John Laurance | |
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| President pro tempore of the United States Senate | |
| In office December 4, 1798 – December 27, 1798 | |
| Preceded by | Theodore Sedgwick |
| Succeeded by | James Ross |
| United States Senator fromNew York | |
| In office November 9, 1796 – August 1, 1800 | |
| Preceded by | Rufus King |
| Succeeded by | John Armstrong Jr. |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of New York | |
| In office May 6, 1794 – November 8, 1796 | |
| Appointed by | George Washington |
| Preceded by | James Duane |
| Succeeded by | Robert Troup |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1793 | |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | John Watts |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Laurance 1750 (1750) |
| Died | November 11, 1810(1810-11-11) (aged 59–60) New York City, U.S. |
| Resting place | First Presbyterian Church New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Residence | New York City |
| Education | read law |
John Laurance (sometimes spelled "Lawrence" or "Laurence") (1750 – November 11, 1810) was a delegate to the 6th, 7th, and 8thCongresses of the Confederation, aUnited States representative andUnited States Senator fromNew York and aUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of New York.
Laurance briefly served asPresident pro tempore of the United States Senate in December 1798.
Born in 1750, nearFalmouth, Cornwall, England,[1] Laurance immigrated to theProvince of New York,British America in 1767 and settled inNew York City.[2]
He pursued academic studies,[2] thenread law in 1772,[1] withCadwallader Colden, theLieutenant Governor of New York.[3]
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.[1]
In 1775, Laurance married Elizabeth McDougall, the daughter of GeneralAlexander McDougall.[3]
Laurance served in theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolutionary War as a commissioned officer from 1775 to 1782.[1][2] At the outbreak of war in 1775, he was appointed a second lieutenant in the 4th New York Regiment, and took part in the 1775Invasion of Quebec.[3] In 1776, he received a commission as captain and paymaster of theContinental Army's 1st New York Regiment, serving under his father-in-lawAlexander McDougall (sometimes spelled MacDougall).[3]
He wasJudge Advocate General from 1777 to 1782.[1][2][4] Among the cases he handled were prosecuting at the court-martial ofCharles Lee for insubordination in 1778, and the 1779 court-martial ofBenedict Arnold for corruption.[4] He also presided at the trial of MajorJohn André,[2] serving on the 1780 board that convicted the major of spying and sentenced him to death by hanging, and was the board's recorder.[4]
Laurance attained the rank of colonel and resigned his commission in 1782.[4] He was a charter member of theSociety of the Cincinnati.[3]
He resumed private practice in New York City from 1782 to 1785.[1] Among Laurance's legal apprentices wasCharles Adams, son of PresidentJohn Adams.[3] He was also active in land speculation and other business ventures withAlexander Hamilton.[3]
He was a member of theNew York State Assembly,[1] serving from 1782 to 1783 fromWestchester County, and fromNew York County from 1784 to 1785.[3]
He was a regent of theUniversity of the State of New York in 1784.[2] He was a trustee ofColumbia College (nowColumbia University) from 1784 to 1810.[2]
He was a delegate to the 6th, 7th and 8thCongresses of the Confederation (Continental Congresses) from 1785 to 1787.[1]
He was a member of theNew York State Senate from 1788 to 1790.[1] While serving in the State Senate, Laurance was also a member of New York City's Board of Aldermen.[3]
He was an ardent supporter of adopting theUnited States Constitution.[3]
Laurance was elected as aFederalist fromNew York's 2nd congressional district to theUnited States House of Representatives of the1st and2nd United States Congresses, serving from March 4, 1789, to March 3, 1793.[2] 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.[3]
Laurance was nominated by PresidentGeorge Washington on May 5, 1794, to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the District of New York vacated by JudgeJames Duane.[1] He was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on May 6, 1794, and received his commission the same day.[1] His service terminated on November 8, 1796, due to his resignation,[1] after hiselection as United States Senator from New York.[3]
Laurance was elected as a Federalist to theUnited States Senate from New York to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation ofUnited States SenatorRufus King and served from November 9, 1796, until August 1800, when he resigned.[2] He served asPresident pro tempore of the United States Senate during the5th United States Congress.[2]
Following his departure from Congress, Laurance resumed private practice in New York City from 1800 to 1810,[1] also residing there until his death.[3] He died on November 11, 1810, in New York City.[1] He was interred at theFirst Presbyterian Church inManhattan.[2]
After more than two centuries of neglect by historians, the first book-length study of John Laurance was published by theAmerican Philosophical Society in 2019.[5]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by Seat established | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 2nd congressional district 1789–1793 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of New York 1794–1796 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 3) from New York 1796–1800 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | President pro tempore of the United States Senate 1798 | Succeeded by |
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| Class 3 | ||
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| International | |
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| Other | |
