Heman J. Redfield

American politician (1788–1877)

Heman J. Redfield

Collector of the Port of New York
In office
1853 – July 1, 1857
Appointed by| Franklin Pierce
Preceded by| Greene C. Bronson
Succeeded by| Augustus Schell
Member of the New York State Senate for the 8th District
In office
January 1, 1823 – December 31, 1825
Succeeded by| Ethan B. Allen
Personal details
Born|

Heman Judd Redfield

(1788-12-27)December 27, 1788
Suffield, Connecticut
Died| July 22, 1877(1877-07-22) (aged 88)
Batavia, New York
Political party| Democratic-Republican
Democrat
Spouses|

Abigail N. Gould

(m. 1817; died 1841)​

Constance C. Bolles

(m. 1846)​

Children| 18
Education| Canandaigua Academy
Military service
Allegiance|  United States
Rank| Private
Battles/wars| War of 1812:
• Battle of Queenston Heights

Heman Judd Redfield (December 27, 1788 - July 22, 1877) was an American politician from New York.

## Life

[edit]

Redfield was born on December 27, 1788, in Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut. He was the son of Peleg Redfield (1762–1852) and Mary (Judd) Redfield (1765–1844). The family were neighbors of Oliver Phelps who opened a land sales office in Suffield, Connecticut, after the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. The Redfields exchanged their small property in Suffield for 200 acres (0.81 km2) of land in the Town of Farmington (in that part that was later separated as Manchester, Ontario County, New York) and moved to the West in 1800.[1]

He attended Canandaigua Academy from 1808 to 1810, and then studied law with John Canfield Spencer.[1]

## Career

[edit]

During the War of 1812, he enlisted as a private and fought in the Battle of Queenston Heights, and in November 1813 at Fort George, Ontario where he received from the commanding general William Henry Harrison a brevet for gallant services.

He was admitted to the bar in 1815, and commenced practice at Le Roy.

He was appointed District Attorney of Genesee County in 1821. He was Postmaster of Le Roy for more than twenty years. He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1823 to 1825, representing the eighth district which consisted of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara and Steuben counties.[2]

In 1826, he was offered the position of Special Counsel to the New York State Attorney General for the trials against the abductors of William Morgan, but declined, recommending John Canfield Spencer who was chosen.

On May 9, 1835, Redfield was elected a Canal Commissioner by the New York State Legislature to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Michael Hoffman, but he declined to take office. The Legislature adjourned on May 11, and left Governor William L. Marcy to appoint John Bowman instead.

When the Holland Land Company sold out their land in 1836, he became land agent for the new proprietors and moved to Batavia, New York.[3]

President Franklin Pierce appointed Redfield Naval Officer of the Port of New York, and on November 1, 1853, Collector of the Port of New York. He resigned on July 1, 1857, and retired from politics.[4]

## Personal life

[edit]

On January 27, 1817, he married Abigail Noyes Gould (1795–1841), and they had fourteen children.[1][5]

On April 14, 1846, he married Constance Collins Bolles (1813–1909),[6] and they had four children.[1]

Redfield died in Batavia, New York on July 22, 1877.[7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Redfield, John Howard; Redfield, William (1860). Genealogical History of the Redfield Family in the United States. Munsell & Rowland. pp. 42ff, 99f. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
2. ^ Hough, Benjamin Franklin (1858). The New York Civil List: Containing the names and origin of the civil divisions, and the names and dates of election or appointment of the principal state and county officers from the Revolution to the present time. Weed, Parsons and Co. pp. 42, 125f, 144, 374. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
3. ^ Gillet, Ransom Hooker (1868). Democracy in the United States: What it Has Done, what it is Doing, and what it Will Do. D. Appleton. p. 218ff. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
4. ^ "NEW-YORK'S CUSTOMS OFFICERS.; THE COLLECTORS, NAVAL OFFICERS, AND SURVEYORS SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE GOVERNMENT". The New York Times. July 20, 1878. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
5. ^ Revolution, Daughters of the American (1899). Lineage Book - National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Daughters of the American Revolution. p. 296. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
6. ^ "REDFIELD" (PDF). The New York Times. April 9, 1909. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
7. ^ Beers, Frederick W. (1890). Gazetteer and Biographical Record of Genesee County, N.Y., 1788-1890. J.W. Vose & Company. p. 198. Retrieved 12 November 2018.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heman J. Redfield.

* Heman J. Redfield at Find a Grave

Political offices

Preceded by

Greene C. Bronson

|  Collector of the Port of New York
1853–1857  | Succeeded by

Augustus Schell

New York State Senate
Preceded by

|  New York State Senate
Eighth District (Class 3)
1823–1825  | Succeeded by

Ethan B. Allen

* v
* t
* e

Erie Canal commissioners

* Morris
* North
* De Witt
* Eddy
* Porter
* Clinton
* Van Rensselaer
* Livingston
* Fulton
* Cooper
* Ellicott
* Holley
* Young
* Hart
* Seymour
* Bouck
* Earll
* Hoffman
* Redfield*
* Bowman
* Baker
* Ruggles
* D Hudson
* Dexter
* Hamilton
* Boughton
* Whitney
* Clark
* Hooker
* Enos
* Little
* Bissell
* Jones
* J Hudson
* Clowes
* Beach
* Hinds
* Cook
* Follett
* Mather
* Fitzhugh
* Gardinier
* Whallon
* Sherrill
* Jaycox
* Gardner
* Skinner
* (Barnes)**
* Bruce
* Wright
* Alberger
* Dorn
* Hayt
* Fay
* Bascom
* Chapman
* Barkley
* Stroud
* Jackson
* Thayer
* Walrath
* Ogden

(*) elected but declined; (**) elected but died before taking office

* v
* t
* e

Collectors of the Port of New York

* Lamb
* Sands
* Gelston
* Thompson
* Swartwout
* Hoyt
* Morgan
* Curtis
* (Ferris)*
* Van Ness
* Lawrence
* Maxwell
* (Dickinson)**
* Bronson
* Redfield
* Schell
* Barney
* Draper
* King
* Clinch***
* Smythe
* Grinnell
* Murphy
* Arthur
* (Roosevelt)*
* Merritt
* Robertson
* Hedden
* Magone
* Erhardt
* Fassett
* Hendricks
* Kilbreth
* Couch***
* Bidwell
* Stranahan
* Stuart***
* Fowler
* Loeb
* Mitchel
* Malone
* Newton
* Aldridge
* Stuart***
* Elting
* Durning
* Dill
* Kelly

* (*) denotes nominated, but rejected
* (**) denotes nominated, but declined
* (***) denotes Acting

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* United States

*[m.]: married
*[v]: View this template
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*[e]: Edit this template