Jacob Hasbrouck De Witt | |
Office: | New York State Assembly |
Term: | 1847 |
Term2: | 1839 |
State3: | New York |
District3: | 7th |
Term Start3: | March 4, 1819 |
Term End3: | March 3, 1821 |
Preceded3: | Josiah Hasbrouck |
Succeeded3: | Charles H. Ruggles |
Party: | Democratic-Republican |
Birth Date: | 2 October 1784 |
Birth Place: | Marbletown, New York, US |
Death Place: | Kingston, New York, US |
Spouse: | Sarah Ann Sleight |
Children: | 4 |
Branch: | New York militia |
Rank: | Colonel |
Unit: | 131st Regiment |
Battles: | War of 1812 |
Jacob Hasbrouck De Witt (October 2, 1784 – January 30, 1857) was a U.S. Representative from New York.
Born in Marbletown, New York, De Witt was raised in Twaalskill (now part of the city of Kingston). His father was Colonel Thomas De Witt (1741-1809), a veteran of the American Revolution. His mother, Elsie Hasbrouck DeWitt (1749-1832), was the daughter of Jacob and Maria (Hornbeck) Hasbrouck, making her a member of the Hasbrouck family and a relative of many early notable Ulster County politicians. His parents had married February 28, 1782.
His aunt Mary De Witt was the first wife of General James Clinton, and was the mother of DeWitt Clinton, making him Jacob's first cousin. Jacob De Witt attended the rural schools of Twaalskill and the Kingston (New York) Academy, afterwards becoming a farmer. His grandfather, Egbert A. DeWitt, was town supervisor of Rochester, Ulster County, New York from 1736 to 1738.
He served as the adjutant of a militia regiment in the War of 1812. He continued his militia service, and later attained the rank of Colonel as commander of the New York Militia's 131st Regiment.
De Witt was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Sixteenth Congress (March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1821). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1820, and returned to farming.
In 1827 and 1840 De Witt was Kingston's Town Supervisor and a member of the Ulster County Board of Supervisors. He was a member of the New York State Assembly in 1839 and 1847.
De Witt died in Kingston on January 30, 1857. He was originally buried at Sharpe Cemetery on Albany Avenue, and later reinterred at Kinsgton's Old Dutch Churchyard.
Jacob married Mary Ann Meyer (1797-1816) on February 20, 1815. She died just a year later.
On June 8, 1823 he married Sarah Ann Sleight, daughter of Johannes and Aaltje (Swartwout) Sleight and a granddaughter of Jacobus Swartwout. They had at least four children:
DeWitt Street in Kingston, New York was named for Jacob and his unmarried brother, Reuben DeWitt (1787-1859).[1]