John A. King
20th Governor of New York
In office January 1, 1857 – December 31, 1858
Lieutenant	Henry R. Selden
Preceded by	Myron H. Clark
Succeeded by	Edwin D. Morgan
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's1st district
In office March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851
Preceded by	Frederick W. Lord
Succeeded by	John G. Floyd
Personal details
Born	John Alsop King (1788-01-03)January 3, 1788 Queens County, New York, U.S.
Died	July 7, 1867(1867-07-07) (aged 79) Queens County, New York, U.S.
Resting place	Grace Episcopal Churchyard
Party	Republican Whig
Spouse	Mary Ray
Children	8, includingCharles andJohn
Parent(s)	Rufus King Mary Alsop
Relatives	James G. King (brother) Charles King (brother) Edward King (brother) John Alsop (grandfather) Henry Bell Van Rensselaer (son-in-law)

John Alsop King (January 3, 1788 – July 7, 1867) was an American politician who was the twentiethgovernor of New York from 1857 to 1858. He was the 1stRepublican governor of New York.

King was born in the area now encompassed byNew York City on January 3, 1788, to U.S. senatorRufus King (1755–1827)^[1] and Mary (née Alsop) King. His maternal grandparents wereJohn Alsop (1724–1794), a prominent merchant and Mary Frogat (1744–1772).^[2] John A. King was part of theKing family of Massachusetts and New York through his mother.

He had four younger brothers, includingCharles King (1789–1867), who was President ofColumbia University, and CongressmanJames G. King (1791–1853),Edward King (1795–1836) and Frederic Gore King (1802–1829).^[3][4][5]

When his father was appointed the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain, the family moved to Britain, and King was educated atHarrow School. Upon graduating from Harrow, King returned to New York City to study law. He was admitted to the bar and practiced in New York City.^[6]

John King's law career was interrupted by a stint in the military; he served as a cavalry lieutenant in theWar of 1812. After the war, however, he returned to his law practice and then ventured into politics. King was a member of theNew York State Assembly (Queens Co.) in1819,1820 and1820–21; of theNew York State Senate (First D.) in1823; and again of the State Assembly in1832,1838 and1840.^[6]

He was president of theNew York State Agricultural Society in 1849.^[7]

King was elected as aWhig to the31st United States Congress, holding office from March 4, 1849, to March 3, 1851.

His term as Governor of New York from 1857 to 1858 was noted for improvements to the State's education system and the enlargement of theErie Canal.^[6] Following a series of attacks (the so-calledQuarantine War of 1858) on the quarantine facility on Staten Island, King dispatched several units of the New York State Militia to briefly occupy the island. In 1859, King was elected as an honorary member of the New YorkSociety of the Cincinnati.

In the1860 presidential election, when theRepublicans won New York, King was elected apresidential elector and voted forAbraham Lincoln andHannibal Hamlin.^[8]

He was married to Mary Ray (1790–1873), daughter of Cornelius and Elizabeth Elmendorf Ray. Together, John and Mary had:^[9]

• Mary King (1810–1894), who married Phineas Miller Nightingale (1803–1873)
• Charles Ray King (1813–1901), who married Hannah Wharton Fisher (1816–1870) in 1839. After her death, he married her sister, Nancy Wharton Fisher (1826–1905) in 1872.^[10]
• Elizabeth Ray King (1815–1900), who marriedHenry Bell Van Rensselaer (1810–1864), aUnited States Congressman and member of theVan Rensselaer family.^[11]
• John Alsop King Jr. (1817–1900), a state senator who married Mary Colden Rhinelander (1818–1894), granddaughter ofJosiah Ogden Hoffman (1766–1837)
• Caroline King (1820–1900), who married her first cousin, James Gore King Jr. (1819–1867), son ofJames G. King
• Richard King (1822–1891), who married Elizabeth Lewis (1822–1891), daughter of Mordecai Lewis in 1839
• Cornelia King (1824–1897)
• Ellen King (1825–1827)

King died on July 7, 1867, inQueens County, New York, and was buried at theGrace Church Cemetery inJamaica, Queens.^[6]

Notes

Sources

• United States Congress."John A. King (id: K000205)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• National Governors Association biography
• Finding Aid to the John A. King Letters, 1825–1883, New York State Library

• TheJohn Alsop King Papers at theNew-York Historical Society.

• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911)."King, Rufuss.v. John Alsop King" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 804.

• 1788 births
• 1867 deaths
• People educated at Harrow School
• Republican Party governors of New York (state)
• Republican Party New York (state) state senators
• Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly
• Gracie–King family
• Whig Party United States representatives from New York (state)
• Presidents of the Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York
• 1860 United States presidential electors
• Alsop family
• Winthrop family
• 19th-century United States representatives

• Articles with short description
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• Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference
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