John Hathorn

Not to be confused with John Hathorne.

John Hathorn (January 9, 1749 – February 19, 1825) was an American politician and Continental Army officer from New York.

John Hathorn
Facial composite by C. Brower Darst (1907)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 4th District
In office March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791
Preceded by	Nobody (District Created)
Succeeded by	Cornelius C. Schoonmaker
In office March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1797
Preceded by	Peter Van Gaasbeck
Succeeded by	Lucas Elmendorf
Member of the New York State Assembly
In office 1795 1805
Personal details
Born	(1749-01-09)January 9, 1749 Wilmington, Delaware Colony, British America
Died	February 19, 1825(1825-02-19) (aged 76) Warwick, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic-Republican Anti-Administration

Life

He completed preparatory studies and became a surveyor and a school teacher. He moved to Warwick in the Province of New York, then a part of the precinct of Goshen and married Elizabeth Welling. He owned slaves. He was a captain in the local colonial militia, and became a colonel of the Fourth Orange County Regiment February 7, 1776, and served throughout the Revolutionary War. He served on the committee appointed to determine an effective location for the Hudson River Chain which prevented the British from advancing upriver, and he wrote the report thereafter. He was one of the commanders of the Battle of Minisink. After the war, on September 26, 1786, Hathorn became a brigadier general of the Orange County militia, and on October 8, 1793, a major general of the state militia.

Hathorn was a member from Orange County of the New York State Assembly in 1778, 1780, from 1782 to 1785, in 1795 and 1805, and served as Speaker in 1784.

Hathorn's house in Warwick, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places

He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1786 to 1790 and from 1799 to 1803, and was a member of the Council of Appointment in 1787 and 1789. He was elected to the Confederation Congress in December 1788 but did not attend because it soon become defunct. In March 1789, he was elected to the First United States Congress, and served from April 23, 1789, to March 3, 1791. He was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Fourth United States Congress, and served from March 4, 1795 to March 3, 1797.

Hathorn engaged in mercantile pursuits until the time of his death.

He was buried in Warwick Cemetery. His stone house still stands on Hathorn Road, with his and his wife's initials worked in red brick on the south gable of the house.

In World War II, the United States liberty ship SS John Hathorn was named in his honor.

References

• John Hathorn's Revolutionary Legacy Information Page
• United States Congress. "John Hathorn (id: H000348)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.