlandt town, Westchester County, New York.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, William 1784 births 1869 deaths New York (state) state court judges People from Peekskill, New York People from Hyde Park, New York Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges