Robert Livingston (December 16, 1708 – November 27, 1790) was the third and final Lord of Livingston Manor and a member of the assembly for the manor from 1737 to 1790. He was also U.S. Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 1781–1783.

Early life

Robert Livingston was born on December 16, 1708, 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 ...

, the eldest son of Catharina ( née Van Brugh) Livingston and Philip Livingston (1686–1749), the second Lord of Livingston Manor. His younger brothers were Peter Van Brugh Livingston, who married Mary Alexander (sister of Lord Stirling), Philip Livingston, who married Christina Ten Broeck, and

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 ...

, who married Susannah French. All the brothers had multiple children. He was the grandson of

Robert Livingston the Elder The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...

, a New York colonial official, fur trader, and businessman who was granted a patent to 160,000 acres (650 km²/ 250 sq mi) along the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

, and becoming the first lord of Livingston Manor. His paternal grandmother was

Alida Schuyler Alida van Rensselaer Livingston ( Schuyler; 1656–1727) was a Dutch businessperson in Dutch colony in America who exerted a considerable influence in the life of the colony. Early life She was born in Beverwyck (Albany), in the New Netherlands ...

, the daughter 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 Republ ...

and the widow of Nicholas Van Rensselaer. His maternal grandparents were

Pieter Van Brugh Pieter Van Brugh (1666 – July 1740) was the Mayor of Albany, New York from 1699 to 1700 and from 1721 to 1723. Early life and family Pieter Van Brugh was a member of the Dutch aristocracy of Albany. Pieter Van Brugh was the oldest son of J ...

and Sara (née Cuyler) Van Brugh.

Career

From 1737 to 1758, Livingston succeeded his uncle Gilbert Livingston to represent Livingston Manor in the

New York General Assembly The General Assembly of New York, commonly known internationally as the New York General Assembly, and domestically simply as General Assembly, was the supreme legislative body of the Province of New York during its period of proprietal colonia ...

. He was succeeded by

in 1759 who served until 1761.

Livingston Manor

Upon the death of his father in February 1749, Robert inherited Livingston Manor and became the third

Lord of the Manor Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...

. Shortly after he acquired of the

Catskill Mountains The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas c ...

in what had formerly been the Hardenbergh Patent. Livingston found himself embroiled in a border dispute with

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

when some New Englanders began to settle on the eastern portion of the Manor. Some of the settlers were Livingston's own tenants, who tired of paying rent moved east and contended they were now in Massachusetts. By 1767, Livingston Manor had about 285 tenant families, together leasing 30,000 from Robert, according to C.A. Kierner. Settlement was disbursed, with areas adjoining waterways, mills, and ironworks, the more densely populated. The tenants paid their rent in wheat. In 1760 Livingston Manor produced 50,000 bushels; Robert had claim to one-tenth as income.Kierner, Cynthia A., ''Traders and Gentlefolk: The Livingstons of New York, 1675-1790'', Cornell University Press, 1992
/ref> During the Revolution, he made available to the New York Committee of Safety and the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

, the iron mines and foundry on the Manor, while his sons, Peter Robert, Walter, John and Henry, were actively involved on the American side.

Personal life

On May 20, 1731, he married Maria Thong (1711–1765), granddaughter of Governor

Rip Van Dam Rip Van Dam ( – 10 June 1749) was the acting governor of the Province of New York from 1731 to 1732. As one of the leaders of the republican liberal (or "country") party, Van Dam confronted the subsequent royal governor William Cosby. Early l ...

(1660–1749). Robert Livingston expected his sons to take their place as his business agents and had them educated accordingly. Together, they had thirteen children: * Catherine Livingston (b. 1732), died in infancy. * Philip Robert Livingston (1733–1756), died of kidney trouble. * Sarah Livingston (1735–1745), who died young. * Peter Robert Livingston (1737–1793), a member of the Provincial Convention of 1775,New York Department of State
Calendar of Historical Manuscripts, Relating to the War of the Revolution
Volume I, 1868, page 86 who married cousin Margaret Livingston (1738–1809), a granddaughter of

Robert Livingston the Younger Robert Livingston the Younger (1663 – April 1725), sometimes known as Robert Livingston Jr., or The Nephew was a wealthy merchant and political figure in colonial Albany, New York. Early life Livingston was born in 1663 in Edinburgh, Scotland ...

(1663–1725). * Maria "Mary" Livingston (1738–1821), who married

James Duane James Duane (February 6, 1733 – February 1, 1797) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, attorney, jurist, and American Revolutionary War, American Revolutionary leader from New York (state), New York. He serve ...

. *

Walter Livingston Walter Livingston (November 27, 1740 – May 14, 1797) was an American merchant, lawyer and politician. Early life He was a son of Robert Livingston (1708–1790), 3rd Lord of Livingston Manor, and Maria Thong Livingston (1711–1765), a grand ...

(1740–1797), who was the owner of

Teviotdale Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh ( gd, Siorrachd Rosbroig) is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the north-west, and Berw ...

mansion in Columbia County. * Robert Livingston (1742–1794), better known as Robert Cambridge due to his attendance of

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, who married Alice Swift (1751–1816). * Catherine Livingston (1744–1832), who married John Patterson (1740–1823), brother of Walter Patterson and father of Daniel Patterson. * Sarah Livingston (1745/6–1749), who died young * Alida Livingston (1747–1791), who married Valentine Gardiner. * Margarita Livingston (1748–1749), died young * John Livingston (1749–1822), who married first Maria Ann Leroy (1759–1797), daughter of Jacob Leroy and Cornelia Rutgers, and second Catherine (Livingston) Ridley, his first cousin, the daughter of

and the widow of Matthew Ridley. * Hendrick "Henry" Livingston (1752–1823), who died unmarried. In 1764, a portrait of Livingston was painted by Thomas McIlworth (who also painted British officer

John Bradstreet Major General John Bradstreet, born Jean-Baptiste Bradstreet (21 December 1714 – 25 September 1774) was a British Army officer during King George's War, the French and Indian War, and Pontiac's War. He was born in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia ...

in 1764) at Livingston Manor. In 1766, he married Gertrude (née Van Rensselaer)

Schuyler Schuyler may refer to: Places United States * Schuyler County, Illinois * Schuyler County, Missouri * Schuyler, Nebraska, a city * Schuyler County, New York * Schuyler, New York, a town * Schuyler Island, Lake Champlain, New York * Schuyler C ...

(1714–1790), daughter of Maria Van Cortlandt and Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, the fifth Patroon and second

Rensselaerwyck 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 ...

. She was a widow of Adonijah "Adonis" Schuyler, who died in 1763 and was a son of

Arent Schuyler Arent Philipse Schuyler (June 25, 1662 – November 26, 1730) was a member of the influential Schuyler family (among the first settlers to New Netherland). He was a surveyor, Native American trader, miner, merchant, and land speculator. Early l ...

. Livingston died on November 27, 1790, at the age of eighty-one. He broke the family tradition of leaving the estate to his eldest son and shared Livingston Manor among his five sons and his son-in-law

References

External links