Livingston, an eminent American family, descended lineally from the fifth Lord Livingston, the guardian of Mary Queen of Scots, and from his grandson, the Rev. John Livingston (1603-72), minister of Anerum in Teviotdale, who was banished for refusal to take the oath of allegiance to Charles II., and from 1663 was pastor of the Scots kirk at Rotterdam. His son Robert was born at Anerum in 1654, went to America in 1673, settled at Albany, and received a grant of a vast tract of land, which he had erected into the manor and lordship of Livingston. He died in 1725. One of his grandsons was Philip Livingston (1716-78), who sat in the first Continental congress, and was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Another was William Livingston (1723-90), the 'Don Quixote of the Jerseys,' who was the first governor of New Jersey (1776-90), and conspicuous for the energy and ability of his administration. The most distinguished of the family, however, were the brothers Robert R. and Edward Livingston, great-grandsons of the first Robert.
ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON was born in New York city, 27th November 1746, graduated at King's (now Columbia) College in 1765, and was admitted to the bar in 1773. Sent to congress in 1775, he was one of the five members of the committee charged with drawing up the Declaration of Independence. When the constitution of the state of New York was settled he was appointed chancellor, a dignity he retained till 1801. He was then sent to Paris as minister plenipotentiary, and successfully negotiated the cession of Louisiana to the United States. He enabled Fulton to construct his first steamer, and introduced in America the use of sulphate of lime as a manure, and the merino sheep, and in many other ways distinguished himself as a national benefactor. He died on 26th February 1813. There is a biography by F. De Peyster (New York, 1876).
EDWARD LIVINGSTON, jurist and statesman, was born at Clermont, New York, 26th May 1764, and graduated at Princeton in 1781. He was called to the bar in 1785, and soon obtained an extensive practice. He had spent his youth among the founders of American independence, all of whom he had known as visitors of his father—a justice of the New York Supreme Court—and he at once attained a prominent position. He sat in congress from 1795 to 1801, when he became U.S. district attorney for New York, and mayor of New York city; but in 1803, owing to the misappropriations of a subordinate, he found himself considerably in debt to the federal government. He at once handed over his whole property to his creditors, threw up both his appointments, and resolved to quit New York. Louisiana had just been annexed to the United States through his brother's negotiations; and in 1804 he settled in New Orleans, where he at once obtained lucrative practice at the bar. During the second war with England he was aide-de-camp and secretary to General Jackson; and from 1822 to 1829 he represented New Orleans in congress. In 1823-24 Livingston was employed in reducing to system the civil code of Louisiana—for which task his wide acquaintance with jurisprudence rendered him peculiarly fitted. He was also commissioned to prepare a new criminal code, and in a preliminary treatise he laid down the principles on which he was to proceed. He proposed the abolition of the punishment of death, and a penitentiary system, which at once drew general attention to his labours. His book was reprinted in London, translated into French, and was very favourably received in England, France, and Germany. His code of crimes and punishments was completed, but not directly adopted. Livingston was elected in 1829 to the United States senate, and in 1831 appointed secretary of state. Two years later he went to France as minister plenipotentiary, and succeeded in securing payment of the indemnity on account of French spoliations. He died on 23d May 1836. See the Life by C. H. Hunt (New York, 1864).