The Jamestown Livingstons

James Livingston was a son of {Reverend} John Livingston (1603 - 1672) and a brother of Robert "the Grantee" Livingston.  James was apprenticed on September 24, 1662 to Edward Stevenson, a merchant in Edinburgh.  He subsequently became a merchant in that city himself, where he died in 1700; and was interred in the Greyfriars' Burial Ground on June 4, 1700.  He married twice, but the name of his first wife is unknown.  James married second to Christian Fish on August 15, 1683.

 (Mr. E. B. Livingston, The Livingstons of Callendar, page 448)
Born:  Stranraer, Scotland, September 22, 1646
Died:  1700
James Livingston and his first wife whose name is unknown had the following son:     It is entirely likely that James Livingston had additional children, one of whom is said to be the progenitor of the Livingston Family of Jamestown, New York.  This line begins as follows:

Generation One
John Livingston was a native of county Monaghan, Ireland. He is said, by good authorities, to have been a lineal descendant of Rev. John Livingston through the latter’s son James.  John came from County Monaghan, Ireland to Stillwater, Saratoga County, New York in 1764.  He later moved to Salem, Washington County, New York.  He served as a private on the colonial side in the Revolutionary War.  John had older brothers who also came to America and fought on the colonial side in the Revolutionary War.

    John married in Ireland to Miss (Mary?) Boyd and they had the following children:


Generation Two
Dr. William Livingston was a leading physician of his day.
Born on February 15, 1768, in Stillwater, Saratoga county, New York.
Died on May 8, 1860.
 

    Dr. William Livingston, son of John Livingston, "the founder,” was born February 15, 1768, in Stillwater, Saratoga county, New York, died May 8, 1860. His birthplace overlooked the later, historical battlegrounds of Stillwater and Saratoga, where many of his name bore prominent part. He studied medicine and became a leading physician of his day. His home was in Hebron, Washington county, where he practiced for many years, later in Essex county, New York. About 1830 he came for a time to Chautauqua county, New York, residing in Hartfield, but later returned to Essex county, where he died. At Hebron he owned a farm of two hundred and sixty acres on which he built first a log house, later a frame house, which he kept open as an inn for the entertainment of travelers. He was a prominent Whig and represented Washington county in the state legislature four terms. 
 . . . . Biographical note shared by Richard Livingston, shown below.

    William married on March 11, 1790 to Sarah Tracy who was born in Norwich, Connecticut, on December 13, 1770 and died on July 8, 1828.  William and Sarah had the following children:


Generation Three
John Jay Livingston who was a surveyor, civil engineer, teacher and merchant.
Born on October 19, 1798 at Hebron, Washington county, New York.
Died on August 3, 1890, at Jamestown, New York.
John married first to Mary Ball, who died six months later.
John married second to Maria Rice, of Washington county
John married third to Elizabeth Jane Whitehill (born on April 8, 1809, near Bellefonte, Pennsylvania and died on June 7, 1886) Elizabeth was a daughter of James Whitehill who was born on March 3, 1771, lived three miles southwest from Shippenville, and was a black-smith and a skillful mechanic.
 

Note: the lineage from this point on is courtesy of Richard Livingston,
the great X 2 grand son of John Jay Livingston shown below.

    John Jay Livingston had the following sons:

Generation Four
William Robert Livingston spent several years in the American Civil War.  He enlisted at Clarion, Pennsylvania, was wounded at Fredricksberg. He resided in both Shippensville, Clarion County, Pennsylvanie and later in Fairmont Minnisota, where there is still the Livingston log cabin preserved.

    William married Britannia Jane Smith of western Pennsylvania, and they had a son:

Much of the above information was condensed from William R. Cutter, Genealogical and Family History of Central New York, Vol. II, p. 872.  This passage has been copied below.

Please click to return to the top of this page.

Please click to return to the main Livingston of Callendar Page

The following passage is from William R. Cutter, Genealogical and Family History of Central New York, Vol. II, p. 872.

    (I)     John Livingston, founder of this branch of the Livingston family in America, was a native of county Monaghan, Ireland. He is said, by good authorities, to have been a lineal descendant of Rev. John Livingston through the latter’s son James, who was also the father of Robert, “the nephew.” who came over at the invitation of his Uncle Robert, first lord of the manor of Livingston, an immense estate in Columbia county, New York. John Livingston was one of the company who came to the American colonies in 1764, or soon after, with Rev. Thomas Clark, M. D., from Ballybay, Ireland. After a brief stay in Stillwater, Saratoga county, New York, where his son, Dr. William, was born in 1768, he moved northward to Salem, Washington county, formerly called "White Creek” and “New Perth.” He served during several brief periods as a private in the war of the revolution. Older brothers of John also came to America and fought in the war of the revolution on the colonial side. He married, in Ireland, a Miss Boyd. Children: John, Francis, Robert, Joseph, Benjamin, William and Samuel; one daughter Mary.

    (II)     Dr. William Livingston, son of John Livingston, "the founder,” was born February 15, 1768, in Stillwater, Saratoga county, New York, died May 8, 1860. His birthplace overlooked the later, historical battlegrounds of Stillwater and Saratoga, where many of his name bore prominent part. He studied medicine and became a leading physician of his day. His home was in Hebron, Washington county, where he practiced for many years, later in Essex county, New York. About 1830 he came for a time to Chautauqua county, New York, residing in Hartfield, but later returned to Essex county, where he died. At Hebron he owned a farm of two hundred and sixty acres on which he built first a log house, later a frame house, which he kept open as an inn for the entertainment of travelers. He was a prominent Whig and represented Washington county in the state legislature four terms. He married (first), March 11, 1790, Sarah Tracy, of Salem, born in Norwich, Connecticut, December 13, 1770, died July 8, 1828. Children:
Daughter, died unmarried; Anna, born May 6, 1795; a son, died unmarried: John Jay of whom further; William Tracy, born June 16, 1800; James Gray, March 22, 1802; Jane Agnes, July 23, 1804; Sarah Gifford, May 1, 1806; Wealthy Maria, March 13, 1808; Robert Wilson, April 2, 1820.

    (III)    John Jay, son of Dr. William Livingston, was born at Hebron, Washington county, New York, October 19, 1798, died August 3, 1890, at Jamestown, New York. He was educated in Hebron and lived in Washington and Essex counties until 1830, when he came to Chautauqua county, remaining two years. In 1832 he located in Venango county, Pennsylvania, where for fifty-eight years he was a resident of Shippenville. He was of a studious disposition and mastered a fluent control of both the French and German languages. At that early day capable surveyors were in demand and Mr. Livingston, taking up that study, mastered it and followed surveying and civil engineering from 1832 until 1883, over half a century, when not engaged in teaching or mercantile business. After his eightieth birthday he performed field work with his instruments for twenty-seven consecutive days. He attained the same age as his honored father, ninety-two years, spending his last years in Jamestown with his son, Dr. Alfred T. Livingston. He lived a clean, manly, up-right life and was not only one of the oldest men of Western New York, but one of the most highly respected. He was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a consistent observer of his Christian obligations.
    He married (first) Mary Ball, who died six months later; (second) Maria Rice, of Washington county; (third) Elizabeth Jane Whitehill, born April 8, 1809, near Bellefonte. Pennsylvania, died June 7, 1886, daughter of James Whitehill, born March 3, 1771; lived three miles southwest from Shippenville, a black-smith and a skillful mechanic.

Please click to return to the top of this page.

Please click to return to the main Livingston of Callendar Page

Please visit the Sewell Genealogy Site Map for other pages in this series.