Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer (September 27, 1767 – September 22, 1835) was an American lawyer and

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 ...

politician who served as Speaker of the New York State Assembly from 1812 to 1813, and Secretary of State of New York, from 1813 to 1815.

Early life

Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer was born on September 27, 1767, in Claverack, Columbia County in what was then the Province of New York, a part of

British America British America comprised the colonial territories of the English Empire, which became the British Empire after the 1707 union of the Kingdom of England with the Kingdom of Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, in the Americas from 16 ...

. He was the second son of Gen. Robert Van Rensselaer (1740–1802) and Cornelia (

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 ...

Rutsen) Van Rensselaer (1746–1790), who had married in April 1765. His maternal grandparents were Jacob Rutsen (1716–1753) and Alida (née

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...

) Rutsen (1716–1798). After his grandfather died, his grandmother remarried to Hendrick Van Rensselaer (1712–1793). His paternal grandparents were Johannes Van Rensselaer (1708–1793), a Brigadier General during the American Revolutionary War, a member of the New York Provincial Congress and the 1st

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 ...

, and Engeltie "Angelica" (née Livingston) Van Rensselaer (1698–1746/47). He attended Washington Seminary, graduated from Yale University in 1787, studied law and attained admission to the bar.

Career

During the War of 1812, he commanded troops which were drafted in Columbia County, and were ordered to the defense of the city of New York. Van Rensselaer was a member of the

in 1800, 1808, 1808–09, 1811, 1812, 1812–13, 1814, 1814–15 and 1819; and was Speaker in 1812–13. He was Secretary of State of New York from 1813 to 1815 and was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1821. He was associated with Gov.

DeWitt Clinton DeWitt Clinton (March 2, 1769February 11, 1828) was an American politician and naturalist. He served as a United States senator, as the mayor of New York City, and as the seventh governor of New York. In this last capacity, he was largely res ...

in building the Erie Canal.

Personal life

He married Cornelia De Peyster (1774–1849), the daughter of Pierre Guillaume De Peyster (1745–1807). Her paternal uncle was Arent DePeyster (1736–1822), the British military officer, and her brother, William de Peyster, was married to Mary Roosevelt, niece of Nicholas Roosevelt. Their home, the Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer House and Mill Complex, built circa 1805 is today listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ''See also:'' Together, they were the parents of: * Cornelia Van Rensselaer, who died young. * Pierre De Peyster Van Rensselaer (1797–1802), who died young. * Cornelia Rensselaer, who died at the age of nineteen. * Eliza Bayard Van Rensselaer (1801–1835) * Pierre Van Rensselaer, who died at the age of twenty-five. * Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer, who married Emily Denning, granddaughter of William Denning, in 1848. * Robert Schuyler Van Rensselaer (c. 1810–1874), who married Virginia Kidd. * Jeremiah Van Rensselaer (1812–1874), who married Mary Fleming (1810–1881), daughter of Gilbert Fleming. * Catharine Schuyler Van Rensselaer (1813–1838), who died from grief shortly after the death of her father. After his death in New York City on September 22, 1835, he was buried in the cemetery at the

Reformed Dutch Church of Claverack The Reformed Dutch Church of Claverack is located on New York State Route 9H at the north end of the hamlet of Claverack, New York, United States. It is a brick church built in the mid-18th century and renovated and expanded twice in the 19th, r ...

References

;Notes ;Sources

Genealogy of Livingston family

Bio at Rootsweb
''The New York Civil List''
compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 33, 57, 173, 181f, 184f, 187ff, 194 and 312; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Rensselaer, Jacob R 1767 births 1835 deaths Members of the New York State Assembly Speakers of the New York State Assembly People from Claverack, New York American people of Dutch descent Secretaries of State of New York (state) New York (state) Federalists

Jacob Rutsen Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ja ...

Claverack College alumni Yale University alumni New York (state) lawyers