Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the
Province of New York
The Province of New York was a British proprietary colony and later a royal colony on the northeast coast of North America from 1664 to 1783. It extended from Long Island on the Atlantic, up the Hudson River and Mohawk River valleys to ...
granted to
Robert Livingston the Elder
Robert Livingston the Elder (13 December 1654 – 1728) was a Scottish-born merchant and government official in the Province of New York. He was granted a patent to 160,000 acres (650 km2/ 250 sq mi) of land along the Hudson River, becomin ...
during the reign of
George I of Great Britain
George I (George Louis; ; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Electorate of Hanover within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. ...
. Located between the Hudson River and the Massachusetts border, the Livingston Manor was located in an area that later became a portion of
Columbia County in the state of
New York.
History

The roots of Livingston Manor lie in a patent obtained in July 1686 by
Robert Livingston the Elder
Robert Livingston the Elder (13 December 1654 – 1728) was a Scottish-born merchant and government official in the Province of New York. He was granted a patent to 160,000 acres (650 km2/ 250 sq mi) of land along the Hudson River, becomin ...
for land he had previously acquired from the resident Native Americans in the colonial
Province of New York
The Province of New York was a British proprietary colony and later a royal colony on the northeast coast of North America from 1664 to 1783. It extended from Long Island on the Atlantic, up the Hudson River and Mohawk River valleys to ...
.
The Manor itself was a tract of land patented by Livingston through the influence of
5th Governor Thomas Dongan, and confirmed by
royal charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...
of
George I of Great Britain
George I (George Louis; ; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Electorate of Hanover within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. ...
in 1715, creating the manor and lordship of Livingston.
Livingston Manor was located between the Hudson River on the west and the Massachusetts border on the east, approximately 20 miles wide and approximately 12 miles long north to south. The Manor encompassed the area that would later become the towns of
Livingston,
Germantown,
Clermont,
Taghkanic,
Gallatin,
Copake, and
Ancram, located in
Columbia County,
New York.
The lords of the manor were:
*
Robert Livingston the Elder
Robert Livingston the Elder (13 December 1654 – 1728) was a Scottish-born merchant and government official in the Province of New York. He was granted a patent to 160,000 acres (650 km2/ 250 sq mi) of land along the Hudson River, becomin ...
(1654–1728), served from 1715 to 1728.
*
Philip Livingston (1686–1749), served from 1728 to 1749.
*
Robert Livingston (1708–1790), served from 1749 to 1790.
Although an English-deeded tract, some sources list Livingston Manor with the
patroonships of
New Netherland.
Division of land
The first division of the estate occurred in 1728 upon the death of Robert Livingston the Elder, who stipulated that his third son,
Robert Livingston (1718–1775), be granted from Livingston Manor's southwest corner, a tract which Robert christened
Clermont Manor.
In 1790, upon the death of the last lord of the manor,
Robert Livingston, the remainder of Livingston Manor was divided among the heirs of his four youngest sons, rather than continuing to pass down through
primogeniture
Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn Legitimacy (family law), legitimate child to inheritance, inherit all or most of their parent's estate (law), estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some childre ...
. Robert's eldest living son, Peter R. Livingston (1737–1809), had made many unwise financial decisions and was perennially in debt, and it was feared the estate would end up claimed by his creditors were it passed on to him.
The inheritors of the estate were all men who had distinguished themselves considerably during and after the
American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
:
*
Philip Livingston (1716–1778), delegate to the
Continental Congress and signatory of the
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...
*
William Livingston (1723–1790),
1st Governor of New Jersey
The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...
and signatory of the
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...
*
William Alexander (1726–1783), a brother-in-law who had married Sarah Livingston (1725–1805), the daughter of Philip Livingston, 2nd Lord of Livingston Manor, and Robert’s sister. Alexander had been a major general in the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...
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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
*
James Duane (1733–1797), a son-in-law and Robert’s former ward, who had married his daughter Mary (1738–1821). Duane had been a delegate to the
Continental Congress,
44th Mayor of New York City
The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The Mayoralty in the United States, mayor's office administers all ...
, and signatory of the
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, officially the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement and early body of law in the Thirteen Colonies, which served as the nation's first Constitution, frame of government during the Ameri ...
The land was divided among the families of these four men, and the power of the Livingston family was slowly diminished. A portion of the estate is still held by the family. The town of
Livingston, New York occupies part of the original tract.
See also
*
John Livingstone
References
External links
*{{commons category-inline
History of Columbia County, New York
Pre-statehood history of New York (state)
New Netherland
History of the Thirteen Colonies
Livingston family residences