John Woodworth

John Woodworth
Great Seal of the State of New York
8th New York State Attorney General
In office 1804 – 1808
Governor	Morgan Lewis, Daniel D. Tompkins
Preceded by	Ambrose Spencer
Succeeded by	Matthias B. Hildreth
Justice of the New York Supreme Court
In office 1819 – 1828
State Senator for New York
In office 1804 – 1807
Representative for Renssealaer County in New York State Assembly
In office 1803 – 1803
Born	November 12, 1768 Schodack, New York
Died	June 1, 1858 Albany, New York
Alma mater	Yale College
Profession	lawyer

John Woodworth (November 12, 1768 Schodack, Rensselaer County, New York - June 1, 1858 Albany, New York) was an American lawyer and member of the Woodworth political family.

Life

John was born in 1768, the son of future New York State Senator Robert Woodworth, and Rachel Fitch, daughter of Abel Fitch. He married Catharine Westerlo (1778-1846, sister of Rensselaer Westerlo, and half-sister of Stephen Van Rensselaer III).^[1]

Education

Woodworth studied law with John Lansing, Jr. at Yale College, graduating in 1788, and was admitted to the bar in 1791.^[1]

Public service

He commenced practice in Troy, New York, and was appointed Loan Commissioner in 1792, Surrogate of Rensselaer County from 1793 to 1804, and Presidential Elector in 1800 and 1813. In 1811, he was a appointed a commissioner to revise the state laws. Woodworth would serve as a Regent of the State University.^[1]

Woodworth was a member from Renssealaer County of the New York State Assembly in 1803. During this session, he was the Democratic-Republican caucus nominee for the election of a U.S. Senator from New York, but was narrowly defeated by Theodorus Bailey who was supported by a faction of his party who combined with the Federalists.^[1]

Woodworth was a member of the New York State Senate from 1804 to 1807, and at the same time was New York State Attorney General from 1804 to 1808. He was a justice of the New York State Supreme Court from 1819 to 1828. He was one of the last members of the Council of Revision which was abolished by the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1821.^[1]

Literary works

• Laws of New York, with Notes (with William P. Van Ness, 2 vols., Albany, 1813)
• Reminiscences of Troy from its Settlement in 1790 till 1807 (Albany, 1855)

References

• [1] Short bio at Court History
• famousamericans.net/johnwoodworth/ Bio, at famous americans
• [2] Political Graveyard
• [3] Van Rensselaer genealogy and history