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Alanson Douglas
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Alanson Douglas was the son of Wheeler Douglas (1750 - 1829)
and Martha Rathbone Douglas (1753 - 1837). He was born on 11th February
1779 in Stephentown, Rensselaer County, New York, USA
He studied
law; settled first in the village of Lansingburgh, in 1806 he was
Surrogate of Rensselaer County, New York, in 1811; he was elected
Cashier of the newly incorporated Bank of Troy; in 1827 he was invited
to become the Cashier of the Chemical Bank of New York City, but not
caring for New York, gladly accepted the call of the Merchants' and
Mechanics' Bank of Troy in 1829, just after it received its charter;
here he stayed until 1836 when he resigned and was succeeded by his son
Charles Selden Douglas.
Alanson Douglas declined the offer of
President Van Buren, of Secretaryship of the Treasury in the latter's
Cabinet.
He married at Stanford, New York, 12th June, 1803, Ann
Sutherland, (b. at Stanford, 7th April, 1784, d. at Irvington, New York,
28th February, 1869), daughter of the Hon. Solomon and Tamma (Thompson)
Sutherland.
The will of Alanson Douglas, drawn by himself,
was a long and admirably written instrument, and on its first
publication excited much curiosity, and attracted the attention of legal
and financial circles. Among its provisions, after providing annuities
for his brothers and sisters, he left a bequest of $100,000, to be
equally divided among his nephews and nieces in eight equal annual
payments. He had six children, all born in Lansinburgh, except the last
two, who were born in Troy:—
• George Henry Douglas (____ - 1837)*
• Sutherland Douglas (1804 - 1831)*
• Mary Ann Douglas Miller (1807 -
1881)*
• Charles Seldon Douglas (1812 - ?)
•
William Bradley Douglas (1818 - 1898)*
• Julia Douglas Merritt (1823
- 1904)*
The grandson of Asa Douglas (1715-1792) and Rebecca
Wheeler (1718-1809), he died 9th April 1856 in Troy, Rensselaer County,
New York, USA. He is buried in Old Mount Ida Cemetery, Troy,
Rensselaer County, New York, USA
The following sketch of him has
been prepared by his son William B. Douglas, of Rochester : —
" He
was educated a lawyer, settled in the village of Lansingburgh, and there
entered njion the practice of his profession. He married, June 12, 1803,
Anna, daughter of the Hon. Solomon* and Mrs. Tamma (Thompson)
Sutherland, of Stanford. In Weise'S History of Troy, which village Avas
the rival of Lansingburgh, the name of Alanson Douglas is given among
the leading lawyers of that district. In 1806 he'Avas apjiointed sur-
rogate of Rensselaer county. In 1811, by an act of the Legislature of
New York, the bank of Troy was incQ^rporated, and Mr. Douglas was
elected cashier. At this time it became evident that the location of
Troy, three miles below Lansingburgh, on the same side of the Hudson
river, was superior to that of its rival, and that it would eventually
supersede Lansingburgh as a com- mercial and manufacturing town. These
considerations operated upon the mind of Mr. Douglas, as they did ujjon
the minds of other leading men in Lansingburgh, and induced a removal to
Troy, and the acceptance by Mr. Douglas of the position of financial
ofticer of the bank of Troy. The institution was suc- cessful and
prosjoerous under his management, and he was regarded as one of the
ablest bankers in the state. In 1827, Mr. Douglas was invited to take
the cashiership in the Chemical bank in the city of New York, and,
accepting it, he removed to that city. But he found a residence in New
York less to his taste than he had anticipated; and, on being elected,
in 1829, cashier of the Merchants' and Mechanics' bank, of Troy, then
just chartered, he decided to resign his ofiice in the Chemical bank and
return to the city of Troy, endeared to him by many valued associations.
He entered on his duties as cashier of this bank at its opening, in
1829, and continued until 1836, when he resigned the office and was
succeeded by his son, Charles S. Douglas.
" On thus retiring from
the activities of a business life at the early age of 57, with
unimpaired mental and physical powers, Mr. Douglas withdrew for the most
part from public responsibilities, and devoted his time to the care of a
large personal estate, and to reading, for which he had a decided
fondness. He was by nature endowed with a clear intellect, which was
strengthened and developed by the study and practice of law, and further
en- larged and quickened by his connection with business and finance. An
exact thinker and close observer, governing himself and his business by
fixed principles and not by untested theories, as a lawyer, a banker, a
man and a Christian, he always commanded the confidence of tlie people
among whom his lot was cast. His will was strong, while his nature was
gentle and affectionate. His habit was to concentrate his attention and
strength upon the responsibilities that, in God's providence, were laid
upon him, and he was conteiit with success therein. After about two
years of failing health and increasing infirmities, borne patiently and
without a murmur, in the entire possession of his mental facul- ties,
revealing to those in close contact with him much of the childlike
simjjlicity and affection which characterized his nature, combined with
his unusually clear thought and foresight, he fell asleep, at his home
in Troy, on the 9th day of April, 1856. His widow survived him until
Feb. 28, 1869
Note:
• Alanson Douglas took $50,000 of the U.S. Government
Loan, 1813-14.
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Source
Sources for this article include:
Mackenzie, George Norbury, ed. Colonial Families of the United States of
America. Vol. 6. Baltimore, MD: Seaforth Press, 1917.Family Records,
compiled by Charles Henry James Douglas; 1879
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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