John Laurance
John Laurance (* 1750 in Falmouth, England, † November 11, 1810 in New York City ) was an American lawyer and politician ( Federalist Party), who participated as a delegate from New York at the Continental Congress and these state later in both chambers the Congress represented.
A native of Cornwall John Laurance 1767 emigrated to America and settled in New York City. After completing his school education, he studied law, after which he was admitted to the bar in 1772 and in his new hometown began to practice as a lawyer. After the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, he joined the Continental Army in 1775, in whose ranks he held the office of the Judge Advocate General from 1777 to 1782. As the chief military judge, he presided over the trial of Major John André, who was convicted and hanged for spying for the British to death.
As a result, Laurance was active politically. As a representative of the Westchester County he sat from 1782 to 1783 in the New York State Assembly; 1784-1785 he was a member of this chamber of parliament for the New York County. From 1785 to 1787 he was a delegate to the Continental Congress, which met at that time in New York.. Was followed by a term in the Senate of New York from 1788 to 1790 At this time had already taken his seat as a delegate in the House of Representatives of the 1st Congress Laurance; after a change in the law which prohibited the simultaneous perception of several mandates on state and federal level, he resigned as a state senator. The Congress he was a member for a re-election on 4 March 1789 to 3 March 1793.
On May 5, 1794 Laurance was nominated by President George Washington in the wake of James Duane resigned as a judge at the Federal District Court for the District of New York; the day after the confirmation was made by the U.S. Senate. He held that post until November 8, 1796 and resigned on this day, after him, the New York Legislature had elected U.S. Senator. The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of Rufus King. Laurance drew on 8 December of the same year in the Senate and remained there until his retirement in August in 1800. During this time he served from 6 to December 27, 1798 as Senate president pro tempore. He died ten years after his resignation in New York.