LIVINGSTON, Henry Brockholst [1757-1823] -- American jurist

He was born in New York city, Nov. 26, 1757, son of William and Susannah (French) Livingston.

He was graduated from the College of New Jersey, A.B. 1774, A.M. 1777, and at the outbreak of the Revolutionary war he was commissioned a captain in the Continental army and served as aide-de-camp to Gen. Philip Schuyler, being attached to the northern department and ranking as a major. He was aide to Gen. Arthur St. Clair; participated in the siege of Fort Ticonderoga, and was present at the surrender of General Burgoyne's army at Saratoga, Oct. 17, 1777. He returned to General Schuyler's army and was promoted lieutenant-colonel.

In 1779 he went to Spain as private secretary to his brother-in-law, John Jay, and during his voyage home in 1782 was captured by the British and taken to New York, where he was imprisoned until the arrival of Sir Guy Carleton, as commander-in-chief of the British forces.

He removed to Albany, studied law under Peter Yates; was admitted to the bar in 1783 and practised in New York city. He was judge of the supreme court of New York, 1802-07; and succeeded William Patterson as associate justice of the U.S. supreme court in 1807. He was an original trustee of the New York Society library in 1788; and the 2d vice president of the New York Historical society in 1895. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Harvard in 1818.

He was three times married: first to Catharine Kettletas; secondly to Ann N., daughter of Gabriel Henry Ludlow, and thirdly to Catharine Kortright, daughter of Edmund Seamen and widow of John Kortright. He died in Washington, D.C., March 19, 1823.