Governor george clinton biography parliament

CLINTON, GEORGE, officer in the Royal Navy, governor of Newfoundland and New York; b. c. 1686 in Oxfordshire, England, second son of Francis Fiennes Clinton, 6th Earl of Lincoln, and Susan Penniston; m. Anne Carle and had six children, of whom three survived infancy; d. 10 July 1761 in England.

George Clinton entered the navy in 1707 and was promoted captain in 1716. His first significant command came in 1731, when he was appointed governor of Newfoundland and commodore of the ships sent there, the first officer to hold both positions. Clinton was instructed to look into the conduct of the recently appointed local magistrates [see William Keen], and in general he supported them in their jurisdictional disputes with the fishing admirals. He was careful, however, to ensure that they did not exceed their authority, for instance in their attempt to tax the wages of local labourers to help pay for the jail constructed at St John’s. Though the admirals opposed his authority, Clinton showed himself a diligent and efficient administrator of the civil government established by his predecessors, Lord Vere Beauclerk and Henry Osborne*. In 1732 he was succeeded as governor by Edward Falkingham.

In 1737, while still a captain, he was made commodore of the Mediterranean fleet. He held a command in the squadron being assembled in 1740 for service in the West Indies, but successfully petitioned to be relieved of the undesirable post. By this time Clinton was seriously in debt. He appealed to the Duke of Newcastle for more remunerative employment, and in 1741 was appointed governor of New York, though he did not arrive there until September 1743.

Following the declaration of war between England and France the next year, Governor Clinton took steps to protect New York’s northern frontier and to participate in the conflict with the French. He strongly supported expeditions against the French garrison at Fort Saint-Frédéric (Crown Point

Source: This biographical essay was written by Quentin Taylor, Resident Scholar (2008-2009), Liberty Fund, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana.

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Clinton, George (July 26 1739 – April 20, 1812)

Clinton, George (July 26 1739 – April 20, 1812) military leader, governor of New York, and vice president of the United States, was born at Little Britain, Ulster County, New York, the son of Scots-Irish immigrants. Clinton received the rudiments of an education from a tutor before serving on a privateer during the French and Indian War. He later joined his brother’s militia company and participated in the capture of Montreal in 1760. Upon his return Clinton studied law in New York City, was admitted to the bar in 1764, and held a few minor posts in Ulster. In addition to practicing law, he worked as a surveyor and engaged in farming.

When new elections for the provincial assembly were held in 1768, the twenty-eight year old Clinton was chosen to represent Ulster. By this time tensions between the colonies and Parliament had erupted in violence and British troops were quartered in New York. Clinton was among the radicals who opposed the pro-British faction in the assembly and championed the colonial cause. Shortly before hostilities at Lexington and Concord, he moved that Parliament had no right to tax the colonies whatsoever. His efforts were rewarded with a seat in the extra-legal provincial assembly, which selected him to represent New York in the Second Continental Congress in May 1775. In Philadelphia he met George Washington and other leaders of the revolutionary movement. With Washington Clinton developed a wa

by Shannon Butler

Everyone in the Hudson Valley has heard the name George Clinton (and no, I am not talking about the King of funk, sorry.) I mean the longest serving Governor of the State of New York (serving just under 21 years) and the Vice President of the United States under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. I mean the Revolutionary War General and one of the true Founding Fathers of our State and Nation. This George Clinton lived right here in Poughkeepsie, though there still seems to be some confusion over where his house actually was.

Clinton was born on July 26, 1739, just across the river in Little Britain, what is now part of Orange County. By the time he was 18 he found himself doing a bit of privateering during the French and Indian War and later became a surveyor. In 1759 he became the County Clerk for Ulster County while studying law in New York City. By the 1760s he was learning the ropes of the General Assembly but also listening to the whispers of anti-Crown propaganda as many of his countrymen were growing tired of the King’s burdens on the colonies. After marrying Cornelia Tappen, he found himself with wealth and more connections into the Livingston family and more like minded political friends.

His new connections along with his interests in defending his land from royal invasion found him a place in the Continental Congress in 1776. Here, he grew close with George Washington and the two worked out military plans together. But it was Clinton’s interest in the local militia and his appointment as General of the Militia that prevented him from signing the Declaration of Independence. No doubt, if he had signed it, his name would be more widely known. During the war Clinton worked to defend the Highlands above the Hudson, keep the militia together, and continue to aid Washington and his army in any way he could. On top of his war endeavors he found himself being elected as the first Governor of the State of New York j

Vice President of the United States from 1805 to 1812

George Clinton (July 26, 1739 – April 20, 1812) was an American soldier, statesman, and a prominent Democratic-Republican in the formative years of the United States of America. Clinton served as the fourth vice president of the United States from 1805 until his death in 1812. He also served as the first governor of New York from 1777 to 1795 and again f