Representative Perkins King

Perkins King (January 12, 1784 – November 29, 1875) was an American lawyer, businessman, jurist, and politician from New York. Active in politics as a Democratic-Republican, Jacksonian, and Democrat, he served one term as a United States representative from 1829 to 1831. His congressional service took place during a significant period in American history, when the Jacksonian movement was reshaping national politics and expanding popular participation in the democratic process.

King was born in New Marlborough, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, on January 12, 1784, the son of Amos King and Lucy (Perkins) King. He was educated in the local schools of New Marlborough, receiving the basic academic training typical of rural New England in the late eighteenth century. In 1802, as a young man seeking opportunity on the expanding New York frontier, he moved to Greenville in Greene County, New York, a relocation that would define the course of his professional and political life.

After settling in Greenville, King studied law and was admitted to the bar, establishing himself as a practicing attorney. In addition to his legal work, he became involved in local business ventures, including the operation of a woolen mill, reflecting the small-scale industrial and commercial development emerging in upstate New York in the early nineteenth century. His dual roles as lawyer and businessman helped to anchor his standing in the community and provided a foundation for his entry into public office.

King’s political career began at the local level, where he was active first as a Democratic-Republican and later as a Jacksonian and Democrat. He served as town clerk of Greenville in 1815, an office that placed him at the center of local record-keeping and administration. He was town supervisor from 1817 to 1820, a position that made him the chief municipal officer and a key figure in overseeing town finances and governance. From 1818 to 1822 he served as a justice of the peace, handling minor civil and criminal matters and gaining practical judicial experience. His growing reputation led to his appointment as a judge of the Greene County Court in 1823, marking the beginning of a long association with the county judiciary.

By the late 1820s King had extended his public service to the state level. He was elected a member of the New York State Assembly from Greene County and served in 1827, participating in legislative deliberations during a period of rapid growth and political realignment in New York. His legislative experience, combined with his legal and judicial background, positioned him for national office as the Jacksonian movement consolidated its strength in the state.

King was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-first Congress and served as a United States representative from March 4, 1829, to March 3, 1831, representing New York. During his single term in the House of Representatives, he took part in the legislative process at a time when Andrew Jackson’s administration was addressing issues such as federal patronage, internal improvements, and the role of the national bank. As a member of the Jackson Party representing New York, Perkins King contributed to the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents in Greene County and the surrounding region. He did not run for reelection in 1830 and returned to his legal and judicial duties in New York.

Following his service in Congress, King continued his judicial career in Greene County. He had first been appointed a judge of the Greene County Court in 1823, and in 1838 he became First Judge of that court, the senior judicial officer in the county. He served as First Judge from 1838 to 1847, presiding over civil and criminal cases during a period when New York’s legal system was undergoing modernization and the state was experiencing significant economic and population growth. His long tenure on the bench underscored his prominence in local legal affairs and his continued influence in public life.

In his personal life, King married Polly Jackson in 1812. The couple had seven children, and Polly Jackson King remained his wife until her death in 1849. In 1852 he married Althea Barnes, who survived him for many years of his later life but died in 1867. King spent his final years in Freehold, New York, a community within the town of Greenville, where he had long been a leading citizen. He died in Freehold on November 29, 1875, at the age of ninety-one, and was interred in Snyder Cemetery in Freehold. His long life spanned from the early years of the republic through the post–Civil War era, and his career reflected the evolution of local, state, and national politics in nineteenth-century New York.