Benson, Egbert, 1746-1833

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Egbert Benson (June 21, 1746 – August 24, 1833) was a slave owner, lawyer, jurist, politician, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States who represented New York State in the Continental Congress, Annapolis Convention, and the United States House of Representatives. He served as a member of the New York constitutional convention in 1788 which ratified the United States Constitution. He also served as the first attorney general of New York, chief justice of the New York Supreme Court, and as the chief United States circuit judge of the United States circuit court for the second circuit.

Born in New York City, Benson was taught in Dutch, and he learned his catechism in that language. Upon reaching a suitable age, Benson attended the Collegiate School before moving on to King's College (now Columbia University), reading law, being admitted to the bar, and practicing in Red Hook, New York and New York City. From 1777 to 1781, Benson served as a member of the New York State Assembly and drafted every important bill passed there in during the Revolution. He was also a representative in the Second Continental Congress from 1780, and drew bills organizing the executive department of the United States. The county made him the president of their committee of safety and in 1777 sent him to the revolutionary New York State Assembly. When the first state government was organized, Benson was appointed the first New York attorney general and served until 1788. He was elected to the Assembly annually until 1781 and again in 1788. New York sent Benson as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1784. Although he was reappointed in 1785, he did not attend sessions. In 1786, he was named by the Legislature to accompany Alexander Hamilton as a delegate to the Annapolis Convention, which issued a call for the United States Constitutional Convention held the following year. He returned to the Congress in 1787 and 1788, and in 1788 attended the New York state convention that ratified the United States Constitution.

When the new federal government was established, Benson was elected from New York's 3rd congressional district to the United States House of Representatives of the 1st and 2nd United States Congresses, serving from March 4, 1789, to March 3, 1793. In 1794, Benson was appointed a justice of the New York Supreme Court, a position he held until 1801. He was nominated by President John Adams on February 18, 1801, to the United States Circuit Court for the Second Circuit, to the new chief judge seat authorized by 2 Stat. 89. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 20, 1801, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on July 1, 1802, due to abolition of the court. Benson returned to the private practice of law in New York City in 1802. He joined other civic leaders to found the New-York Historical Society and served as its first president from 1804 to 1816. In 1812, Benson was again elected from New York's 2nd congressional district to the United States House of Representatives of the 13th United States Congress as a Federalist but served only five months before he resigned on August 2, 1813.

Benson died on August 24, 1833, in Jamaica, Queens, and is buried in the Prospect Cemetery there.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Harison, Richard, 1747-1829. Richard Harison papers, 1734-[ca. 1900]. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Nicholas Low Papers Supplement, 1784-1829 New-York Historical Society
referencedIn Bard, John, 1716-1799. Deed to Henry Wisner, 1767 March 1767. New York State Library
referencedIn New York (State). Commission for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies (1777-1778). Minutes, 1776 Dec. 11-1778 Sept. 23. New-York Historical Society
referencedIn University of the State of New York. Board of Regents. Minutes, 1795 Jan.-1796 Mar. Churchill County Museum
referencedIn Letter from George Washington to Egbert Benson, William Smith and Daniel Parker National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Benson, Egbert, 1746-1833. Letter, 1799 February 5. American Periodical Series I
referencedIn Autograph File, B, ca.1500-1982 Houghton Library
creatorOf Report to the President of the United States, ca. 10/1798 - ca. 10/1798 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Van Schaack family. Papers, 1686-1887. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn New-York Manumission Society Records, 1785-1849 New-York Historical Society
referencedIn New York (State). Commissioners to Collect Evidence on the Boundaries and Jurisdiction of the State. Collection of evidence in vindication of the territorial rights and jurisdiction of the State of New York against the claims of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and New Hampshire and the people of the grants who are commonly called Vermonters : transcript, [18--]. Churchill County Museum
creatorOf Benson, Egbert, 1746-1833. Manuscript, 1796. Massachusetts Historical Society
creatorOf Benson, Egbert, 1746-1833. Notice of a writ of inquiry, 1774 December 13. American Periodical Series I
creatorOf Egbert Benson letters, legal documents, and miscellany, 1777-1821 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn New York (State). Commissioners for Inquiring into Conspiracy. Voucher, 1778 April 13. American Periodical Series I
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Collection of documents concerning the American Revolution, 1740-1866 Houghton Library
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Benson, Egbert, 1746-1833. Letter to Thomas J. Rinney, 1814. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Jones, Samuel, 1734-1819. Receipt book, 1761-1803. New-York Historical Society
creatorOf New York (State). Commissioners of Indian Affairs. Resolution, 1789 Feb. 27. Newberry Library
referencedIn Burr, Aaron, 1756-1836. Aaron Burr : miscellaneous papers, 1784-1820. The Filson Historical Society
creatorOf New York (State). Treaty between the Onondaga Tribe and the State of New York, 1788 Sept. 12. Cornell University Library
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
referencedIn Gibbs, George, 1815-1873. [Map of the area later bounded by Howard Street, Broadway, Canal Street and Mercer Street, Manhattan, New York (N.Y.)] / Casimir Th. Goerck ; [copied by] George Gibbs. Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
creatorOf Benson, Egbert, 1746-1833. [Manuscript maps that were assembled by Egbert Benson and sent in 1802 to Rufus King, United States minister to Great Britain, in order to facilitate negotiations over disputed international boundary between Maine and New Brunswick]. Library of Congress
contributorOf Surveyors' and Astronomers' Reports, ca. 1820 - ca. 1822 National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Egbert Benson Collection, 1786-1819 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Schuyler, Philip John, 1733-1804. Agreement, 1784 January 31. American Periodical Series I
creatorOf Benson, Egbert, 1746-1883. ALS, 1790, November 14, Philadelphia to unknown. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
creatorOf Benson, Egbert, 1746-1833. Papers, 1772-1939. Churchill County Museum
creatorOf Letter from Egbert Benson to David Humphreys National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Adams, John, 1735-1826. Northeast boundary papers, 1700-1799; bulk: 1796-1799. Massachusetts Historical Society
referencedIn New-York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, and Protecting Such of Them as Have Been, or May Be Liberated. Records, 1785-1849. Churchill County Museum
creatorOf Benson, Egbert, 1746-1833. Letter, 1809. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Benson, Arthur D. Papers, [ca. 1930]-1938. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf New York (State). New York State Revolutionary War collection, 1776-1785. Churchill County Museum
creatorOf Copy of a Remonstrance from the Commissioners [Egbert Benson, William Smith, and Daniel Parker] to Sir Guy Carleton National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Gibbs, George, 1815-1873. [Map of the area later bounded by Worth Street, Lafayette Street, Duane Street and Broadway, Manhattan, New York (N.Y.)] / Casimir Th. Goerck ; [copied by] George Gibbs. Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
referencedIn Low, Nicholas, 1739-1826. Nicholas Low papers supplement, 1784-1829. Churchill County Museum
creatorOf Platt, Zephaniah, 1735-1807. Papers, 1745-1846. American Periodical Series I
creatorOf Benson, Egbert, 1746-1833. Egbert Benson correspondence, undated. Library of Congress
referencedIn Eagle Fire Company of New-York. Record book, 1806 July-1814 June. New-York Historical Society
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Iron Company. corporateBody
associatedWith Armstrong, John. person
associatedWith Bancker, Gerard, 1740-1799. person
associatedWith Barclay, Mary. person
associatedWith Bard, John, 1716-1799. person
associatedWith Bayard, Samuel, 1767-1840 person
associatedWith Benson, Arthur D. person
auntOrUncleOf Benson, Egbert, 1789 or 90-1866. person
associatedWith Benson family. family
sibling of Benson, Robert, 1739-1823. person
ancestorOf Benson, Robert, 1785-1872. person
childOf Benson, Robert, d. 1762. person
associatedWith Billings, Andrew. person
correspondedWith Burr, Aaron, 1756-1836. person
associatedWith Clayton, John M. (John Middleton), 1796-1856. person
associatedWith Cortlandt, Billings & Co. corporateBody
associatedWith Coxe, Mary Rebecca, d. 1855. person
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith De Peyster, Jacobus. person
associatedWith Dewitt, Charles, 1727Ð1787 person
associatedWith Duckett, G. F. (George Floyd), Sir, 1811-1902. person
associatedWith Dutchess County (N.Y.) Court of Common Pleas. corporateBody
associatedWith Eagle Fire Company of New-York. corporateBody
associatedWith Emmet, Thomas Addis person
associatedWith Gibbs, George, 1815-1873. person
associatedWith Goelet, Peter. person
associatedWith Granger, Francis, 1792-1868. person
associatedWith Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804. person
associatedWith Harison, Richard, 1747-1829. person
associatedWith Hoffman, Anthony. person
associatedWith Hoops, Adam. person
associatedWith Hopkins, Samuel M. (Samuel Miles), 1772-1837 person
correspondedWith Humphreys, David, 1752-1818 person
associatedWith Jay, John, 1745-1829. person
associatedWith Jones, Samuel, 1734-1819. person
associatedWith Le Ray de Chaumont, V. (Vincent), 1790-1866. person
associatedWith Le Roy, Herman. person
associatedWith Low, Nicholas, 1739-1826. person
associatedWith Merit, Thomas, fl. 1774. person
associatedWith Monaghan, Frank. person
associatedWith Morris, Robert. person
associatedWith New-York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, and Protecting Such of Them as Have Been, or May Be Liberated. corporateBody
associatedWith New York (State) corporateBody
employeeOf New York (State) Attorney General corporateBody
associatedWith New York (State). Attorney General's Office. corporateBody
associatedWith New York (State). Commissioners for Inquiring into Conspiracy. corporateBody
associatedWith New York (State). Commissioners of Indian Affairs. corporateBody
associatedWith New York (State). Commissioners to Collect Evidence on the Boundaries and Jurisdiction of the State. corporateBody
associatedWith New York (State). Commission for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies (1777-1778) corporateBody
associatedWith New York (State). Governor (1795-1801 : Jay) corporateBody
employeeOf New York State, Supreme court corporateBody
correspondedWith Parker, Daniel, 1782-1846 person
correspondedWith Platt, Zephaniah, 1735-1807. person
associatedWith Popham, William. person
associatedWith Rinney, Thomas J., person
associatedWith Schuyler, Philip, 1733-1804 person
associatedWith Seuf, Christian. person
associatedWith Seward, William Henry, 1801-1872. person
associatedWith Shaw, William Smith, 1778-1826 person
associatedWith Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866 person
associatedWith Stuyvesant, Peter, 1592-1672. person
associatedWith Teller, Isaac. person
memberOf United States. Circuit Court (2nd Circuit) corporateBody
memberOf United States. Congress. House corporateBody
associatedWith University of the State of New York. Board of Regents. corporateBody
associatedWith Van Cortlandt, Gilbert. person
associatedWith Van Rensselaer, Stephen, 1764-1839. person
associatedWith Van Schaack family. family
associatedWith Van Schaack, Peter, 1747-1832. person
associatedWith Varick, Richard, 1753Ð 1831 person
correspondedWith Washington, George, 1732-1799 person
associatedWith Webster, Daniel, 1782-1852. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
New York City NY US
Red Hook NY US
New York City NY US
Subject
Attorneys general
Civil procedure
Courts
Decedents' estates
Executive power
Justice, Administration of, New York (State)
Land sales
New York (State)
Pardon
Politics, government and public administration
Occupation
Federal Judge
Judges
Lawyers
Politicians
Representatives, U.S. Congress
State Attorney General
Activity

Person

Birth 1746-06-21

Death 1833-08-24

Male

Americans

English,

Dutch; Flemish

Information

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Ark ID: w6ps8n36

SNAC ID: 87424784