John Laurance

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox officeholder John Laurance (sometimes spelled "Lawrence" or "Laurence") (1750 – November 11, 1810) was a delegate to the 6th, 7th, and 8th Congresses of the Confederation, a United States representative and United States Senator from New York and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New York.

Laurance briefly served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate in December 1798.

Education and career

Born in 1750, near Falmouth, Cornwall, England,<ref name=FJC>Template:Cite web</ref> Laurance immigrated to the Province of New York, British America in 1767 and settled in New York City.<ref name=CB>Template:CongBio</ref>

He pursued academic studies,<ref name=CB/> then read law in 1772,<ref name=FJC/> with Cadwallader Colden, the Lieutenant Governor of New York.<ref name=FFCP>Template:Cite web</ref>

He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in New York City, Province of New York, from July 4, 1776) from 1772 to 1776.<ref name=FJC/>

In 1775, Laurance married Elizabeth McDougall, the daughter of General Alexander McDougall.<ref name=FFCP/>

Military service

Laurance served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War as a commissioned officer from 1775 to 1782.<ref name=FJC/><ref name=CB/> At the outbreak of war in 1775, he was appointed a second lieutenant in the 4th New York Regiment, and took part in the 1775 Invasion of Quebec.<ref name=FFCP/> In 1776, he received a commission as captain and paymaster of the Continental Army's 1st New York Regiment, serving under his father-in-law Alexander McDougall (sometimes spelled MacDougall).<ref name=FFCP/>

He was Judge Advocate General from 1777 to 1782.<ref name=FJC/><ref name=CB/><ref name=MLR>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Among the cases he handled were prosecuting at the court-martial of Charles Lee for insubordination in 1778, and the 1779 court-martial of Benedict Arnold for corruption.<ref name=MLR/> He also presided at the trial of Major John André,<ref name=CB/> serving on the 1780 board that convicted the major of spying and sentenced him to death by hanging, and was the board's recorder.<ref name=MLR/>

Laurance attained the rank of colonel and resigned his commission in 1782.<ref name=MLR/> He was a charter member of the Society of the Cincinnati.<ref name=FFCP/>

Post-war career

He resumed private practice in New York City from 1782 to 1785.<ref name=FJC/> Among Laurance's legal apprentices was Charles Adams, son of President John Adams.<ref name=FFCP/> He was also active in land speculation and other business ventures with Alexander Hamilton.<ref name=FFCP/>

He was a member of the New York State Assembly,<ref name=FJC/> serving from 1782 to 1783 from Westchester County, and from New York County from 1784 to 1785.<ref name=FFCP/>

He was a regent of the University of the State of New York in 1784.<ref name=CB/> He was a trustee of Columbia College (now Columbia University) from 1784 to 1810.<ref name=CB/>

He was a delegate to the 6th, 7th and 8th Congresses of the Confederation (Continental Congresses) from 1785 to 1787.<ref name=FJC/>

He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1788 to 1790.<ref name=FJC/> While serving in the State Senate, Laurance was also a member of New York City's Board of Aldermen.<ref name=FFCP/>

He was an ardent supporter of adopting the United States Constitution.<ref name=FFCP/>

United States representative

Laurance was elected as a Federalist from New York's 2nd congressional district to the United States House of Representatives of the 1st and 2nd United States Congresses, serving from March 4, 1789, to March 3, 1793.<ref name=CB/> During this time, in 1790, his first wife Elizabeth (McDougall) Laurance died, and in 1791 he married Elizabeth Lawrence Allen (d. 1800), the widow of attorney James Allen, and mother of four children.<ref name=FFCP/>

Federal judicial service

Laurance was nominated by President George Washington on May 5, 1794, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of New York vacated by Judge James Duane.<ref name=FJC/> He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 6, 1794, and received his commission the same day.<ref name=FJC/> His service terminated on November 8, 1796, due to his resignation,<ref name=FJC/> after his election as United States Senator from New York.<ref name=FFCP/>

United States senator

Laurance was elected as a Federalist to the United States Senate from New York to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of United States Senator Rufus King and served from November 9, 1796, until August 1800, when he resigned.<ref name=CB/> He served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate during the 5th United States Congress.<ref name=CB/>

Later career and death

Following his departure from Congress, Laurance resumed private practice in New York City from 1800 to 1810,<ref name=FJC/> also residing there until his death.<ref name=FFCP/> He died on November 11, 1810, in New York City.<ref name=FJC/> He was interred at the First Presbyterian Church in Manhattan.<ref name=CB/>

Legacy

After more than two centuries of neglect by historians, the first book-length study of John Laurance was published by the American Philosophical Society in 2019.<ref>Jones, Keith Marshall, III. John Laurance: The Immigrant Founding Father America Never Knew. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 2019.</ref>

See also

• List of United States senators born outside the United States

Sources

Internet

• Template:Cite web

Magazines

• Template:Cite magazine

External sources

• Template:Cite web
• The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 62, 113f, 142, 161f and 287; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) [gives surname as "Lawrence"]
• Members of the 4th U.S. Congress
• Members of the 6th U.S. Congress
• Template:Cite Americana