James DeLancey served as chief justice, lieutenant governor, and acting colonial governor of the Province of New York

Province of New York

The Province of New York was an English and later British crown territory that originally included all of the present U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont, along with inland portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as eastern Pennsylvania...

.

DeLancey was born in New York City on November 27, 1703, the first son of Etienne DeLancey

Etienne DeLancey

Stephen Delancey was a major figure in the life of colonial New York. His children continued to wield great influence until the American Revolution.-Background:...

 and Anne-daughter of Stephanus Van Cortlandt

Stephanus Van Cortlandt

Stephanus van Cortlandt was the first native-born mayor of New York City, a position which he held from 1677 to 1678 and from 1686 to 1688. He was the patroon of Van Cortlandt Manor and was on the governor's executive council from 1691 to 1700. His brother, Jacobus Van Cortlandt also served as...

. James went to England for his schooling, and to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge

Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...

 before studying law at the Inner Temple

Inner Temple

The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...

, London. Having been admitted to the bar in 1725, he returned to New York to practice law and enter politics.

In 1729, James DeLancey married Anne Heathcote, daughter of a Mayor of New York City

Mayor of New York City

The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...

 Caleb Heathcote

Caleb Heathcote

Caleb Heathcote was a Mayor of New York . His estate in Westchester County, New York is the site the present-day town of Scarsdale and was granted on March 21, 1701 or 1702 by Lieutenant Governor of New York John Nanfan. A neighborhood and an elementary school in present-day Scarsdale are named...

, at Trinity Church, New York

Trinity Church, New York

Trinity Church at 79 Broadway, Lower Manhattan, is a historic, active parish church in the Episcopal Diocese of New York...

. That same year, DeLancey was made a member of the New York Assembly, and in 1731 was appointed as second justice of the Supreme Court of New York. In 1730, DeLancey was chosen to lead a commission to frame a new charter for the City of New York. Passed into law in 1732 by the New York Assembly, "the Montgomerie Charter," was principally the work of James DeLancey, who, for his services, was presented with the Freedom of the City Medal.

In 1733, on the removal of chief justice Lewis Morris

Lewis Morris

Lewis Morris was an American landowner and developer from Morrisania, New York. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Continental Congress for New York....

, DeLancey was appointed in his stead, and served as chief justice of New York for the remainder of his life. He presided over the 1735 trial of journalist John Peter Zenger

John Peter Zenger

John Peter Zenger was a German-American printer, publisher, editor, and journalist in New York City. He was a defendant in a landmark legal case in American jurisprudence that determined that truth was a defense against charges of libel and "laid the foundation for American press freedom."-...

 on charges of sedition

Sedition

In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...

 and libel against Governor William Cosby. Zenger won his case, and the Zenger trial is recognized as a landmark case in establishing freedom of the press in America.

In 1746 a dispute arose between Governor Clinton and the New York Assembly regarding the governor's salary. Chief Justice DeLancey supported the legislature's position in the controversy, thus incurring the enmity of Governor Clinton, who subsequently refused to acknowledge a commission from King George II (dated October 27, 1747), appointing DeLancey as Lieutenant Governor of New York. Governor Clinton withheld DeLancey's commission as lieutenant governor until October 1753.

With the advent of the Seven Years' War

Seven Years' War

The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...

, Lt. Gov. DeLancey convened and presided over a congress of colonial delegates held in Albany N.Y. in June 1754 (Albany Congress

Albany Congress

The Albany Congress, also known as the Albany Conference and "The Conference of Albany" or "The Conference in Albany", was a meeting of representatives from seven of the thirteen British North American colonies in 1754...

), for the purpose of establishing an alliance with the Indians for the common defense against the French.

In October 1754, Lt. Gov. DeLancey granted a charter for the creation of King's College (now Columbia University

Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

). In July 1755, Lt. Gov. DeLancey attended a council of governors of the colonies, held at Alexandria, Virginia, to coordinate defense matters with General Braddock against the French.

In September 1755, Sir Charles Hardy arrived from London and assumed the functions of Governor of New York, thus returning Lt. Gov. DeLancey to his role as Chief Justice. Hardy's tenure as governor came to an end in July 1757, when Sir Charles took command of a military expedition to Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, once again leaving DeLancey the de-facto ruler of the province, which he remained till his death on July 30, 1760 in New York City.

Family

• He was survived by a son, Captain James DeLancey (1732–1800), who took over the family drygoods business and went into New York provincial politics.
• His sister was the wife of Sir Peter Warren (admiral)
  Peter Warren (admiral)
  Sir Peter Warren, KB was a British naval officer from Ireland who commanded the naval forces in the attack on the French fortress of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia in 1745...
  
  .
• His daughter was a wife of Thomas Jones (historian)
  Thomas Jones (historian)
  Thomas Jones was a lawyer and politician of colonial New York.-Life:...
  
  .
• His daughter, Susannah, died unmarried. She raised Susannah Burritt, the daughter of Rev. Blackleach Burritt
  Blackleach Burritt
  Blackleach Burritt was a preacher during the American Revolutionary War. During the American War of Independence, he was incarcerated in the Sugar House Prison-Early life and ancestors:...
  
  and Martha Welles.