Legislator; born in
Ancrum, Scotland, Dec. 13, 1634; emigrated to
America in 1673, first settling in
Charlestown, Mass., and afterwards removing to
Albany, N. Y. He possessed a bold, adventurous spirit, and was soon in public employment at
Albany, where, in 1683, he married
Alida, widow of
Rev. Nicholas van Rensselaer, and daughter of
Philip Pietersen van Schuyler.
She brought him considerable wealth, with which he purchased a large landed estate on the east bank of the
Hudson.
Its boundary commenced about 5 miles south of the site of the city of
Hudson, and extended 12 miles along the river, and eastward to the line between the States of New York and
Massachusetts.
The area widened as it extended eastward, so that, on its eastern boundary, the tract was nearly 20 miles in width.
In 1686
Thomas Dongan, governor of New York, granted
Livingston a patent for this domain, which comprised over 120,000 acres. It was the largest landed estate in the province, excepting that of
Van Rensselaer.
Five or six thousand acres of it were purchased for the use of the palatines who came over with
Governor Hunter in 1700, which tract still bears the name of
Germantown, given to it at
[
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that time.
In 1715 the grant of the
Livingston Manor, given by
Dongan, was confirmed by royal authority, and full manorial privileges were given to the proprietor.
The lord of the manor exercised moderate judicial functions within his domain, and had the privilege of electing a representative to the General Assembly of the colony and two constables.
This manor occupied a portion of
Columbia and
Dutchess counties.
Robert died in
Albany, April 20, 1725.
