John Russell (New York)


John Russell was an American doctor, merchant and a United States Representative from New York.

Early life

Russell was born in Branford, Connecticut on September 7, 1772. He was the second son of Federalist New York State Senator and Assemblyman Ebenezer Russell and Elizabeth Russell. His paternal grandparents were Mary Russell and John Russell.
He attended the public school, moved to New York State, studied medicine, and practiced a short time in Cooperstown, New York.

Career

He was county clerk of Otsego County from 1801 to 1804, and was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Ninth and Tenth Congresses, holding office from March 4, 1805 to March 3, 1809. While in Congress, Russell missed 53 of 393 roll call votes.
After he left Congress, he was a presidential elector on the DeWitt Clinton ticket in 1812. He engaged in mercantile pursuits.

Personal life

Russell was married to Elizabeth Williams, daughter of Rensselaer Williams, a Justice of the Peace who was the librarian of the Trenton Library Company and was one of the founders of the Trenton Academy. Together, they were the parents of:
His wife died on December 25, 1838. He died in Cooperstown on August 2, 1842. His interment was located at its Christ Episcopal Churchyard.

Descendants

Through his daughter Catharine, he was a grandfather of six, including Rensselaer Russell Nelson, a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.