Wikipedia

Thomas W. Harman

Thomas W. Harman (c. 1807 – 15 March 1848) was an American attorney and militia officer from New York. A native of Schenectady, he became active in politics, first as a Jacksonian, then as a Democrat. He served as Albany's city attorney from 1834 to 1837. After serving as military secretary for Governor William L. Marcy, he served as Adjutant General of New York from 1836 to 1837. Harman later moved back to Schenectady, where he resided until his death in 1848.

Thomas W. Harman
Adjutant General of New York
In office
1836–1837
Preceded byAllan Macdonald
Succeeded byLevi Hubbell
City Attorney of Albany, New York
In office
1834–1837
Preceded byJohn Davis
Succeeded byWilliam Parmalee
Military Secretary to the Governor of New York
In office
1833–1835
Preceded byJohn T. Hildreth
Succeeded byHoratio Seymour
Clerk of the Albany County, New York Board of Supervisors
In office
1832–1834
Preceded byJames Van Ingen
Succeeded byHeman C. Whelpley
Personal details
Born1807 (1807)
Schenectady, New York, US
Died11 March 1848 (aged 40–41)
Albany, New York, US
Resting placeSaint Georges Episcopal Church Cemetery, Schenectady, New York, US
PartyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations
Democratic-Republican
Jacksonian
Spouse
Emily Van Benthuysen
​
​
(m. 1834⁠–⁠1848)​
Children1
ProfessionAttorney

Early life and start of career

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Thomas W. Harman[a] was born in Schenectady, New York in 1807,[b] a son of Thomas Harman Jr. and Deborah (Dudley) Harman.[1][2][3] He was raised and educated in Schenectady, then moved to Albany and became active in local politics and government, first as a Jacksonian, then as a Democratic-Republican.[4][5] When the Jacksonian faction of the Democratic-Republicans began using the name Democrats, Harman continued his affiliation with the Democratic Party.[6] Harman also studied law, and he was admitted to the bar as an attorney in April 1828.[7] He was also appointed an examiner in chancery in April 1828, and in May 1831 he was admitted to practice as a counselor in the New York Court of Chancery.[8][9]

Harman developed early in life a reputation as an effective orator and he was frequently call upon to give speeches at political meetings and public gatherings. In July 1829, he wad the featured speaker at Albany's Independence Day celebration.[10] In October 1830, he was a featured speaker at an Albany rally for Democratic-Republican candidates in the upcoming election for statewide candidates.[11] In April 1832, he was appointed a state commissioner of deeds, empowered to witness property transfers and other transactions.[12] In September 1832, he was one of the leaders of and a featured speaker at a Democratic-Republican meeting that passed resolutions in support of the Andrew Jackson–Martin Van Buren ticket in that year's presidential election.[13]

Continued career

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From 1832 to 1834, Harman served as clerk of the Albany County Board of Supervisors.[14] From 1833 to 1835, he served as military secretary on the staff of William L. Marcy.[15] From 1834 to 1837, he was Albany's city attorney.[16] In October 1834, he was secretary of the city Third Ward Democratic Committee meeting the selected delegates to the upcoming county party convention, and he was selected as one of the delegates.[17] In July 1835, he was a featured speaker at Albany's Independence Day commemoration, at which he delivered a well-received poem.[18] In March 1836, Harman was one of the organizer's of the Hibernian Provident Society's St. Patrick's Day commemoration and gave one of the planned toasts.[19] In September 1836, Marcy appointed Harman to succeed Levi Hubbell as Adjutant General of New York.[20] In October 1836, he was a delegate to the combined Albany city and county Democratic convention that selected delegates to the upcoming state party convention.[21] He served as adjutant general until January 1837 and was succeeded by Allan Macdonald.[20]

In October 1837, he was a delegate to and a featured speaker at the Albany County Democratic convention.[22] In June 1838, Harman was selected by the organizing committee for Albany's Independence Day commemoration to give its keynote address.[23] In July 1838, he was a delegate to the Albany County Democratic convention, at which he was selected as a delegate to the upcoming state convention.[24] In May 1839, he was a member of the First Ward Democratic meeting that nominated candidates for municipal office.[25] Later that month, he was one of the election inspectors appointed by the city council to oversee voting in the First Ward.[26] In July 1839, Harman was a member of the committee on arrangements that planned an Albany reception in honor of President Martin Van Buren.[27] In September 1839, he was a delegate to the Albany County convention that nominated candidates for the New York State Assembly.[28] In July 1840, Harman was one of the secretaries of the New York state Democratic meeting held to congratulate Van Buren on his signing of the Independent Treasury Act of 1840.[29]

Later career

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Harman moved to Schenectady, New York in 1840, where he continued to practice law.[30][31][32] In July 1841, he was one of the featured orators at Schenectady's Independence Day celebration, at which he delivered a poem that was received well by his audience.[33] In November 1842, he was elected inspector of elections for Schenectady's Second Ward.[34] In December 1842, Harman took part in a Democratic Party dinner organized by Schenectady Democrats; during the period for volunteers to offer toasts after completion of the formal program, he toasted Alonzo C. Paige and John C. Wright.[35] In July 1843, he was again chosen as the Independence Day orator for Schenectady's public commemoration, which was praised in subsequent news accounts.[36] In September 1844, Harman was one of the executive committee members of the county Democratic party who issued a call for delegates to attend a nominating convention to select candidates for the New York State Assembly and delegates to a nominating convention empowered to select a candidate for the United States House of Representatives.[37]

In October 1847, Harman attended the Schenectady County Democratic convention as a delegate and was chosen as one of its secretaries.[38] He died in Schenectady on 15 March 1848.[1] Harman was buried at Saint Georges Episcopal Church Cemetery in Schenectady.[1] In 1834, Harman married Emily Van Benthuysen of Albany.[39] They were married until his death and were the parents of a son, Charles Dudley Harman, who was born in Albany in 1835.[39] Charles Harman was an employee of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company when he died in Japan in 1892.[39][40]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 Vines, Robert; Pearson, Jonathan IV; Lamere, Cliff (July 2001). "St. Georges's Cemetery (Episcopal), Schenectady, NY, Deaths, Deaths 1788-1994". Albany & Eastern New York Genealogy (Home). Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  2. ↑ Marriage License Bonds, Dioceses of Cork and Ross (1799). "Ireland Indexes to Wills, Probate Administration, Marriage Bonds and Licenses, 1591–1866, Entry for Thomas Harman and Deborah Dudley". Ancestry.com. Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com LLC. p. 845 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  3. ↑ "Death Notice, Deborah Harman". Schenectady Cabinet. Schenectady, New York. 26 October 1841. p. 3 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  4. ↑ "At a numerous and highly respectable meeting of the young men of the city of Albany, friendly to the election of Gen. Andrew Jackson..." Argus and City Gazette. Albany, New York. 19 October 1827. p. 3 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  5. ↑ "Politics: Albany County Young Men's Republican Convention". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 28 October 1831. p. 3 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  6. ↑ "Democratic Young Men's Convention". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 5 July 1834. p. 3 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  7. ↑ "The following gentlemen were admitted as counsellors and attorneys..." Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 27 May 1828. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  8. ↑ "Appointments made by the Senate, Friday, April 11, on the nomination of the Governor". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 18 April 1828. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  9. ↑ "Supreme Court, 12th May, 1831". New-York Evening Post. New York, New York. 14 May 1831. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  10. ↑ "The Fourth". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 7 July 1829. p. 3 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  11. ↑ "Great Meeting of Young Men at the Capitol". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 29 October 1830. p. 3 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  12. ↑ "Appointments made by the Senate, on the nomination of the Governor". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 24 April 1832. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  13. ↑ "Great Meeting of the Jackson Young Meeting of the City of Albany". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 18 September 1832. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  14. ↑ Howell, George Rogers; Tenney, Jonathan (1886). Bi-centennial History of Albany and History of the County of Albany, N.Y., from 1609 to 1886. New York, New York: W. W. Munsell. pp. 88–89 – via Google Books.
  15. ↑ Williams, Edwin (1836). The New-York Annual Register. New York, New York: James Van Norden. p. 426 – via Google Books.
  16. ↑ Pugh, David E. (1917). Proceedings of the Common Council of the City of Albany. Vol. II. Albany, New York: The Argus Company. p. xxxii – via Google Books.
  17. ↑ "Third Ward". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 7 October 1834. p. 1 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  18. ↑ "The last anniversary of our Independence..." The Reflector. Schenectady, New York. 7 July 1835. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  19. ↑ "St. Patrick's Day: The Hibernian Provident Society". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 25 March 1836. p. 1 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  20. 1 2 O'Brien, John F. (1904). Manual for the Use of the Legislature of the State of New York. Albany, New York: Evening Union Company. p. 632 – via Google Books.
  21. ↑ "Albany City and County – Young Men". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 4 October 1836. p. 1 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  22. ↑ "Albany County Young Men's Convention". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 27 October 1837. p. 3 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  23. ↑ "Fourth of July". Albany Evening Journal. Albany, New York. 12 June 1838. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  24. ↑ "Albany County Young Men's Democratic Convention". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 31 July 1838. p. 3 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  25. ↑ "Democratic Ward Meetings: First Ward". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 4 May 1839. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  26. ↑ "Common Council". Albany Evening Journal. Albany, New York. 14 May 1839. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  27. ↑ "Reception of the President". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 17 July 1839. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  28. ↑ "Democratic Conventions: Albany County". Albany Argus. Albany, New York. 1 October 1839. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  29. ↑ "Great Rally". New-York Evening Post. New York, New York. 9 July 1840. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  30. ↑ "Schenectady County Oyer and Terminer – October 22, 1840". The Cabinet. Schenectady, New York. 22 December 1840. p. 3 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  31. ↑ "We have been furnished with a copy of the remonstrances and signatures, forwarded from this city, against the establishment of a National Bank..." The Schenectady Cabinet. Schenectady, New York. 10 August 1841. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  32. ↑ "Notice: estate of Simon Van Antwerp". Schenectady Cabinet. Schenectady, New York. 31 January 1843. p. 3 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  33. ↑ "Notice: The sixty fifth anniversary of our National Independence..." Schenectady Spectator. Schenectady, New York. 2 July 1841. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  34. ↑ "Inspectors – Polls". Schenectady Reflector. Schenectady, New York. 4 November 1842. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  35. ↑ "Democratic Supper". Schenectady Reflector. Schenectady, New York. 16 December 1842. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  36. ↑ "The Fourth". Schenectady Reflector. Schenectady, New York. 7 July 1843. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  37. ↑ "The Democratic Electors of the County of Schenectady..." Schenectady Reflector. Schenectady, New York. 20 September 1844. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  38. ↑ "Schenectady County: Our County Convention". Schenectady Reflector. Schenectady, New York. 22 October 1847. p. 2 – via GenealogyBank.com.
  39. 1 2 3 Van Benthuysen, Alvin Seaward; Hall, Edith M. McIntosh (1953). The Van Benthuysen Genealogy (PDF). Clay Center, Kansas: Wilson Engraving and Printing Company. p. 72.
  40. ↑ "Advertisement: Pacific Mail Steamship Company". Cook's Excursionist and Home and Foreign Tourist Advertiser (American ed.). London, England: Thos. Cook & Son. April 1892. p. 37 – via Google Books.

Notes

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  1. ↑ His last name is spelled as "Harmon" in some records.
  2. ↑ Harman's gravestone gives his age as 40, which would make his birth year 1807 or 1808.
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