My Genealogy Hound

JOHN JAY LIVINGSTON is a venerable and dignified old gentleman of Jamestown, who was familiar with the use of the compass, tripod and chain for more than half a century. He is a son of William and Sarah (Tracy) Livingston, and came into the world at Hebron, Washington county, N. Y., on October 19th, 1798. His grandfather, John Livingston, was a native of Monaghan, Ireland, and from there came to America, locating in Saratoga county, New York, where he lived three years, and during this period subject’s father, William Livingston, was born, the scene of his birth overlooking the now renowned, but then unknown, historical battle ground where General Burgoyne, the haughty Briton, was compelled to acknowledge defeat and surrendered his sword and entire army. The elder Livingston moved to Salem, Washington county, N. Y., while subject’s father was a toddling infant. His wife was a Miss Boyd, who bore her husband a family of six sons and one daughter.

Two of the former, Francis and John, served in the Continental army and were present at the surrender of Burgoyne. William Livingston was born in 1768, and early in manhood, or soon after the close of the war, he studied medicine and was a practicing physician for about fifty years. He was a republican in politics, and represented Washington county in the State Legislature four terms. Later he went to Essex county, this State. About 1830 he removed to Chautauqua county, residing at Hartfield for a few years; then returned to Essex county, where he died in his ninety-second year. William Livingston married Sarah Tracy, who was born in Connecticut, and was twelve years old when Benedict Arnold betrayed New London.

John Jay Livingston was born and educated in Washington county, and then went to Essex county, where he remained until 1830, and then he came to Chautauqua county and stayed two years. In 1832 he went to Venango county, Pennsylvania. Eight years later the county was divided and Clarion county was erected from the detached portion. Mr. Livingston was a citizen of that county, the town being called Shippenville, for fifty-eight years. He was a student of languages, and attained a wonderful proficiency in French and German, and was also well informed on general subjects, particularly mathematics, and observing the demand for proficient surveyors, he took up the study of that profession and followed it more or less since 1832 until 1883. After his eightieth birthday he performed field work with transit and chain for twenty -seven consecutive days. He was married first to Mary Ball, and for his second wife he took Maria Rice, of Washington county, New York. By that union he had seven children, four of whom yet live: James B. is a physician at West Middlesex, Pennsylvania; William R. lives at Silver Lake, Minnesota, and is a farmer. He served four years in the 10th regiment Pennsylvania Reserves, and was wounded in battle; Mary married I. G. Lacey, a lumberman at Warren, Pennsylvania; and Harriet E., still unmarried. John Jay Livingston, for his third wife, married Elizabeth J. Whitehill. Her father was a native and citizen of Centre county, Pennsylvania, until late in life, when he moved up into Clarion county, and was a blacksmith by trade. He died at the latter place. Mr. and Mrs. Livingston lived happily together during more than thirty-eight years, until June 7th, 1880, when the latter died. She had one child, a son, Alfred T., who is now a practicing physician at Jamestown, New York. He married Catherine Packer, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Alfred T. Livingston was born in Clarion county, Pennsylvania, and educated at the Jamestown academy and Allegheny college. He then studied medicine with his half-brother, Dr. James B. Livingston, and then attended the medical department of the University of Buffalo, after graduating at which he began the practice of medicine in that city in 1873, but staid there less than a year before he was appointed assistant physician of the State Insane Asylum at Utica, where he remained for five years. After this he went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and established a home-hospital for the treatment of mental disorders, which he conducted for eight years and then he came to Jamestown, where he is now established.

John Jay Livingston is one of the oldest citizens of western New York, and his virtuous and upright life has gained him the confidence and respect of all his acquaintances. He is now living at the home of his son Alfred, with whom he has resided for seven years. Rapidly approaching his ninety-third year, he realizes that his time upon earth is short at the longest, but he is at peace with his Maker and worships Him in the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Livingston has been a member since 1833.