Ebenezer Russell Explained

Ebenezer Russell
Term Start:July 1, 1812
Term End:June 30, 1813
Term Start1:July 1, 1783
Term End1:June 30, 1784
Office2:Member of the New York State Senate for the Eastern District
Term Start2:July 1, 1795
Term End2:June 30, 1803
Predecessor2:William Powers
Term Start3:July 1, 1784
Term End3:June 30, 1788
Predecessor3:Elkanah Day
Successor3:vacant
Term Start4:July 1, 1778
Term End4:June 30, 1782
Predecessor4:William Duer
Successor4:John Williams
Office5:Member of the New York State Assembly for Charlotte Co.
Term Start5:September 9, 1777
Term End5:June 30, 1778
Birth Date:December 26, 1747
Birth Place:Branford, Connecticut
Death Place:Salem, New York, U.S.
Party:Federalist
Children:William Russell
John Russell

Ebenezer Russell (December 26, 1747 – December 5, 1836) was an American politician from New York.

Early life

He was born on December 26, 1747, in Branford, New Haven County, Connecticut. He was the son of Mary (née Barker) Russell (b. 1710) and John Russell (1710–1751).[1]

Career

He fought as a private in the American Revolutionary War. He was County Treasurer, first of Charlotte County, then of Washington County, for about forty years.

Russell was a member of the New York State Assembly (Charlotte Co.) in 1777–78; and a member of the New York State Senate (Eastern D.) from 1778 to 1782, sitting in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th New York State Legislatures. He was a member of the Council of Appointment in 1778–79 and 1780–81.

He was again a member of the State Assembly in 1784. During this term, the Legislature changed the name of Charlotte County to Washington County. He was again a member of the State Senate from 1784 to 1788, sitting in the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th New York State Legislatures. He was again a member of the Council of Appointment in 1784–85 and 1787. On November 12, 1784, he was appointed, and on April 13, 1787, re-appointed as a Regent of the University of the State of New York.[2]

He was First Judge of the Washington County Court from 1788 to 1800. In December 1794, he ran on the Federalist ticket for Congress in the Saratoga–Washington district, but was defeated by Democratic-Republican John Williams.[3]

When the first political parties were formed, Russell joined the Federalist Party. He was again a member of the State Senate from 1796 to 1803, sitting in the 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th New York State Legislatures; and was again a member of the Council of Appointment in 1796.[4]

He was again a member of the State Assembly in 1812–13. In 1813, he resigned from the Board of Regents of USNY.[5] [6]

Personal life

On September 13, 1769, he married Elizabeth Stork (1747–1832),[7] the daughter of Capt. Moses Stork.[8] Together, they had several children, including:

He died on December 5, 1836, in Salem, New York;[11] and was buried at the Revolutionary Cemetery there.

Descendants

Through his son John, he was the grandfather of Catharine Ann Russell (1805–1875) who married Samuel Nelson (1792–1873), an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. They were the parents of four children, including Judge Rensselaer Russell Nelson (1826–1904).[12]

Notes and References

  1. News: Ro. Lauren. Charming antique colonial with multiple fireplaces wants $670K. 3 May 2018. Curbed. July 25, 2017.
  2. https://archive.org/stream/historyofwashing00john#page/112/mode/1up/search/russell History of Washington Co., New York
  3. http://elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/tufts:ny.uscongress9.1794 Election result NY Saratoga-Washington
  4. Book: The New York Red Book. 1916. Williams Press. 353. 3 May 2018. en.
  5. https://books.google.com/books?id=E3sFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA110 The New York Civil List
  6. Book: Journal of the Senate of the State of New York: At Their Thirty-Sixth Session, Begun and held at the City of Albany. 1813. S. Southwick. Albany. 190. 3 May 2018. en.
  7. https://books.google.com/books?id=ZCtkUmz95dAC&pg=RA1-PA107 Early Connecticut Marriages
  8. Book: The English Storkes in America. 1936. News-Press Publishing Company. xviii. 3 May 2018. en.
  9. Book: Bowman. Fred Q.. Landholders of Northeastern New York, 1739-1802. 1983. Genealogical Publishing Com. 9780806310268. 158. 3 May 2018. en.
  10. Web site: RUSSELL, John - Biographical Information. bioguide.congress.gov. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 3 May 2018.
  11. https://books.google.com/books?id=2y4ZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA47 The Plaindealer
  12. Book: Encyclopedia of Biography of Minnesota: Illustrated with Steel Plate and Copper Plate Engravings. 1900. Higginson Book Company. 462-463. 21 November 2017. en.