John Chanler
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 7th district
In office
March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1869
Preceded byElijah Ward
Succeeded byHervey C. Calkin
Member of the New York Assembly
from the 10th district
In office
1858–1859
Preceded byJames Sluyter
Succeeded byJoseph Cooper
Personal details
Born
John Winthrop Chanler

(1826-09-14)September 14, 1826
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedOctober 19, 1877(1877-10-19) (aged 51)
Barrytown, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Margaret Astor Ward
​
​
(m. 1862; died 1875)​
Children11, including John, William, Lewis, and Robert
EducationColumbia University (BA)
Heidelberg University

John Winthrop Chanler (September 14, 1826 – October 19, 1877) was a prominent New York lawyer and a U.S. Representative from New York. He was a member of the Dudley–Winthrop family and married Margaret Astor Ward, a member of the Astor family.

Early life

John Winthrop Chanler was born in New York City on September 14, 1826, the only son of the Rev. Dr. John White Chanler, an Episcopalian clergyman from Charleston, South Carolina, and Elizabeth Shirreff Winthrop. His mother was a great-great-granddaughter of Wait Winthrop and Joseph Dudley and a great-great-great granddaughter of Peter Stuyvesant.[1]

Chanler received his early education from private tutors, and graduated from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1847. He attended the University of Heidelberg, studied law, and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1851.[2]

Career

A Democrat affiliated with Tammany Hall, Chanler was member of the New York State Assembly (New York Co., 10th D.) in 1858 and 1859. He was nominated for New York State Senate in 1860 but declined.[2] He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1860 to the Thirty-seventh Congress, losing to the Mozart Hall Democrats.[3]

United States Congress

Illustration by Theodore R. Davis (published in Harper's Weekly) depicting Democratic Congressman Albert G. Burr (left) as sleeping while Chanler (right) delivers a loud speech during debate on the adoption of articles of impeachment in the impeachment of Andrew Johnson

Chanler was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth, and Fortieth United States Congresses, serving from March 4, 1863 to March 3, 1869.[2]

While in Congress, Chanler served on the Committee of Bankrupt Law, Committee on Patents, Committee on Southern Railroads.[3][4]

He was known for his censure on May 14, 1866 for an insult to the House of Representatives. The censure stemmed from a resolution he introduced expressing support for the vetoes of President Andrew Johnson, in which Chanler called acts of Congress vetoed by Johnson "wicked and revolutionary," and called House members who overruled the vetoes "malignant and mischievous."[5]

He was defeated in his reelection to the 41st Congress for his hostility to Boss Tweed.[3]

Later career

After Tweed was overthrown from running Tammany Hall in 1871, Chanler became a Sachem and Chairman of the General Committee. He ultimately gave up the positions in 1875 due to his declining health.[3]

Family

Margaret Astor Ward
Rokeby, the Chanler family estate in Barrytown built in 1811 by John Armstrong Jr., Margaret's great-grandfather

In 1862, Chanler married Margaret Astor "Maddie" Ward, whose parents were Samuel Cutler Ward and Emily Astor of the Astor family.[6] She was also a granddaughter of Samuel Ward III and William Backhouse Astor Sr. as well as a great-granddaughter of Samuel Ward Jr., John Jacob Astor, and John Armstrong Jr. Together, John and Margaret had eleven children:[7]

Margaret died of pneumonia in December 1875 shortly after attending the funeral of William Backhouse Astor Sr.[12] She was buried at Trinity Church Cemetery in New York City.[13] In her will, she left $55,000 (equivalent to $1,465,667 in 2022 dollars) to her husband, $1,000 (equivalent to $26,648 in 2022 dollars) a year to her father, and the rest to be divided among her children.[14][15]

Death and burial

John Winthrop Chanler died at his "Rokeby" estate in Barrytown, New York, also of pneumonia, on October 19, 1877.[3] His funeral was attended by New York Mayor Smith Ely Jr., Hamilton Fish, William Backhouse Astor Jr., John Jacob Astor III, John Reilly, John Kean, Van Horn Stuyvesant, Dr. Austin Flint, and Hamilton Fish, Jr. His pallbearers were Smith Ely, George Warren Dresser, Sidney Webster, Tompkins Westervelt, Carlile Pollock Patterson, Frederic W. Rhinelander, John W. Ehrlinger, and Walter Langdon. He was interred with his wife in the Trinity Church Cemetery in New York City.[16]

Estate

According to John Winthrop Chanler's will, his estate was valued between $1,500,000 (equivalent to $41,221,875) and $2,000,000 (equivalent to $54,962,500 in 2022 dollars).[17] The executors were Lewis Morris Rutherfurd, Franklin Hughes Delano, Rutherfurd Stuyvesant, and Tompkins Westervelt.[18] His eldest son, John Armstrong, inherited Rokeby with all its stock, books, pictures, furniture, and personal property of all kinds, $100,000 (equivalent to $2,748,125 in 2022 dollars) on reaching the age of majority, all of his real estate in Dutchess County, and a lot of land in Newport, Rhode Island known as "Cliff Lawn."[19][20] To Winthrop Astor, he left all the personal property in his New York City home, located at 192 Madison Avenue, all of his real estate in Delaware County, and a house on Cliff Lawn in Newport. To his daughters, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Alida, he gave all of their mother's jewelry, and a lot in Newport for each of them, as well as to his sons William Astor, Marion Ward, Lewis Stuyvesant, Robert Winthrop, and Egerton White.[18] In addition, the will provided $20,000 (equivalent to $549,625 in 2022 dollars) a year for each child for life, enough to live comfortably by the standards of the time.[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York: History, Customs, Record of Events, Constitution, Certain Genealogies, and Other Matters of Interest. V. 1-. Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York. 1905. p. 32. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "CHANLER, John Winthrop - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "OBITUARY. | John Winthrop Chanler". The New York Times. 21 October 1877. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  4. ↑ "CHANLER, John Winthrop | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  5. ↑ Asher Crosby Hinds, Hinds' Precedents of the House of Representatives of the United States, Volume 2, 1907, page 798
  6. 1 2 3 4 Jacob, Kathryn Allamong (2010). King of the Lobby: The Life and Times of Sam Ward, Man-About-Washington in the Gilded Age. JHU Press. ISBN 9780801893971. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  7. ↑ The World Almanac and Book of Facts. Newspaper Enterprise Association. 1908. p. 473. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  8. ↑ Lucey, Donna M. (2007). Archie and Amélie: Love and Madness in the Gilded Age. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 9780307351456. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "Margaret Astor Chanler, Heroine of Porto Rico," Milwaukee Journal, Sept 8, 1898, p. 5.
  10. 1 2 "R. W. Chanler Dead. Eminent As Artist. Picturesque Figure in Life of the Metropolis Succumbs at Country Home at 57. Came of a Noted Family. Former Husband of Lina Cavalieri. Had Once Been Dutchess County Sheriff. Famed for His Murals. Of Distinguished Ancestry. Mural in Luxembourg Museum. Entertained on Large Scale". New York Times. Associated Press. October 25, 1930. Retrieved 2013-12-12. Robert Winthrop Chanler, noted artist, died at 1:30 this morning after a long illness. Mr. Chanler had been in a coma for twelve hours.....
  11. ↑ "Marriage Announcement 1 -- EMMET - CHANLER". The New York Times. October 28, 1896. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  12. ↑ Thomas, Lately. A Pride of Lions: The Astor Orphans; the Chanler Chronicle, W. Morrow, 1971.
  13. ↑ "BURIAL OF MRS. M.A. CHANLER". The New York Times. 17 December 1875. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  14. ↑ "WILL OF MRS. MARGARET A. CHANLER | ADMITTED TO PROBATE BY SURROGATE HUTCHINGS - THE DISPOSITION MADE OF HER PROPERTY - BEQUESTS TO CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS". The New York Times. 30 December 1875. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  15. ↑ "W.B. ASTOR'S GRAND CHILDREN.; THEY ARE ALLOWED $30,000 PER YEAR UNTIL THEY ATTAIN THEIR MAJORITY THE WILLS OF MR. AND MRS. JOHN W. CHANLER". The New York Times. 23 May 1878. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  16. ↑ "FUNERAL OF JOHN WINTHROP CHANLER". The New York Times. 25 October 1877. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  17. ↑ "JOHN WINTHROP CHANLER'S WILL". The New York Times. December 21, 1877. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  18. 1 2 "JOHN WINTHROP CHANLER'S WILL". The New York Times. 2 November 1877.
  19. ↑ Located at 117 Memorial Blvd., Newport, RI. Built in 1873 by George C. Mason & Son
  20. ↑ "Newport History | Landmarks | The Chanler at Cliff Walk". thechanler.com. The Chanler at Cliff Walk. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  21. ↑ Thomas, Lately. The Astor Orphans: A Pride of Lions, W. Morrow, 1971. ISBN 1881324036
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