John Woodworth was an American lawyer and member of the Woodworth political family

Woodworth political family

The Woodworth political family is a collection of American and Canadian politicians who descend directly from colonial settler Walter Woodworth. They rose to prominence in the 19th century, serving in several states, in the United States House of Representatives, the Canadian House of Commons, and...

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Life

John was born in 1768, the son of future New York State Senator Robert Woodworth

Robert Woodworth (politician)

Robert Woodworth was a Captain in the American Revolution and member of the Woodworth political family.-Life:Woodworth was born in Norwich, Connecticut on June 13, 1743, the son of Daniel Woodworth and Sarah Collins...

, and Rachel Fitch, daughter of Abel Fitch.
He married Catharine Westerlo (1778–1846, sister of Rensselaer Westerlo

Rensselaer Westerlo

Rensselaer Westerlo was a United States Representative from New York.He was born at the Van Rensselaer Manor House in Albany as the son of Catherine Livingston and her second husband Eilardus Westerlo...

, and half-sister of Stephen Van Rensselaer III

Stephen Van Rensselaer III

Stephen Van Rensselaer III was Lieutenant Governor of New York as well as a statesman, soldier, and land-owner, the heir to one of the largest estates in the New York region at the time, which made him the tenth richest American of all time, based on the ratio of his fortune to contemporary GDP...

).

Education

Woodworth studied law with John Lansing, Jr.

John Lansing, Jr.

John Ten Eyck Lansing, Jr. , was an American lawyer and politician. He was the uncle of Gerrit Y. Lansing.-Career:...

 at Yale College

Yale College

Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...

, graduating in 1788, and was admitted to the bar in 1791.

Public service

He commenced practice in Troy, New York

Troy, New York

Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...

, and was appointed Loan Commissioner in 1792, Surrogate of Rensselaer County from 1793 to 1804. He was a presidential elector in 1800

United States presidential election, 1800

In the United States Presidential election of 1800, sometimes referred to as the "Revolution of 1800," Vice-President Thomas Jefferson defeated President John Adams. The election was a realigning election that ushered in a generation of Democratic-Republican Party rule and the eventual demise of...

, voting for Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...

 and Aaron Burr

Aaron Burr

Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...

. In 1811, Woodworth was appointed a commissioner to revise the state laws. Woodworth was a Regent of the University of the State of New York

University of the State of New York

The University of the State of New York is the State of New York's governmental umbrella organization responsible for most institutions and people in any way connected with formal educational functions, public and private, in New York State...

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Woodworth was a member from Renssealaer County of the New York State Assembly

New York State Assembly

The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...

 in 1803. During this session, he was the Democratic-Republican caucus nominee for the election of a U.S. Senator from New York, but was narrowly defeated

United States Senate election in New York, 1803

The 1803 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 1, 1803, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.-Background:...

 by Theodorus Bailey

Theodorus Bailey (senator)

Theodorus Bailey was an American lawyer and politician from Poughkeepsie, New York. He represented New York in both the U.S. House and Senate...

 who was supported by a faction of his party who combined with the Federalists.

Woodworth was a member of the New York State Senate

New York State Senate

The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...

 from 1804 to 1807, and at the same time was New York State Attorney General

New York State Attorney General

The New York State Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of New York. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government of New York.The current Attorney General is Eric Schneiderman...

 from 1804 to 1808. He was a justice of the New York State Supreme Court from 1819 to 1828. He was one of the last members of the Council of Revision

Council of Revision

The Council of Revision was, under the provisions of the Constitution of the State of New York of 1777, the legal body that revised all new legislation made by the New York State Legislature....

 which was abolished by the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1821.

Literary works

• Laws of New York, with Notes (with William P. Van Ness, 2 vols., Albany, 1813)
• Reminiscences of Troy from its Settlement in 1790 till 1807 (Albany, 1855)