Abraham Lansing
Encyclopedia
Life
Born in AlbanyAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, Albany County, New York
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
, Lansing was a grandson of state Treasurer Abraham G. Lansing
Abraham G. Lansing
Abraham Gerritse Lansing was an American politician.-Life:He was the son of Gerrit Jacobse Lansing and Jane Waters Lansing . On April 9, 1779, he married Susanna Yates in Albany, and they had thirteen children, among them Gerrit Y...
, and son of Christopher Yates Lansing (1796–1872) and Caroline Mary Thomas Lansing (1805–1845). Chancellor John Lansing, Jr.
John Lansing, Jr.
John Ten Eyck Lansing, Jr. , was an American lawyer and politician. He was the uncle of Gerrit Y. Lansing.-Career:...
was his great-uncle, Gerrit Y. Lansing
Gerrit Y. Lansing
Gerrit Yates Lansing was a U.S. Representative from New York, son of Abraham G. Lansing, and nephew of John Lansing, Jr.Born in Albany, New York, Lansing pursued classical studies and was graduated from Union College in 1800....
was his uncle. Lansing attended The Albany Academy
The Albany Academy
The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, USA, enrolling students from Preschool to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the city council of Albany...
, and graduated A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
in 1855, a member of The Kappa Alpha Society
Kappa Alpha Society
The Kappa Alpha Society , founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad...
. Then he read law at his father's office, graduated from Albany Law School
Albany Law School
Albany Law School is an ABA accredited law school based in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 by Amos Dean , Amasa Parker, Ira Harris and others....
in 1857, and later practiced law in partnership with his brother William.
In 1868, he was appointed City Attorney of Albany, and in 1869 became the first New York Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
reporter. He published the first seven volumes of the Supreme Court Reports.
On November 26, 1873, he married Catherine Gansevoort (granddaughter of Peter Gansevoort
Peter Gansevoort
Peter Gansevoort was a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is best known for leading the resistance to Barry St. Leger's Siege of Fort Stanwix in 1777. Gansevoort was also the maternal grandfather of Moby-Dick author Herman Melville.-Early life:He was born...
and Nathan Sanford
Nathan Sanford
Nathan Sanford was an American politician.- Life :He was the son of Thomas Sanford and Phebe Sanford, née Baker...
).
From June 1 to August 19, 1874, he was Acting New York State Treasurer
New York State Treasurer
The New York State Treasurer was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1776 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the new Department of Audit and Control headed by the...
, appointed by Governor John Adams Dix
John Adams Dix
John Adams Dix was an American politician from New York. He served as Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Senator, and the 24th Governor of New York. He was also a Union major general during the Civil War.-Early life and career:...
while Treasurer Thomas Raines
Thomas Raines
Thomas Raines was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:He was the son of John Raines ....
was incapacitated due to a nervous breakdown, and was treated at the Utica State Asylum
Utica Psychiatric Center
The Utica Psychiatric Center, also known as Utica State Hospital, which opened in Utica in 1843, was New York's first state-run facility designed to care for the mentally ill and was one of the first such institutions in the United States, predating and perhaps influencing the Kirkbride Plan which...
.
In 1876, he was chosen Corporation Counsel of Albany. He was a Democratic member of the New York State Senate
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
from 1882 to 1883. There he worked for the establishment of the State Railroad Commission and the Niagara Falls State Park
Niagara Falls State Park
Niagara Falls State Park is located in the City of Niagara Falls, New York in Niagara County. The park has the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls, and part of the Canadian Falls....
.
He was a director of the National Commercial Bank, trustee of the Albany Savings Bank, Park Commissioner of Albany, Governor of the Albany Hospital, trustee of The Albany Academy
The Albany Academy
The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, USA, enrolling students from Preschool to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the city council of Albany...
, the Albany Medical College
Albany Medical College
Albany Medical College is a medical school located in Albany, New York, United States. It was founded in 1839 by Amos Dean, Dr. Thomas Hun and others, and is one of the oldest medical schools in the nation...
, the Albany Rural Cemetery
Albany Rural Cemetery
The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Menands, New York, just outside of the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the United States, at over . Many historical American figures are buried there.-History:On April 2,...
, the Dudley Observatory
Dudley Observatory
Dudley Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Along with Albany College of Pharmacy, Albany Law School, Albany Medical College, the Graduate College of Union University, and Union College, it is one of the constituent entities of Union...
. In 1879 he was an American delegate to the International Conference (London) for the Codification of the Law of Nations.
Lansing died October 4, 1899, and was buried at the Albany Rural Cemetery
Albany Rural Cemetery
The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Menands, New York, just outside of the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the United States, at over . Many historical American figures are buried there.-History:On April 2,...
at Menands, New York
Menands, New York
Menands is a village in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 3,990 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Louis Menand...
.
Sources
- http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/lanigan-larkey.html Political Graveyard
- http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B00E2DD143BEF34BC4A53DFB066838F669FDE Lansing appointed, in NYT on June 2, 1874 (stating erroneously he was a descendant of Chancellor Lansing who in fact was a brother of his grandfather)
- http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B06E4D7143BEF34BC4851DFBE66838F669FDE Raines reinstated, in NYT on August 20, 1874
- DEATH LIST OF A DAY; ...Abraham Lansing in NYT on October 5, 1899
- http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/families/hmgfm/lansing-1.html Lansing genealogy in Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs ed. by Cuyler Reynolds (Vol I, pages 72ff; Lewis Historical Publishing Co., New York, 1911)