William McManus
Encyclopedia
William Telemachus McManus (1780 Brunswick
, Rensselaer County, New York
– January 18, 1835 Brunswick, Rensselaer Co., NY) was an American lawyer and politician from New York
.
. Then he studied law with John Bird
, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Troy, New York
. He married Catharina Coons, and they had four children, among them Jane (McManus) Cazneau (1807-1878). He was Surrogate of Rensselaer County from 1815 to 1818, and District Attorney from 1818 to 1821.
McManus was elected as an Adams man to the 19th United States Congress
, holding office from March 4, 1825, to March 3, 1827. Afterwards he resumed the practice of law.
In 1832, McManus ventured into land speculation, and was one of the founders of the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company. The next year, he set out with his son Robert, his daughter Jane and a company of German settlers for Texas
, which was then still part of Mexico
. The scheme failed when the German settlers refused to go beyond Matagorda
, and McManus returned with his daughter to Brunswick, NY, in 1834, and died there soon after. His son Robert remained in Texas and became a wealthy planter.
Brunswick, New York
Brunswick is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States that was originally settled in the early 18th century. During its history, it had been part of Albany County, Rensselaerswyck, and Troy, before its incorporation in 1807...
, Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
– January 18, 1835 Brunswick, Rensselaer Co., NY) was an American lawyer and politician from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Life
He was the son of Hugh McManus (1747-1826) and Mary McManus (1751-1834). He attended Lansingburgh AcademyLansingburgh Academy
The Lansingburgh Academy was a seminary in Lansingburgh in the U.S. state of New York just north of the city of Troy from the late 18th century to 1900, when the building was leased, and later sold, to the local public school district, used initially as a high school...
. Then he studied law with John Bird
John Bird (New York)
John Bird was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Litchfield, Connecticut, he pursued classical studies, graduated from Yale College in 1786, studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Litchfield...
, was admitted to the bar, and 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...
. He married Catharina Coons, and they had four children, among them Jane (McManus) Cazneau (1807-1878). He was Surrogate of Rensselaer County from 1815 to 1818, and District Attorney from 1818 to 1821.
McManus was elected as an Adams man to the 19th United States Congress
19th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: John C. Calhoun * President pro tempore: John Gaillard , until December 4, 1825** Nathaniel Macon , from May 20, 1826- House of Representatives :* Speaker: John W. Taylor -Members:...
, holding office from March 4, 1825, to March 3, 1827. Afterwards he resumed the practice of law.
In 1832, McManus ventured into land speculation, and was one of the founders of the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company. The next year, he set out with his son Robert, his daughter Jane and a company of German settlers for Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, which was then still part of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The scheme failed when the German settlers refused to go beyond Matagorda
Matagorda, Texas
Matagorda is an unincorporated community in Matagorda County, Texas, United States. It had a population of approximately 710 in 2000. Matagorda is at the end of State Highway 60 and beginning of Farm to Market Road 2031, which runs over the Intracoastal Waterway and south to the Gulf of Mexico...
, and McManus returned with his daughter to Brunswick, NY, in 1834, and died there soon after. His son Robert remained in Texas and became a wealthy planter.
Source
- The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 71, 380 and 417; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
- CAZNEAU, Jane Mary Eliza McManus Storms in Notable American Women by Edward T. James & Janet Wilson James (1971; pages 315ff)