Background
Horsmanden was born in Goudhurst, Kent, England to a family of clergy and landed gentry.
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Daniel Horsmanden
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Horsmanden read law, but lost his inheritance to financial speculation in the South Sea bubble which necessitated his voyage to the colonies to seek new opportunities. Horsmanden"s legal talent resulted in his eventual call to the New York City Council on 23 May 1733. He was appointed Recorder of New York City in September 1736, and 3rd Justice of the Supreme Court in January 1737.
In July 1750, he was restored to the Supreme Court, and was appointed Chief Justice in March 1763.
He was on the governor"s executive council from 1733 to 1747 and from 1755 to 1776. He was one of the original trustees of King"s College (now Columbia University).
He was involved in the 1735 trial of John Peter Zenger. He was one of the judges who tried the supposed conspirators in the New York Slave Insurrection of 1741.
In 1766, he was one of the judges in the Prendergast case where he convicted and sentenced to death the supposed leader of the Dutchess land rebels.
In 1776, along with Oliver De Lancey and about one thousand other residents of the city and county of New York, he signed an address to Lord Howe. He died in Flatbush, New York, and is buried in Trinity church yard.
Politics
He was dismissed from both offices in September 1747, due to political enmities. In 1773, he was appointed a commissioner to inquire into the Gaspee Affair, which was the burning of the king"s ship "Gaspee" by a party of Sons of Liberty in the preceding year.
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Born
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Died
August 28, 1778 (aged 87) -
Nationality
United States