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 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 ...

and

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from New York and a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...

of the

United States District Court for the District of New York The following are former United States district courts, which ceased to exist because they were subdivided into smaller units. With the exception of California, each of these courts initially covered an entire U.S. state, and was subdivided as the ...

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

Education and career

Born in 1750, near

Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth ( ; kw, Aberfala) is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,797 (2011 census). Etymology The name Falmouth is of English ...

, England, Laurance immigrated to the

Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the U ...

, British America in 1767 and settled in

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. He pursued academic studies, then read law in 1772, with Cadwallader Colden, the Lieutenant Governor of New York. 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. In 1775, Laurance married Elizabeth McDougall, the daughter of General

Alexander McDougall Alexander McDougall (1732 9 June 1786) was a Scottish-born American seaman, merchant, a Sons of Liberty leader from New York City before and during the American Revolution, and a military leader during the Revolutionary War. He served as a m ...

Military service

Laurance served in the Continental Army during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

as a commissioned officer from 1775 to 1782. 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. 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

(sometimes spelled MacDougall). He was Judge Advocate General from 1777 to 1782. 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. He also presided at the trial of Major John André, serving on the 1780 board that convicted the major of spying and sentenced him to death by hanging, and was the board's recorder. Laurance attained the rank of colonel and resigned his commission in 1782. He was a charter member of the Society of the Cincinnati.

Post-war career

He resumed private practice in New York City from 1782 to 1785. Among Laurance's legal apprentices was Charles Adams, son of President

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 ...

. He was also active in land speculation and other business ventures with Alexander Hamilton. He was a member of the New York State Assembly, serving from 1782 to 1783 from

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

, and from

New York County Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

from 1784 to 1785. He was a regent of the

University of the State of New York The University of the State of New York (USNY, ) is the state of New York's governmental umbrella organization for both public and private institutions in New York State. The "university" is not an educational institution: it is, in fact, a lic ...

in 1784. He was a trustee of Columbia College (now

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 ...

) from 1784 to 1810. He was a delegate to the 6th, 7th and 8th Congresses of the Confederation ( Continental Congresses) from 1785 to 1787. He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1788 to 1790. While serving in the State Senate, Laurance was also a member of New York City's Board of Aldermen. He was an ardent supporter of adopting the United States Constitution.

United States representative

Laurance was elected as a Federalist from

New York's 2nd congressional district New York's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives along the South Shore of Long Island, New York. It includes southwestern Suffolk County and a small portion of southeastern Nassa ...

to 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 ...

of the 1st and 2nd United States Congresses, serving from March 4, 1789, to March 3, 1793. 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.

Federal judicial service

Laurance was nominated by President

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 ...

on May 5, 1794, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge

James Duane James Duane (February 6, 1733 – February 1, 1797) was an American Founding Father, attorney, jurist, and American Revolutionary leader from New York. He served as a delegate to the First Continental Congress, Second Continental Congress an ...

. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on May 6, 1794, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on November 8, 1796, due to his resignation, after his

election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

as United States Senator from New York.

United States senator

Laurance was elected as a Federalist to the

from New York to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of

Rufus King and served from November 9, 1796, until August 1800, when he resigned. He served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate during the 5th United States Congress.

Later career and death

Following his departure from Congress, Laurance resumed private practice in New York City from 1800 to 1810, also residing there until his death. He died on November 11, 1810, in New York City. He was interred at the First Presbyterian Church in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

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 The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

in 2019.Jones, Keith Marshall, III. ''John Laurance: The Immigrant Founding Father America Never Knew''. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 2019.

References

Sources

Internet

Magazines

External sources

*
''The New York Civil List''
compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 62, 113f, 142, 161f and 287; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) ives surname as "Lawrence"
Members of the 4th U.S. Congress

Members of the 6th U.S. Congress
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Laurance, John 1750 births 1810 deaths People from Falmouth, Cornwall British emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies American people of Cornish descent American Episcopalians Continental Congressmen from New York (state) Pro-Administration Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Federalist Party United States senators from New York (state) Presidents pro tempore of the United States Senate Members of the New York State Assembly New York (state) state senators Judges of the United States District Court for the District of New York United States federal judges appointed by George Washington United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Lawyers from New York City Politicians from New York City 18th-century American judges Judge Advocates General of the United States Army United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps Continental Army staff officers Continental Army officers from New York (state)