Representative Egbert Ten Eyck

Egbert Ten Eyck (April 18, 1779, in Schodack, Rensselaer County, New York – April 11, 1844, in Watertown, Jefferson County, New York) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician from New York who served parts of two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives in the mid-1820s. He was born into a prominent New York family, the son of Anthony E. Ten Eyck (1739–1816) and Maria (née Egbert) Ten Eyck (1748–1819). His father was active in public life as a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, a judge of Rensselaer County, and a member of the New York State Senate. On his paternal side, he was the grandson of Catharine (née Cuyler) Ten Eyck (1709–1790) and Jacob Coenraedt Ten Eyck (1705–1793), who served as Mayor of Albany from 1748 to 1750 and was a member of Albany’s Committee of Safety during the Revolutionary War. He grew up among several siblings, including Anthony Ten Eyck (1784–1859), Jacob A. Ten Eyck (1781–1859), and Coenraad Anthony Ten Eyck (1789–1845), the latter serving as Sheriff of Albany County, reflecting the family’s sustained engagement in public affairs.

Ten Eyck received a formal education that prepared him for a professional and political career. He graduated from Williams College in 1799, an early period in the institution’s history, and then pursued legal studies in Albany, New York. After reading law, he was admitted to the bar in 1807. He subsequently settled in Watertown, in Jefferson County, where he established a legal practice. As one of the earlier professional men in the growing community, he quickly became involved in local civic and economic development, and his legal work formed the foundation for his later judicial and legislative service.

Ten Eyck’s public career began at the state and local levels. In June 1812, he was elected as a Federalist to the New York State Assembly representing Jefferson County, serving from July 1, 1812, until June 30, 1813, during the opening phase of the War of 1812. He continued to play a leading role in Jefferson County affairs in the following years. He served as Supervisor of Jefferson County in 1816 and as a Trustee of the Village of Watertown that same year. He was one of the incorporators of the Jefferson County National Bank, contributing to the financial infrastructure of the region. In 1817 he became the first Secretary of the Jefferson County Agricultural Society, reflecting his interest in the promotion of agriculture and local economic improvement. In 1820 he served as President of the Village of Watertown, and in 1821 he was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention, participating in the revision of the state’s fundamental law. He also held judicial office as First Judge of the Jefferson County Court from 1820 to 1829, presiding over local judicial matters during a period of significant growth and settlement in northern New York.

At the national level, Egbert Ten Eyck served in the U.S. House of Representatives during a politically transformative era. As a member of the Jackson Party representing New York, he contributed to the legislative process during two terms in office. In November 1824, he was elected to the 18th Congress and was declared re-elected as a Jacksonian to the 19th United States Congress, holding office from March 4, 1823, to December 15, 1825. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, as the nation experienced the transition from the so‑called Era of Good Feelings to the rise of Jacksonian democracy, and he participated in the democratic process by representing the interests of his Jefferson County constituents. His tenure, however, was cut short when his re-election was successfully contested by Daniel Hugunin Jr. A correction of the election returns showed that the omission of the word “junior” in certain returns had deprived Hugunin of enough votes actually cast for him to secure his election. On that basis, the House unseated Ten Eyck and seated Hugunin on December 15, 1825.

After leaving Congress, Ten Eyck resumed the practice of law in Watertown while continuing to be regarded as a leading figure in the community. His earlier judicial service as First Judge of the Jefferson County Court, combined with his legislative experience at both the state and national levels, made him a prominent member of the regional bar and a respected voice in local affairs. Although he did not return to national office after his contested election, he remained part of the professional and civic life of Jefferson County during the remainder of his career.

Ten Eyck married Rebecca Pearce (1788–1850), the daughter of Pierce and Lydia Pearce. Her family was also connected to early settlers of northern New York; her brother, Olney Pierce (1770–1839), who married Elizabeth Van Deusen, and her sister, Lydia Pierce (1777–1839), who married Elias Ticknor (1769–1843), were, along with Egbert, among the early settlers of Champion, New York. Egbert and Rebecca Ten Eyck were the parents of several children: Anthony Ten Eyck (1811–1867), who married Harriet Elizabeth Fairchild (1815–1846), daughter of Rev. Joy Hamlet Fairchild, in 1836; Catherine Ten Eyck (1813–1863), who married Jacob Foster in 1836; Lydia Maria Ten Eyck (1815–1884), who married Joseph Mullin (1811–1882), a lawyer who later served in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1839; Egbert Ten Eyck (1828–1878); and Robert Ten Eyck (1832–1873), who married Catharine Greene. Through his daughter Lydia, he was the maternal grandfather of State Senator Joseph Mullin (1848–1897), extending the family’s political legacy into another generation.

Egbert Ten Eyck died in Watertown, Jefferson County, New York, on April 11, 1844. Notably, he died on the same day as Micah Sterling, who had preceded him in Congress as a representative from the same region. Both men were buried at Brookside Cemetery in Watertown, underscoring their shared prominence in the civic and political history of Jefferson County and the State of New York.