James Emott

James Emott (March 9, 1771 – April 7, 1850) was an American lawyer, jurist, and Federalist politician from New York whose public career spanned the early decades of the United States. Little is recorded about his family background or early childhood, but he came of age in the post-Revolutionary period, entering the legal profession at a time when New York was rapidly developing its courts, land system, and political institutions.

Emott studied law in New York and was admitted to the bar in 1790. He commenced the practice of law at Ballston Center, New York, where he established himself as a practicing attorney. His early legal work coincided with the settlement and organization of upstate New York, and his growing experience in land and property matters led to his appointment as a land commissioner in 1797. In that capacity, he was charged with settling disputes over titles to military reservations in Onondaga County, New York, an important and technically complex responsibility in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, when veterans’ land claims and state grants frequently overlapped. In 1800, Emott relocated to Albany, New York, then the state capital, where he continued his legal practice and deepened his involvement in public affairs.

Emott’s legal and administrative experience provided the foundation for his entry into national politics. A member of the Federalist Party, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Federalist to the Eleventh and Twelfth Congresses, representing New York. He served two consecutive terms in Congress, holding office from March 4, 1809, to March 3, 1813. During this significant period in American history, which included rising tensions with Great Britain and the approach of the War of 1812, Emott participated in the legislative process and the broader democratic debate over foreign policy, commerce, and federal authority. As a Federalist representative, he worked to represent the interests of his New York constituents while advancing the principles of his party in the national legislature.

After leaving Congress in 1813, Emott continued his public service at the state level. He was elected a member of the New York State Assembly from Dutchess County, serving from 1814 to 1817. In 1814 he was chosen Speaker of the Assembly, a position that placed him at the center of legislative deliberations in Albany and underscored his standing within the Federalist ranks. In 1815, he was the Federalist candidate for United States Senator from New York, reflecting his prominence in party circles, but he was defeated in the legislative election by Nathan Sanford, a Democratic-Republican, at a time when Federalist influence in New York and nationally was in decline.

Emott subsequently turned more fully to judicial service. From 1817 to 1823 he served as First Judge of the Dutchess County Court, presiding over local civil and criminal matters and helping to administer justice in one of the Hudson Valley’s most important counties. His judicial career advanced further when he was appointed Judge of the Second Circuit Court, a position he held from 1827 to 1831. In this role, he sat on a higher-level court that heard significant cases from a broader region, drawing on his long experience as a lawyer, legislator, and county judge.

In his later years, Emott remained identified with the legal and civic life of New York, though the surviving record focuses primarily on the offices he held rather than on his private activities. He died on April 7, 1850. James Emott was interred at Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery in Poughkeepsie, New York, closing a career that had encompassed service as an attorney, land commissioner, congressman, state legislator, assembly speaker, and judge during the formative era of both New York State and the United States.