John Williams (Salem, NY)
John Williams (September, 1752 – July 22, 1806) was an American physician and politician from Salem, New York.
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[edit] Early life
Williams was born in Barnstaple, England in September 1752; received a liberal education; studied medicine and surgery in St. Thomas' Hospital, London; served for one year as surgeon’s mate on an English man-of-war; immigrated to America in 1773 and settled in New Perth, Charlotte County (now Salem, Washington County), N.Y.; engaged in an extensive medical practice.
[edit] Career
Williams was a member of the New York Provincial Congress in 1775, to which body he was reelected and served until its dissolution in 1777. He was appointed surgeon of the State forces in 1775. Williams was a colonel of the Charlotte County Regiment in 1776 and retained command throughout the Revolutionary War. He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1777 to 1779[1] when he was expelled for the act of defrauding fellow soldiers of their earned wages.[2]
He was a member of the New York State Assembly in 1781 and 1782, and again a member of the State senate from 1782 to 1794. Williams was appointed a member of the first board of regents of the University of the State of New York in 1784. He served as brigadier general of militia in 1786. Williams was a delegate to the State ratification convention in 1788. He was a member of the Council of Appointment in 1789.
In March 1789, Williams received a small number of votes running as a Democratic-Republican in the 5th District for Congress, but was defeated by Federalist Peter Silvester.[3] In January 1793, Williams ran again as a Democratic-Republican for Congress, this time in the 9th District to which Washington County had been re-districted, but was defeated by Federalist James Gordon.[4]
In December 1794, Williams was elected as a Democratic-Republican[5] to the 4th, and in December 1796 was re-elected as a Federalist[6] to the 5th United States Congress, serving from March 4, 1795 to March 3, 1799. In April 1798, he ran for re-election as a Federalist in the 7th District to which Washington County had been re-districted, but was defeated by Democratic-Republican John Thompson.[7] In April 1802, he ran for election again as a Federalist in the 12th District to which Washington County had been re-districted, but was defeated by Democratic-Republican David Thomas.[8]
He was a large landholder; a promoter and director of a company organized to build the Erie Canal as a private enterprise, the project later being taken over and completed by the State, and a judge of the county court. Williams died in Salem, N.Y., July 22, 1806; his interment is at Salem Cemetery.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- John Williams at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress [has wrong party affiliation for first term]
- ^ Schneiderman, Eric T.; James S. Alesi, John J. Flanagan, Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Andrew J. Lanza, Diane J. Savino, Toby Ann Stavisky, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Catharine Young (2010). Report of the New York State Senate Select Committee to Investigate the Facts and Circumstances Surrounding the Conviction of Hiram Monserrate on October 15, 2009. New York State Senate. pp. 44. http://www.nysenate.gov/report/report-new-york-state-senate-select-committee-investigate-facts-and-circumstances-surrounding.
- ^ Peters, Jeremy W. (January 13, 2010). "Monserrate Will Face Sanction Votes". The New York Times (The New York Times Company): p. A23. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/nyregion/13monserrate.html. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ 1789 Election result 5th D. at Tufts University Library project "A New Nation Votes"
- ^ 1793 Election result 9th D. at Tufts University Library project "A New Nation Votes"
- ^ 1794 Election result 9th D.
- ^ The History of Political Parties in the State of New-York, from the Ratification of the Federal Constitution to 1840 by Jabez D. Hammond (4th ed., Vol. 1, H. & E. Phinney, Cooperstown, 1846)
- ^ 1798 Election result 7th D.
- ^ 1802 Election result 12th D.
[edit] Further reading
- Ward, Robert B. (2006). New York State Government. Rockefeller Institute Press. ISBN 1930912153.
- Zimmerman, Joseph Francis (2008). The Government and Politics of New York State. State University of New York Press. ISBN 0791474356.
[edit] External links
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Gordon |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 9th congressional district 1795 - 1799 |
Succeeded by Jonas Platt |
- 1752 births
- 1806 deaths
- American militia generals
- Kingdom of Great Britain emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from New York
- New York Federalists
- New York militiamen in the American Revolution
- New York State Senators
- Members of the New York State Assembly
- Members of the New York Provincial Congress
- Expelled New York State Senators
- New York Democratic-Republicans
