Morgan Lewis Livingston


Morgan Lewis Livingston, was an American heir and member of the prominent Livingston family from New York.

Early life

Livingston was born on April 3, 1799 at his grandfather's home in Staatsburg in Dutchess County, New York. He was the eldest of twelve children born to Maturin Livingston, a former Recorder of New York City, and Margaret Livingston. His younger siblings included Gertrude Laura Livingston, Julia Livingston, Alfred Livingston, Mortimer Livingston, Susan Mary Livingston, Robert James Livingston, Maturin Livingston Jr., Henry Beekman Livingston, Angelica Livingston, and Blanche Geraldine Livingston. His younger sister Angelica married Alexander Hamilton Jr., the son of Secretary of State James Alexander Hamilton.
His mother was the only daughter and sole heiress of New York Gov. Morgan Lewis and Gertrude Lewis. His maternal grandmother was the daughter of Judge Robert Livingston of Clermont and Margaret Livingston, and the sister of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston; Janet Livingston ; Margaret Livingston ; Henry Beekman Livingston; Catharine Livingston ; merchant John R. Livingston; Joanna Livingston ; and Alida Livingston. His father inherited his maternal grandfather's estate, the Staatsburgh House in Staatsburg, upon the death of Lewis in 1844.
His paternal grandparents were Robert James Livingston and Susanna Livingston, herself the daughter of Chief Justice William Smith. His uncle was Peter R. Livingston and all of his Livingston family members were descended from Robert Livingston the Younger, through the Younger's eldest son, James Livingston.

Career

On October 13, 1814, Livingston matriculated at the United States Military Academy at West Point with the class of 1819, along with Edward Butler, nephew of General Richard Butler and Col. Thomas Butler. Butler courted Livingston's sister Julia, but eventually married Frances Parke Lewis, daughter of Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis and Lawrence Lewis, and grand-niece of George Washington. Julia later married Maj. Joseph Delafield, brother of Maj. Gen. Richard and Dr. Edward Delafield.
Upon his father's death in 1847, his younger brother, Maturin Livingston Jr. inherited the family home in Staatsburgh, not Morgan, the eldest son.

Personal life

On March 30, 1829, Livingston was married to Catharine Currie Manning in New York City. She was the daughter of James Manning and Elizabeth Manning, and the younger sister of John Augustus Manning and William Henry Manning. Her paternal uncle was James Manning, the first President of Brown University, and her maternal grandfather was Thomas Storm, the Speaker of the New York State Assembly. Together, they were the parents of nine children, only two of whom married and had children, including:
Livingston died on November 3, 1869 in New York City. He was buried in the St. James Episcopal Churchyard in Hyde Park in Dutchess County, New York.

Descendants

Through his daughter Rosalie, he was the grandfather of Rosalie Livingston Waldo and Katherine Livingston Waldo, who were both the elder half-sisters of Rhinelander Waldo, the New York City Police and Fire Commissioner, from their father's second marriage to Gertrude Rhinelander Waldo. Rosalie, who was born in Newport, Rhode Island and died in Paris, France, did not marry. Katherine married Preble Tucker, but died without issue at the age of thirty-five.
Through his son Mortimer, he was the grandfather of Frances Livingston ; Morgan Lewis Livingston, who married Ida Mary Walters, daughter of English immigrant Joseph Charles Lockwood, in 1903; Katherine Manning Livingston, who married George Winthrop Fallon in 1893; Robert James Livingston, who married Charlotte Ames, daughter of Daniel Burnett Ames in 1898; Julia Livingston, who died young; Alice Livingston ; Edward Mortimer Livingston, who married Catherine Cecilia Chamberlain, daughter of Willis Henry Chamberlain; and Harold Maturin Livingston.