John Ten Eyck Lansing, Jr.

John Lansing, Jr.

John Ten Eyck Lansing, Jr. (January 30, 1754 in Albany, New York – vanished December 12, 1829 in New York City), was an American lawyer and politician. He was the uncle of Gerrit Y. Lansing.

Lansing studied law with Robert Yates in Albany, NY and was admitted to practice in 1775.[1] From 1776 until 1777 during the Revolutionary War Lansing served as a military secretary to General Philip Schuyler. Afterwards he was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1780 to 1784, in 1785-86, and 1788–89, being its speaker during the latter two terms. He served New York as a member of the Confederation Congress in 1785. In 1786, he was appointed Mayor of Albany. He represented New York as one of three representatives at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. His intentions at the convention were to follow the wishes of the New York Legislature which had elected him to attend. He was authorized only to amend the existing Articles of Confederation. As the convention progressed, Lansing became disillusioned because he believed it was exceeding its instructions. Lansing believed the delegates had gathered together simply to amend the Articles of Confederation and was dismayed at the movement to write an entirely new constitution. His desire was to see the Articles strengthened giving it a source of revenue, the power to regulate commerce, and to enforce treaties. He joined other prominent Anti-Federalists that strongly opposed Alexander Hamilton, James Wilson and James Madison's notions of a strong centralized national government to replace the Articles. He, Luther Martin of Maryland, George Mason of Virginia and Robert Yates also of New York strongly opposed the newly proposed United States Constitution because they thought it was fundamentally flawed and should be rejected because it infringed on the sovereignty of the independent States and did not do enough to guarantee individual liberty. Both he and Robert Yates walked out after 6 weeks and explained their departure in a joint letter to New York Governor George Clinton.[2] Lansing and Yates never signed the constitution. At the New York Ratifying Convention that followed, he along with Melancton Smith took the lead in the debates as the leaders of the Anti-Federalist majority. Their attempts to prevent ratification ultimately failed by a narrow vote of 30 to 27. He was appointed a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court in 1790 and on 15 February 1798 he was elevated to the post Chief Justice. In 1801, he also became the second Chancellor of New York, succeeding Robert R. Livingston. In 1814 he became a regent of the University of New York.

On the evening of December 12, 1829, he left his Manhattan hotel to mail a letter at a New York City dock and was never seen again. Lansing was 75 years old and was presumed drowned or perhaps murdered, his body never recovered. His widow died in 1834 and is buried at Albany Rural Cemetery, New York.

His fate was a major mystery in New York State at the time, rivaled only by the disappearance of William Morgan, the anti-Mason writer, in 1826 in upstate New York. In the last century it has somehow become rather forgotten, especially with the disappearance of New York State Justice Joseph Force Crater in 1930. There has been only one major clue to Lansing's disappearance that has appeared since his death. After his death in 1882 the memoirs of Thurlow Weed, former Republican political leader in New York State, were published by Weed's grandson T.W. Barnes. Weed wrote that Lansing had been murdered by several prominent political and social figures who found he was in the way of their projects.

Weed was told this by an unnamed individual, who showed him papers to prove it, but begged Weed not to publish these until all the individuals had died. Weed said they were all dead by 1870, but he found that their families were all highly respected, and upon advice of two friends he decided not to reveal the truth because it would hurt innocent people. And that was the last anyone ever heard of a possible resolution to the mystery.

The town of Lansing in New York was named after John Lansing. Lansing, Michigan was named by settlers who came from Lansing, New York.

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lansing,_Jr.

_________________

• John ten Eyck Lansing, Jr
• Birth: Jan. 30, 1754 Albany, Albany County, New York, USA
• Death: Dec. 12, 1829 Manhattan, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA
• US Statesman, Jurist. Lansing was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1775. From 1776-1777 he was the military secretary to General Philip Schuyler. He became a member of the Continental Congress in 1785. He served in that capacity until 1787, when he declined to sign the U. S. Constitution. He opposed some of the language and terminology of the constitution and therefore declined to sign it. In 1781 he was elected a member of the New York State Assembly and served in that capacity until 1789. He was appointed to be a justice of the New York State Supreme Court in 1790 and served in that capacity until 1798, when he became chief justice, and served as chief justice until 1801. In 1801 he was appointed to be the Chancellor of New York State, a position he held until 1814, when he was forced to retire because of age. He disappeared mysteriously on December 12, 1829, after leaving his hotel room to mail a letter. No explanation was ever found for his disappearance. It was speculated that he was robbed and murdered or he drowned. A cenotaph was erected at Albany Rural Cemetery to commemorate his many years of public service. (bio by: Eamonn)
• Family links:
• Spouse:
• Cornelia Ray Lansing (1757 - 1834)*
• Children:
  • Jane Lansing Westerlo (1785 - 1871)*
  • Frances Lansing Sutherland (1791 - 1855)*
  • Cornelia Lansing (1795 - 1877)*
  • Sarah Ray Lansing Livingston (1797 - 1848)*
• Burial: Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, Albany County, New York, USA
• Find A Grave Memorial# 26383078
• From: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=26383078 _________________
• Genealogical notes of New York and New England families
• http://www.archive.org/stream/genealogicalnote00talc#page/118/mode/1up
• 13.
• Jacob G., son of (2) Gerrit Gerritse Lansing and Elsje Van Wythorst, was born in Albany, June 6, 1681; married Helena, daughter of Jacob Sanders Glen and Catharine Van Witbeck (bp. November 21, 1683), about 1710, and had
• Jacob G. Lansing died in Albany, December 6, 1767, ae. 86 years and 6 months. He owned a house corner of North Pearl and Columbia streets, which he built in 1710, and where his children were born. This house, known now as the " Pemberton house," is still standing (1882).
  • http://www.archive.org/stream/genealogicalnote00talc#page/124/mode/1up
  • 69.
  • Gerrit J., son of (13) Jacob Gerritse Lansing and Helena Glen, was baptised March 4, 1711 ; married, 1st, Maria, daughter of Johannes Everts and Barentje Pruyn [daughter of Francis Janse Pruyn], (b. October 8, 1713), November 29, 1734, and had
    • 147 Jacob G., bp. April 4, 1736; m., 1st., Neeltje Roseboom, March 14, 1767 ; 2d, (162) Femmetje (Frances) Lansing, August 28, 1774; d. November 25, 1803.
    • 148 Maria, bp. October 6, 1737; buried August 22, 1739 (?).
    • http://www.archive.org/stream/genealogicalnote00talc#page/125/mode/1up
    • 149 Alida, bp. September 7, 1738 ; buried September 19, 1742 (?).
  • Maria, wife of Gerrit J, Lansing, was buried January 27, 1741. He married, 3d, Jane, daughter of John Waters and Sarah Winne (bp. April 13, 1723), about 1748, and had
    • 150 John, bp. March 5, 1749 ; buried November 26, 1754.
    • 151 John, Jr., bp. February 3, 1755 (Chancellor) ; m. Cornelia Ray, April 8, 1781.
    • 152 Abraham G., b. December 13, 1756 ; m. Susanna Yates, April 9, 1779; d. May 15, 1844.
    • 153 Sarah, bp. July 1, 1759 ; d. y.
    • 154 Gerrit G., bp. November 11, 1700; m. Maria Antill ; d. May 27, 1831.
    • 155 Sarah, b. June 22, 1763 ; m. Barent Bleecker; no. ch.
    • 156 Sanders G., b. June 17, 1766; m. (162) Catharine Ten Eyck, December 9, 1789.
  • Jane, widow of Gerrit J. Lansing, died March 2, 1810.
    • http://www.archive.org/stream/genealogicalnote00talc#page/135/mode/1up
    • 151.
    • John, son of (69) Gerrit J. Lansing and Jane Waters, his second wife, was baptised February 3, 1755 ; married Cornelia, daughter of Robert Ray and (243) Sarah Bogart, of New York, April 8, 1781, and had
      • 301 Robert, b. July 13, 1783 ; d. y.
      • 302 Jane, b. January 27, 1785 ; m. Rensselaer Westerlo, May 5, 1805. She died June 15, 1871.
      • 303 Sara, b. February 12, 1787 ; d. y.
      • 304 Robert R., b. November 8, 1788 ; d. y.
      • 305 Frances, b. June, 1791 ; m. Jacob Sutherland, September 5, 1811. He died in Albany May 12, 1845, on his way to Geneva.
      • 306 Elizabeth, b. July 5, 1793 ; d. s. October 21, 1834.
      • 307 Sara, b. January 17, 1795. d. y.
      • 308 Cornelia, b. January 17, 1795. d. s.
      • 309 Sara, b. August 19, 1797 ; m. Edward Livingston.
      • 310 Mary, b. September 16, 1800 ; d. y.
    • Chancellor John Lansing left Albany for New York, and the last that was seen of him was on the 12th of December, 1829, on the pier where the Albany steamboats landed, walking towards the boat. No event had caused a deeper sensation in the city since the death of De Witt Clinton. At an early period of his life he entered the office of Robert Yates, afterwards Chief Justice, as a clerk in the study of the law. He became a member of the military family of General Philip Schuyler, and during the Revolutionary war was a distinguished member of the State Convention that conducted the civil and military operations of the State. Soon after he was appointed Mayor of the City and in 1787 was, with Chief Justice Yates and General Hamilton, delegated by the State as members of the Convention which formed the Constitution of the United States. The latter two withdrew from the Convention and were known as anti-federalists. They opposed the adoption of the Constitution principally because it did not more effectually secure the rights of individual States, and to those men and their co-patriots we are indebted for the ten amended articles which were subsequently made a part of the Constitution. On his return he was made a Judge of the Supreme Court, and finally Chancellor of the State. — [Munsell.
    • http://www.archive.org/stream/genealogicalnote00talc#page/136/mode/1up
    • Cornelia Ray, widow of Chancellor John Lansing, died in Albany January, 1834. _____________________________
• The Lansing family. A genealogy of the descendants of Gerritt Frederickse Lansing who came to America from Hasselt, province of Overijssell, Holland, 1640. Eight generations
• http://www.archive.org/details/lansingfamilygen00muns
• http://www.archive.org/stream/lansingfamilygen00muns#page/n36/mode/1up
• 13. Jacob G.3 Lansing (Gerrit2, Gerrit1) was born June 6, 1681. He married Helena, daughter of Jacob S. (and Catharine Van Witbeck) Glen, about 1710.
• Jacob3 Lansing's house stood at the corner of North Pearl and Columbia Streets, Albany, N. Y. He died December 6, 1767.
  • http://www.archive.org/stream/lansingfamilygen00muns#page/n62/mode/1up
  • 60. Gerrit J.4 Lansing (Jacob3, Gerrit2, Gerrit1) was baptized March 4, 1711. He married Maria, daughter of Johannes (and Barentje Pruyn) Everts, November 29, 1734.
  • Issue :
    • 139. Jacob G.5 Lansing.
    • 140. Maria Lansing, baptized October 6, 1737; buried August 22, 1739.
    • 141. Alida Lansing, baptized September 7, 1738; buried September 19, 1742.
  • Maria, wife of Gerrit J.4 Lansing, was buried January 27, 1741. He married, second, Jane, daughter of John (and Sarah Winne) Waters, about 1748.
  • Issue :
    • 142. John5 Lansing, baptized March 5, 1749; buried November 26. 1754.
    • 143. John Lansing.
    • 145. Abraham G. Lansing.
    • 146. Sarah Lansing, baptized July 1, 1759 ; died in infancy.
    • 147. Gerrit G. Lansing.
    • 148. Sarah Lansing, born June 22, 1763; married Barent Bleeker.
    • 149. Sanders G. Lansing.
  • Gerrit J.4 Lansing resided at Albany, N. Y. His widow, Jane, died March 2, 1810.
    • http://www.archive.org/stream/lansingfamilygen00muns#page/n112/mode...
    • 143. John5 Lansing (Gerrit4, Jacob3, Gerrit2, Gerrit1) was baptized February 3, 1755. He married Cornelia, daughter of Robert (and Sarah Bogart) Ray, April 8, 1781.
    • Issue:
      • 305. Robert6 Lansing, born July 13, 1783; died in infancy.
      • 306. Jane Lansing, born January 27, 1785; married Rensselaer Westerlo, May 5, 1805. He died April 15, 1851. She died June 15, 1871.
      • 307. Sara Lansing, born February 12, 1787; died in infancy.
      • 308. Robert R. Lansing, born November 8, 1788; died in infancy.
      • 309. Frances Lansing, born June, 1791; married Jacob Sutherland, September 5, 1811. He died May 12, 1845.
      • 310. Elizabeth Lansing, born July 5, 1793; died single, October 21, 1834.
      • 311. Sara Lansing, born January 17, 1795; died in infancy.
      • 312. Cornelia Lansing, bom January 17, 1795; died single.
      • 313. Sara Lansing, born August 19, 1797; married Edward Livingston. He died in 1842.
      • 314. Mary Lansing, born September 16, 1800; died in infancy.
    • John5 Lansing, Lawyer, was member of State Convention during the Revolutionary War; Mayor of Albany, 1787; he was a member of the convention that framed the Constitution of the United States; a Judge of the Supreme Court, and Chancellor of N. Y. State from 1801 to 1814. He disappeared December 12, 1829, while on a trip to New York. His widow, Cornelia, died in January, 1834. ______________________
• Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs:
• Lansing
• http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/families/hmgfm/lansing-1.html
• (III) Jacob G., son of Gerrit and Elsje (Van Wythorst) Lansing, was born in Albany, June 6, 1681, and died there December 6, 1767. He built a house in 1710 at the corner of North Pearl and Columbia streets, Albany, known as the "Pemberton House," where all his children were horn. He married, about 1710, Helena, baptized November 21, 1683, daughter of Jacob Sanders and Catherine (Van Witbeck) Glen. Children:
  • (IV) Gerrit J., son of Jacob G. and Helena (Glen) Lansing, was born in Albany, New York, and baptized March 4, 1711. He married (first) November 29, 1734, Maria, daughter of Johannes and Barentje (Pruyn) Everts, born October 8, 1713, and buried January 27, 1741. Children:
    • 1.Jacob G. (2), married (first) Neeltje Roseboom, March 14, 1767, (second) Femmetje (Frances) Lansing, August 28, 1774.
    • 2.Maria, died in infancy.
    • 3.Alida, died in infancy.
  • He married (second) about 1748, Jane, baptized April 12, 1728, and died March 2, 1810, daughter of John and Sarah (Winne) Waters. Children:
    • 1.John, died in childhood.
    • 2.John, Jr. (2), baptized February 3, 1755. The last seen of him was December 12, 1829, on the pier where the steamboats left for Albany, walking towards the boat on which he intended going to Albany. (See "Lives of the Chancellors.") He dined with his father-in-law, Robert Ray, just before his disappearance in New York City. He was a very prominent public man and his death caused a deep sensation. He studied law with Robert Yates, afterward chief justice of the state, and also with James Duane in New York. He served under General Philip Schuyler in the revolutionary war, being Schuyler's military secretary at Saratoga, and was a distinguished member of the convention that conducted the civil and military operations of the state. Soon after he was appointed mayor of Albany, and in 1787 was with Chief Justice Yates and General Hamilton delegated by the state as member of the convention which framed the constitution of the United States. On his return he was appointed a judge of the supreme court and later to the high position of chancellor of the state. He married, April 8, 1781, Cornelia, daughter of Robert and Sarah (Bogart) Ray of New York City. She died in Albany, January, 1834.
    • 3.Abraham G., see forward.
    • 4.Gerrit G. (known as Gerrit of Oriskany), baptized November 4, 1760, died May 27, 1831. He entered the revolutionary army at the beginning of the war and served until its close. He led a forlorn hope at Yorktown and was a distinguished and gallant officer. He was a colonel in rank. He married Maria, daughter of Colonel Edward Antill. She died at Utica, New York, August 24, 1834.
    • 5.Sarah, born June 22, 1763, married Barent Bleecker.
    • 6.Sanders G., (the G. for Gerritse was only used when he was a boy to distinguish him from an uncle, Sanders Lansing), was born in Albany, June 17, 1766; educated to legal profession in Albany and Claverack schools; was register and master in chancery in Albany; removed from Albany to Little Falls in 1820; in 1821 was a delegate to draw up new state constitutions; 1821-28 was county judge of Herkimer county, New York; afterward supreme court judge; died in Manheim, New York, September 19, 1850; married, December 10, 1789, Catharine, daughter of Abraham and Annatje (Lansing) Ten Eyck. _______________________________

US Statesman, Jurist. Lansing was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1775. From 1776-1777 he was the military secretary to General Philip Schuyler. He became a member of the Continental Congress in 1785. He served in that capacity until 1787, when he declined to sign the U. S. Constitution. He opposed some of the language and terminology of the constitution and therefore declined to sign it. In 1781 he was elected a member of the New York State Assembly and served in that capacity until 1789. He was appointed to be a justice of the New York State Supreme Court in 1790 and served in that capacity until 1798, when he became chief justice, and served as chief justice until 1801. In 1801 he was appointed to be the Chancellor of New York State, a position he held until 1814, when he was forced to retire because of age. He disappeared mysteriously on December 12, 1829, after leaving his hotel room to mail a letter. No explanation was ever found for his disappearance. It was speculated that he was robbed and murdered or he drowned. A cenotaph was erected at Albany Rural Cemetery to commemorate his many years of public service.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Feb 27 2020, 21:42:40 UTC