Prodigious and Proficient Progeny
Judge Robert Livingston and Margaret Beekman Livingston's 10 kids
Sometimes it’s amazing to sit back and look at the Revolutionary generation of Clermont Livingstons, the children of Judge Robert Livingston and Margaret Beekman Livingston. Not only did ten of their eleven children live to adulthood but that all of those children took part in more than seventy years of American history.
1 Janet
The oldest child of the Judge and Margaret was Janet.
She was briefly married to the reputedly dashing General Richard Montgomery before a blast of grapeshot at Quebec ended their wedded bliss.
She remained unmarried for the rest of her life, turning down several offers including one from the “hero of Saratoga” Horatio Gates. This often leads to her being depicted as a grieving widow for the rest of her life. In fact, she was a savvy businesswoman who earned enough money to build Montgomery Place in memory of Richard and lead a very comfortable life which included a great deal of reading.
Janet Livingston Montgomery, as drawn by her niece when she was older, and Richard Montgomery
2 Robert
The next oldest was Robert. To summarize his career, briefly:
Continental Congress
Address to the People of Great Britain
Declaration of Independence
Chancellor
Secretary for Foreign Affairs
George Washington’s Oath of Office
Minister to France
merino sheep
and on and on and on.
3 Margaret
After the Chancellor came Margaret. She married Thomas Tillotson, one of the most boring men in history, but under her tutelage he served as an assemblyman, state senator, and Secretary of State for New York.
This allowed Margaret to play hostess to the elite of New York’s politics.
4 Henry
Henry Beekman Livingston’s career as a military officer and hero of the Revolution has been well documented:
The Battle of Saratoga
Rhode Island
and Valley Forge.
He was a man who rubbed shoulders with the Marquis de Lafayette, The Baron von Steuben, George Washington, and George Clinton.
5 Catherine
Catherine Livingston married the Reverend Freeborn Garretson after waiting out her mother (who was unhappy with her marrying a Methodist) for years.
Catherine and Freeborn set about spreading Methodism throughout America. Catherine frequently hosted missionaries before they headed off to spread their message and frequently corresponding with them, giving them the courage to continue their missions.
6 John
The next son was John Livingston. John was mainly a simple business man. He had supplied the Continental Army during the Revolution. He spent most of the war in Boston where he could over see shipments coming in and going out. After the war he developed a rather interesting business strategy that earned him the nickname “The Lord of Vice”.
7 Gertrude
Gertrude Livingston married Morgan Lewis in 1779. He was a general in the army and the son of a signer of the Declaration of Independence. With her and her family’s help, Morgan served in the assembly, state Senate, as New York Attorney General, and Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court.
Gertrude would reach her peak as first lady of New York state when Morgan Lewis defeated Aaron Burr for the governorship in 1804.
Gertrude and Morgan’s country house has been remodeled and added onto to become Mills Mansion at Staatsburg.
8 Joanna
Joanna Livingston married a distant cousin, Peter Robert Livingston. She, too, was a force in Albany society when her husband served in the Senate and the Assembly.
9 Alida
The youngest daughter of the family Alida Livingston married General John Armstrong of Pennsylvania. She travelled to France with him when he replaced her brother Robert as Minister to Napoleon’s Court. She was a member of Washington D.C. society when John was a senator from New York.
John would also serve as Secretary of War during the War of 1812. He and Alida had to flee the city when the British came to burn it in 1814. Unsurprisingly this marked the end of his career as Secretary.
10 Edward
Finally, we come to the baby of the family. Edward Livingston. Edward had his own adventures during the War of 1812.
He held several government positions from and in both New York and Louisiana and even found himself a member of Andrew Jackson’s administration.
From the birth of the nation to the end of the middle of the nineteenth century the children of The Judge and Margaret Beekman Livingston had their hands in state and national politics. It is simply astounding that this much talent could find itself focused on one family at one time.
