The Speaker of the New York General Assembly was the highest official in the New York General Assembly, the first representative governing body in New York from 1683 to 1775 when the assembly disbanded after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War.
| Speaker of the New York General Assembly | |
|---|---|
Seal of the Province of New York, 1767 | |
| Formation | October 14, 1683 |
| First holder | James Graham |
| Final holder | John Cruger |
| Abolished | May 1775 |
| Succession | Speaker of the New York State Assembly |
As in most countries with a British heritage, the Speaker presides over the lower house of the legislature and was elected from within the ranks of the General Assembly.
New York General Assembly
The New York General Assembly was first convened on October 14, 1683, during the governorship of Thomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick, which passed an act entitled "A Charter of Liberties" that decreed that the supreme legislative power under the Duke of York shall reside in a governor, council, and the people convened in general assembly; conferred upon the members of the assembly rights and privileges making them a body coequal to and independent of the British Parliament; established town, county, and general courts of justice; solemnly proclaimed the right of religious liberty; and passed acts enunciating certain constitutional liberties, e.g. taxes could be levied only by the people met in general assembly; right of suffrage; and no martial law or quartering of the soldiers without the consent of the inhabitants.
The General Assembly elected a Speaker from their own ranks, chose their own clerk, and published their own journal.
List of Speakers
The following were elected from the General Assembly to serve as Speaker of the Assembly.
| Speaker | District | Took office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Graham | New York County | April 9, 1691 October 26, 1692 September 3, 1693 | September 13, 1692 July 27, 1693 November 16, 1693 | Three terms |
| Henry Pierson | Suffolk County | March 2, 1694 | April 20, 1695 | |
| James Graham | New York County | June 20, 1695 | April 2, 1698 | |
| Philip French | New York County | May 19, 1698 | June 14, 1698 | |
| James Graham | New York County | March 2, 1699 | May 15, 1699 | |
| Abraham Gouverneur | New York County | May 15, 1699 August 19, 1701 | June 1, 1701 May 3, 1702 | |
| William Nicoll | Suffolk County | October 20, 1702 June 7, 1705 August 18, 1708 April 5, 1709 September 1, 1710 July 2, 1711 May 27, 1713 May 3, 1715 June 5, 1716 | November 6, 1704 May 5, 1707 January 5, 1709 November 12, 1709 April 20, 1711 March 3, 1713 September 9, 1714 August 11, 1715 May 27, 1718 | A son of 6th New York City mayor Matthias Nicoll, and the father of the man who served as Speaker between 1759 and 1768. |
| Robert Livingston Jr. | Livingston Manor | May 27, 1718 | July 24, 1724 | An uncle of the below-named Philip Livingston |
| Adolph Philipse | New York County | August 6, 1725 September 27, 1726 September 30, 1727 July 28, 1728 | August 10, 1726 August 21, 1727 November 25, 1727 May 30, 1737 | |
| Lewis Morris Jr. | Westchester County | June 15, 1737 | October 20, 1738 | Father of Lewis Morris |
| Adolph Philipse | New York County | March 27, 1739 November 8, 1743 | December 27, 1743 May 14, 1745 | |
| David Jones | Queens County | June 25, 1745 February 12, 1747 September 4, 1750 October 24, 1752 | November 25, 1747 July 20, 1750 November 25, 1751 December 17, 1758 | |
| William Nicoll | Suffolk County | January 31, 1759 March 10, 1761 | March 2, 1761 February 6, 1768 | A son of the man who served as Speaker between 1702 and 1718 |
| Philip Livingston | New York County | October 27, 1768 | January 2, 1769 | A nephew of the above-named Robert Livingston |
| John Cruger | New York County | April 4, 1769 | April 8, 1775 |
See also
- List of colonial governors of New York
- New York General Assembly
- List of Speakers of the New York State Assembly
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