Abraham Van Vechten

Abraham Van Vechten (December 5, 1762 – January 6, 1837) [Abraham Van Vechten Papers, 1686-1867 http://www.nysl.nysed.gov The New York State Library] was an American lawyer and a Federalist politician who served twice as New York State Attorney General.

Early life

Abraham Van Vechten was born on December 5, 1762, in Catskill, Albany County (now Greene County), New York. He was the son of Teunis Van Vechten (1707–1785) and Judikje "Judith" Ten Broeck (1721–1783).

His brothers were Samuel Ten Broeck Van Vechten (1742–1813) and Teunis Van Vechten (1749–1817), who became a prominent merchant in Albany and held the office of commissary on the staff of Governor Morgan Lewis during the revolution.<ref name="Sullivan"/> Their maternal grandfather was Jacob Ten Broeck (1688–1746), nephew of Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck (1638–1717). Van Vechten was educated at Columbia College, studied law with John Lansing, Jr., and began practice in Johnstown (city), New York, but soon removed to Albany.[Robert G. Sullivan, Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Van Vechten]

Career

In 1792, he was elected one of the first directors of the Bank of Albany. From 1796 to 1797, he was Assistant Attorney General for the Fifth District, comprising Albany, Saratoga, Schoharie and Montgomery Counties. He was a Federalist presidential elector in 1796, and cast his votes for John Adams and Thomas Pinckney.

Van Vechten was the first lawyers admitted to the bar after the adoption of the New York State Constitution and ranked among the most gifted men of that time, including Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr and Robert Livingston.

Public office

From 1797 to 1808, Van Vechten served as Recorder of the City of Albany. Concurrently, he was a member of the New York State Senate, serving in the 22nd through the 28th New York State Legislatures from 1798 to 1805, representing the Eastern District, which included Washington, Clinton, Rensselaer, Albany and Saratoga counties.

After leaving the Senate, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, serving from 1808 to 1813, representing Albany County. While serving in the Assembly, he also served as the 10th New York State Attorney General from 1810 to 1811, and again from 1813 to 1815 under Governor Daniel D. Tompkins.[American Christian Rulers: Or, Religion and Men of Government; Comprising Sketches in American History of Men of Christian Faith and Experience, who Have Had Connections with the National and State Governments and the Judicial Department; Embracing Colonial, Revolutionary and Later Periods 1890.

His successor was Martin Van Buren, who later became the 8th President of the United States.[The New York Civil List: containing the names and origin of the civil divisions, and the names and dates of election or appointment of the principal state and county officers from the Revolution to the present time. 1858. Weed, Parsons and Co. Albany.

After serving as Attorney General of New York, he was elected to return to the State Senate, representing the Middle District, which included Albany, Chenango, Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Orange, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster

In 1821, he was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention, where he opposed the extension of the franchise.<ref name="Fitch"/> From 1797 to 1823, he was a regent of the University of the State of New York.

In the 1828 presidential election, Van Vechten was a presidential elector, voting for the 6th President, John Quincy Adams and Richard Rush.

Genealogy

In 1784, he married Catharina Schuyler (1766–1820), eldest daughter of Philip P. Schuyler (1736–1808) of the prominent Schuyler Family. She grew up on her father's farm in the Schuyler Flatts section of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck.

Catharina was the great-granddaughter of Pieter Schuyler (1657–1724), the first mayor of Albany, and Maria Van Rensselaer, daughter of Jeremias Van Rensselaer (1632–1674). Together, they had thirteen children, including:

• Judith Van Vechten (1785–1799)
• Phillip Van Vechten (1786–1814)
• Teunis A Van Vechten (1787–1811)
• Anna Van Vechten (1789–1857)
• Elizabeth Van Vechten (1791–1878)
• Samuel Van Vechten (1794–1824)
• Gertrude Van Vechten (1798–1842)
• Jacob Ten Broeck Van Vechten (1801–1841)
• Judith Van Vechten (1803–1825)

Van Vechten died in Albany on January 6, 1837, "Death of Abraham Van Vechten at Albany, 1837" The Newark Daily Advertiser and was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery.

Appleton's Encyclopædia

Abraham Van Vechten, lawyer, born in Catskill, New York, 5 December, 1762; died in Albany, New York, 10 May, 1823.

He was educated at Columbia, studied law under John Lansing, and began practice in Johnstown, Montgomery County, New York, but soon removed to Albany. He was known as the "father of the New York bar," being the first lawyer admitted to practice after the adoption of the state constitution.

Mr. Van Vechten was city recorder in 1797-1808, state senator in 1798-1805, member of the assembly in 1805-'15, attorney-general in 1810 and 1813-'15, and a member of the Constitutional convention in 1821.

In 1797-1823 he was a regent of the University of the state of New York. He declined seat on the supreme bench of the state that was tendered him by Governor John Jay.

He was a learned, eloquent, and successful lawyer, and as a legislator was the author of many laws that have given internal improvements and educational advantages to New York state.

His nephew, Jacob, clergyman, born in Catskill, New York, in 1788; died in Auburn, New York, 15 September, 1871, was graduated at Union college in 1809, at the Associate Reformed seminary in 1813, and at New Brunswick theological seminary in 1814. In 1815-'49 he was pastor of the Reformed Dutch church in Schenectady, New York He then retired from the ministry, passing the remainder of his life in intellectual and literary pursuits. He published "Memoirs of Dr. John M. Mason" (2 vols., New York, 1856), and "An Effective Ministry," a sermon (1868).

• Edited Appletons Encyclopedia

Sources

• Finding Aid to Abraham Van Vechten Papers, 1686-1867 at the New York State Library, accessed May 18, 2016.
• www.famousamericans.net/abrahamvanvechten/ Bio from Appleton's Encyclopedia, at Famous Americans (giving wrong death date)
• Obit in The Newark Daily Advertiser, Newark, New Jersey, on January 10, 1837
• Bio at NY State Museum
• Bio at Schenectady History
• The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) at Google Books
• List of NY State Attorneys General, at Office of the Att. Gal. of NY