James Gore King (May 8, 1791 – October 3, 1853) was an American businessman and Whig Party politician who represented

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

's 5th congressional district in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

for one term from 1849 to 1851.

Early life and education

James Gore King was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

on May 8, 1791 at the residence of his maternal grandfather. He was the third son of Mary ( née Alsop) King and Rufus King. Among his siblings were brothers

John Alsop King John Alsop King (January 3, 1788July 7, 1867) was an American politician who was Governor of New York from 1857 to 1858. Life John Alsop King was born in the area now encompassed by New York City on January 3, 1788, to U.S. Senator Rufus King ( ...

, who served as Governor of New York, and Charles King, the president of

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, and Edward King, an Ohio politician. His father served as the first U.S. Senator from New York and was the 3rd and 8th U.S. Minister to the United Kingdom under Presidents

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of t ...

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

and

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States ...

. His paternal grandparents were Isabella (née Bragdon) King and Richard King, a prosperous farmer-merchant. Among his extended family were uncles William King, who served as the first

Governor of Maine The governor of Maine is the head of government of the U.S. state of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive. The current governor of Maine is J ...

, and Cyrus King, who was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. His mother was the only child of his maternal grandparents, Mary (née Frogat) Alsop and

John Alsop John Alsop Jr. (1724 – November 22, 1794) was an American merchant and politician from New York City. As a delegate for New York to the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1776, he signed the 1774 Continental Association. Early life Alsop wa ...

, a prominent merchant and Continental Congressman. He pursued classical studies in England and France, returned to United States and graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

in 1810. He studied law under

Peter van Schaack Peter Van Schaack (March 1747 – 17 September 1832) was an American lawyer, born in Kinderhook, New York. He studied law at King's College (later Columbia University); was a successful and well-respected colonial lawyer; collected, revised, and ...

of Kinderhook, followed by study at the

Litchfield Law School The Litchfield Law School of Litchfield, Connecticut, was the first independent law school established in America for reading law. Founded and led by lawyer Tapping Reeve, the proprietary school was unaffiliated with any college or university. (Wh ...

in Connecticut.

Career

During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

, he served as assistant adjutant general of the

New York Militia The New York Guard (NYG) is the state defense force of New York State, also called The New York State Military Reserve. Originally called the New York State Militia it can trace its lineage back to the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Th ...

, under Major General Ebenezer Stevens. After the war, he opened a commission house in

with his father-in-law,

Archibald Gracie Archibald Gracie (June 25, 1755 – April 11, 1829) was a Scottish-born shipping magnate and early American businessman and merchant in New York City and Virginia whose spacious home, Gracie Mansion, now serves as the residence of the Mayor of N ...

, under the name James G. King and Company. Three years later in 1818, he moved to

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and established ''King & Gracie'' with his brother-in-law, Archibald Gracie Jr., where he established "a high reputation for business ability, and, despite the severe financial crisis of 1822, 1823, and 1824, was able to meet all his obligations and to finally close up the affairs of his house on a satisfactory basis." While in Liverpool, he met and eventually became a close friend of

John Jacob Astor John Jacob Astor (born Johann Jakob Astor; July 17, 1763 – March 29, 1848) was a German-American businessman, merchant, real estate mogul, and investor who made his fortune mainly in a fur trade monopoly, by History of opium in China, smuggl ...

(later serving as an executor of his will), who offered him the presidency of the American Fur Company, which King declined. In 1824, he returned to New York City and engaged in banking as a partner in the firm of '' Prime & Ward'' (thereafter ''

Prime, Ward & King Prime, Ward & King was a prominent American investment bank in the 18th and 19th Century based in New York City. History In 1796, Nathaniel Prime organized " Nathaniel Prime, Stock and Commission Broker" at 42 Wall Street where he bought and sold ...

''), with residence in

Weehawken, New Jersey Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197.

. In 1835, he succeeded Eleazar Lord to become president of the

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City — more specifically Jersey City, New Jersey, where Erie's Pavonia Terminal, long demolished, used to stand — with Lake Er ...

, although he did not collect a salary. He served until 1837, when by his visit to London he secured the loan to American bankers of $1,000,000 from the governors of the Bank of England.

Tenure in United States Congress

In 1834, he was a candidate for Congress in New York City, but was defeated. King was elected as a Whig to

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, succeeding fellow Whig Dudley S. Gregory, the former

mayor of Jersey City The Mayor of the City of Jersey City is the head of the executive branch of the government of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce the municipal charter and ordinances; prepare the annual budget; appoint depu ...

. He served alongside his older brother

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

in office from March 4, 1849 to March 3, 1851, but declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1850 and was succeeded by

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Rodman M. Price (who later served as the 17th

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...

after leaving Congress in 1853). While in Congress, he was a member of the Committee of Commerce, and he opposed the repeal of the

Missouri Compromise The Missouri Compromise was a federal legislation of the United States that balanced desires of northern states to prevent expansion of slavery in the country with those of southern states to expand it. It admitted Missouri as a slave state and ...

and the

Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 The Fugitive Slave Act or Fugitive Slave Law was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern interests in slavery and Northern Free-Soilers. The Act was one of the most con ...

. Upon the ascendancy of

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853; he was the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House. A former member of the U.S. House of Represen ...

to the presidency after

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

's death in 1850, King was reportedly considered for

United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

, but informed Fillmore that he did not wish to serve as he had planned on retiring from public service and was, in fact, leaving Congress at the end of the term.

Later career

After leaving Congress, he resumed the banking business. By this time the firm he had worked for had undergone dissolution, and so was succeeded by the ''House of James G. King & Son''.

Personal life

On February 4, 1813, King was married to Sarah Rogers Gracie (1791–1878), the daughter of

, a Scottish-born shipping magnate and early American businessman and merchant in New York City and Virginia. Together, they were the parents of eleven children, many of whom married into prominent colonial families, including: * Caroline King (1813–1863), who married Denning Duer, a son of

William Alexander Duer William Alexander Duer (September 8, 1780 – May 30, 1858) was an American lawyer, jurist, and educator from New York City who served as the President of Columbia University from 1829 to 1842. He was also a slaveholder, owning numerous enslave ...

. * James Gore King, Jr. (1819–1867), who married his first cousin, Caroline King, a daughter of

. * Archibald Gracie King (1821–1897), who married Elizabeth Denning Duer, a daughter of

. * Mary King (1826–1890), who married Edgar Henry Richards in 1856. * Frederika Gore King (1829–1916), who married Bancroft Davis, an American lawyer, judge, diplomat, and president of Newburgh and New York Railway Company. * Edward King (1833–1908), who married Isabella Ramsay Cochrane in 1858. After her death, he married Elizabeth Fisher. * Fanny King (1836–1905), who married James Latimer McLane, brother of

Robert Milligan McLane Robert Milligan McLane (June 23, 1815 – April 16, 1898) was an American politician, military officer, and diplomat. He served as U.S. minister to Mexico, France, and China, as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 4t ...

, in 1859. King died of a "congestion of the lungs" on October 3, 1853 at his country place, "Highwood," near

, which he had purchased in 1832. He was interred in the churchyard of Grace Church,

Jamaica, New York Jamaica is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is mainly composed of a large commercial and retail area, though part of the neighborhood is also residential. Jamaica is bordered by Hollis to the east; St. Albans, Springf ...

Descendants

Through his son Archibald, he was the grandfather of May Denning King (1848–1925), who married John King Van Rensselaer, a son of

Henry Bell Van Rensselaer Henry Bell Van Rensselaer (May 14, 1810 – March 23, 1864) was an American military man, an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and a politician who served in the United States Congress as a Representative from the st ...

and grandson of Stephen Van Rensselaer III, the patroon of

Rensselaerwyck The Manor of Rensselaerswyck, Manor Rensselaerswyck, Van Rensselaer Manor, or just simply Rensselaerswyck ( nl, Rensselaerswijck ), was the name of a colonial estate—specifically, a Dutch patroonship and later an English manor—owned by the va ...

. His great-great-granddaughter Ellin Travers Mackay married

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

. Another great-great-grandchild was

Wolcott Gibbs Wolcott Gibbs (March 15, 1902 – August 16, 1958) was an American editor, humorist, theatre critic, playwright and writer of short stories, who worked for ''The New Yorker'' magazine from 1927 until his death. He is notable for his 1936 parody o ...

, who was also a direct descendant of

Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party, he ...

(James Gore King's grandson married Martin Van Buren's granddaughter, and

was their grandson). Through his youngest daughter Fanny, he was the grandfather of Robert McLane, who served as the 32nd Mayor of Baltimore.

References

External links

James Gore King
at

The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations o ...

*
Guide to the Erving-King Family Papers, 1709-1975
at the

New-York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:King, James G. 1791 births 1853 deaths Businesspeople from New York City 19th-century American railroad executives Harvard College alumni Litchfield Law School alumni People from Weehawken, New Jersey Gracie-King family Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey 19th-century American politicians Politicians from New York City Alsop family