Robert Hewson Pruyn (February 14, 1815 – February 26, 1882) was an American lawyer, militia general, diplomat, and politician from

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 City ...

. He was most notable for his service as

Speaker of the New York State Assembly The speaker of the New York State Assembly is the highest official in the New York State Assembly, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party. As in most countries with a British heritage, the speaker presides over the lower hous ...

, Adjutant General of New York, and United States Minister Resident to Japan.

Early life

Pruyn was born in

, on February 14, 1815, the son of Casparus F. and Ann (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Hewson) Pruyn. The Pruyn (pronounced "Prine") family of

was one of the oldest and most esteemed

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

families in New York, and at the time of Robert's birth there, had resided in Albany for over two centuries. Pruyn graduated from

The Albany Academy The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, USA, enrolling students from Preschool (age 3) to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Renssela ...

, and received

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

(1833) and

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

(1836) degrees from

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

. He studied law with

Abraham Van Vechten Abraham Van Vechten (December 5, 1762 – January 6, 1837) was an American lawyer and a Federalist politician who served twice as New York State Attorney General. Early life Abraham Van Vechten was born on December 5, 1762, in Catskill, Alban ...

, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Albany.Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Pruyn
. '' Schenectady Countybr>Public Library
'. Retrieved March 14, 2008.

Political, military, and diplomatic service

Pruyn served as Albany's corporation counsel and was a member of the city council. Active in the state militia, he was named Judge Advocate General in 1841, serving until 1846, and again in 1851. A political ally and close friend to

William Henry Seward William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined oppon ...

, he was a Whig member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

(Albany Co., 3rd D.) in 1848, 1849, 1850, 1851,

1852 Events January–March * January 14 – President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic. * January 15 – Nine men representing various Jewish charitable organizations come tog ...

and

1854 Events January–March * January 4 – The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the ''Samarang''. * January 6 – The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is perhaps born. * January 9 – The Teut ...

.Treat, p. 193
/ref> On January 30, 1850, after Speaker

Noble S. Elderkin Noble Strong Elderkin (August 28, 1810 in Potsdam, St. Lawrence County, New York – December 29, 1875 in Potsdam, St. Lawrence County, New York) was an American politician from New York. He was Speaker of the New York State Assembly in 1850. Life ...

left the Assembly to stay at home with his wife who was terminally ill, Pruyn was elected Speaker pro tempore. He was again

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

in 1854. Pruyn was an experienced militia officer, including service as the state judge advocate general. In 1855, Governor

Myron Clark Myron Holley Clark (October 23, 1806 – August 23, 1892) was an American politician from the U.S. state of New York. Early life Clark was born in Naples, Ontario County, New York on October 23, 1806. He was the eldest son of Maj. Joseph Cla ...

appointed him

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

of the

New York National Guard The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs (NYS DMNA) is responsible for the state's New York Army National Guard, New York Air National Guard, New York Guard and the New York Naval Militia. It is headed by Adjutant General of New ...

, replacing

John Watts de Peyster John Watts de Peyster, Sr. (March 9, 1821 – May 4, 1907) was an American author on the art of war, philanthropist, and the Adjutant General of New York.Allaben, p. 205 He served in the New York State Militia during the Mexican–American War an ...

.Allaben, p. 205 He achieved the rank of

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 ...

of the militia, and was succeeded as adjutant general by

Frederick Townsend Frederick Townsend (September 21, 1825 – September 12, 1897) was a Union officer in the American Civil War. He founded and was Colonel of the 3rd New York Infantry Regiment, and later served with the US Army's 18th and 9th Infantry regiments, ...

. At the personal request of Seward, who was then Secretary of State, President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

appointed him Minister to Japan in 1861, and he served in that capacity until 1865, when he returned to New York.Jean S. Olton, "Robert Hewson Pruyn: Enjoy to Japan 1862-1865," Town of

Colonie, New York Colonie is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. It is the most-populous suburb of Albany, and is the third-largest town in area in Albany County, occupying approximately 11% of the county. Several hamlets exist within the town. ...

(November 1990).Treat, p. 194
/ref>

Japan–United States relations International relations between Japan and the United States began in the late 18th and early 19th century with the diplomatic but force-backed missions of U.S. ship captains James Glynn and Matthew C. Perry to the Tokugawa shogunate. Following ...

had only recently been established with the visits by Commodore Perry in 1852 to 1854. Pruyn's crowning achievement was the successful negotiation following the Shimonoseki bombardment. He was considered highly successful in his dealings with the ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

''. He also signed an agreement to allow shipwrecked Japanese sailors to be repatriated.

Later career

He was awarded an

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

from

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...

in 1865 and served on the board of

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...

s. He went on to become president of the National Commercial Bank and Trust of Albany, and was one of the founders of

Albany Law School Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and has an affiliation agreement with University at A ...

. In 1866, he was the unsuccessful Conservative Union candidate for

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

of New York along with gubernatorial candidate, John T. Hoffman, who was then the

mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...

. In the Summer of 1869, he was illegally arrested with other

Albany and Susquehanna Railroad The Albany and Susquehanna Railroad (A&S) was a broad gauge railroad from Albany to Binghamton, New York, operating 1851 to 1870. It was subsequently leased by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company and later merged into the Delaware and Hudson ...

executive members during

Jay Gould Jason Gould (; May 27, 1836 – December 2, 1892) was an American railroad magnate and financial speculator who is generally identified as one of the robber barons of the Gilded Age. His sharp and often unscrupulous business practices made hi ...

and Jim Fisk's attempt to buy the railroad.

Personal life

In 1841, Pruyn married Jane Ann Lansing (1811–1886), a member of another prominent Albany family. Her father, Gerrit Yates Lansing, was 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 ...

who served as the chancellor of the

University of the State of New York The University of the State of New York (USNY, ) is the state of New York (state), New York's governmental umbrella organization for both public and private institutions in New York State. The "university" is not an educational institution: it i ...

. Together, Robert and Jane were the parents of four children, including: * Edward Pruyn (1843–1862) * Robert Clarence Pruyn (1847–1934), who was a prominent banker and leader of the American toy industry. * Helen Lansing Pruyn (1849–1854) * Charles Lansing Pruyn (1852–1906) He died suddenly in 1882 in Albany.THE HON. ROBERT H. PRUYN DEAD
. ''

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 d ...

''. February 27, 1882. His remains are interred at

Albany Rural Cemetery The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Colonie, New York, United States, just outside the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the U.S., at over . Many historical A ...

, Section 30, Lot 14.

Electoral history

Notes

References

*Allaben, Frank.
John Watts de Peyster
'. Frank Allaben Genealogical Company: New York, 1908. *Findling, John.
Dictionary of American Diplomatic History
'. Greenwood Press: Westport, 1989. *Hutchins, S.C.
Civil List and Forms of Government of the Colony State of New York
'. Weed, Parsons & Co.: Albany, 1870. *Johnson, Rossiter, and Brown, John Howard.
The twentieth-century biographical dictionary of notable Americans
'. The Biographical Society: Boston. 1904. *Shavit, David.
The United States in Asia: A Historical Dictionary
'. Greenwood Press: Westport. 1990. *Seward, Frederick W.
Autobiography of William H. Seward, from 1801 to 1834
'. D. Appleton: New York. 1877. *Stern, Philip Van Doren.
When the Guns Roared: World Aspects of the American Civil War
'. Doubleday: New York, 1965. *Treat, Payson Jackson.
The Early Diplomatic Relations Between the United States and Japan, 1853-1865
'. The Johns Hopkins Press: Baltimore, 1917.

External links

Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States.Pruyn House, Diane Morgan Curator 207 Old Niskayuna Road P.O. Box 212 Newtonville, NY 12128.
* *S. Fessler,
The Letters of Robert Hewson Pruyn
(2022). East Asian Studies Faculty Scholarship. 19. {{DEFAULTSORT:Pruyn, Robert Hewson 1815 births 1882 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Japan Lawyers from Albany, New York Politicians from Albany, New York Military personnel from Albany, New York The Albany Academy alumni Rutgers University alumni American militia generals New York (state) Whigs New York (state) lawyers Speakers of the New York State Assembly Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly Burials at Albany Rural Cemetery 19th-century American diplomats 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American politicians Lansing family Pruyn family