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James Isaac Van Alen (December 31, 1772 – May 18, 1822) was an American politician from Kinderhook, New York. A Democratic-Republican, he served as a United States representative, a member of the New York State Assembly, and Surrogate Judge of Columbia County, New York. Van Alen was the elder half brother and law partner of U.S. President Martin Van Buren.

Early life

Van Alen was born in Kinderhook, New York on December 31, 1772, the son of Johannes Van Alen (1744–1773) and Marytje Goes (or Hoes) Van Alen (1748–1817). On January 1, 1773, he was christened Jacobus Van Alen at Kinderhook's Dutch Reformed Church. He had two siblings, Marytje (or Maria) Van Alen and John Isaac Van Alen. After the death of his father, his mother married Abraham Van Buren in 1776. His mother had five more children with Van Buren including Dirckie "Derike" Van Buren, Jannetje (called "Hannah" or "Jane") Van Buren, future U.S. President Martin Van Buren, Lawrence Van Buren, and Abraham Van Buren Jr.

Van Alen attended the common schools, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1794.

Career

After being admitted to the bar in New York, he practiced in Kinderhook, later practicing in partnership with Martin Van Buren. From 1797 to 1801 he was Kinderhook's Town Clerk. Van Alen was also involved in various businesses, including serving as secretary of the board of directors for the Chatham Turnpike Corporation.

He was a member of the State constitutional convention of 1801, and was a justice of the peace from 1801 to 1804. He was a member of the New York State Assembly in 1804. Van Alen was surrogate judge of Columbia County from 1804 to 1808.

U.S. Congress

Van Alen was elected to the 10th Congress as a Democratic-Republican, succeeding Henry W. Livingston and holding office from March 4, 1807, to March 3, 1809. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1808 and John Thompson replaced him in the House.

Later career

He later returned to the surrogate judge's position, serving from 1815 until his death. He was succeeded by his half-brother, Abraham A. Van Buren.

Personal life

Van Alen never married or had children. He died in Kinderhook on May 18, 1822, and was buried at Kinderhook Cemetery.

References

1. ^ The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Vol. 82–83. New York, NY: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. 1951. p. 148.
2. Irelan, John Robert (1887). History of the Life, Administration and Times of Martin Van Buren. Chicago, IL: Fairbanks and Palmer Publishing Company. pp. 10–11.
3. "Jacobus Van Alen Baptism, U.S. Dutch Reformed Church Vital Records, 1660-1926". Ancestry.com. Dutch Reformed Church, Kinderhook, NY. January 1, 1773. Note: His name appears in records variously as Jacobus Van Alen, James I. Van Alen and James J. Van Alen. Variations on given names were not unusual in upstate New York in the 1700s and 1800s, as Dutch names were Anglicized. For example, Martin Van Buren was baptized as Maarten.
4. ^ "Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989: Kinderhook Dutch Reformed Church Baptism Entry, Marytje Van Alen". Ancestry.com. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, LLC. August 20, 1768.
5. The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Vol. 82–83. New York, NY: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. 1951. p. 148.
6. Cole, Donald B. (1984). Martin van Buren and the American Political System. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-4008-5361-8 – via Google Books.
7. ^ Mackenzie, William Lyon (1846). The Life and Times of Martin Van Buren: The Correspondence of His Friends, Family and Pupils. Boston, MA: Cooke & Co. p. 21.
8. Terry, R. M. (1885). Civil list of Columbia County and Official Handbook, 1786-1886. Hudson, NY: J. W. Prentiss, printer. p. 113.
9. Wilson, James Grant (1898). The Presidents of the United States 1789–1897. D. Appleton and Company. pp. 169–170.
10. Shepard, Edward Morse (1896). American Statesman: Martin Van Buren. Houghton, Mifflin and Company. p. 44.
11. Van Alen, James I. (January 14, 1805). "Meeting Notice, Chatham Turnpike Corporation". The Pittsfield Sun. Pittsfield, MA. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
12. Lincoln, Charles Zebina (1906). The Constitutional History of New York, Volume 1. Rochester, NY: Lawyers Co-Operative Publishing Company. p. 608. ISBN 9781404751897.
13. Mosley, Charles; Brogan, Hugh (1993). American Presidential Families. Gloucestershire, UK: Alan Sutton. p. 314. ISBN 978-0-02-897305-0.
14. Journal of the Assembly of the State of New York. Albany, NY: New York State Legislature. 1804. p. 3.
15. Terry, R. M. (1885). Civil List of Columbia County and Official Handbook, 1786-1886. Hudson, NY: J. W. Prentiss. p. 48.
16. Columbia County at the End of the Century. Hudson, NY: Record Printing and Publishing. 1900. p. 122.
17. Collier, Edward Augustus (1914). A History of Old Kinderhook from Aboriginal Days to the Present Time. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons. p. 414.
18. "VAN ALEN, James Isaac - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
19. ^ Terry, R. M. (1885). Civil List of Columbia County and Official Handbook, 1786-1886. Hudson, NY: J. W. Prentiss. p. 48.
20. Irelan, John Robert (1887). History of the Life, Administration and Times of Martin Van Buren. Chicago, IL: Fairbanks and Palmer Publishing Company. p. 605.

External links

• United States Congress. "James I. Van Alen (id: V000011)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• James I. Van Alen at Find a Grave

• 1772 births
• 1822 deaths
• American politicians of Dutch descent
• Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
• Members of the New York State Assembly
• New York (state) lawyers
• New York (state) state court judges
• People from Kinderhook, New York
• Van Alen family
• Van Buren family
• 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature
• 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives