Robert Livingston was born at Ancram in Scotland on the 13th Deer 1654.* His father the Rev. Dr. L. dying in 1672, Robert immigrated to America in 1674, and settled in Albany where we find him acting as Town Clerk and Secretary for Indian affairs in 1675. It was whilst holding this important office, the duties of whicJi he performed for nearly fifty years, that he acquired the large tracts of land now known as the JManor of Livingston. He marrisd in 1683 Alida Schuyler, widow of the Rev. Nicholaus van Rensselaer; and on the breaking out of the Revolution of 1688, was so prominent and so strong a Jacobite, that he was forced to withdraw from the Province, having become most obnoxious to the Leisler party.
On the downfall of Leisler he came again into favor and was restored to all his appointments which now embraced that of Secretary of Indian affairs, Collector of the Excise and Quit Rents, Town Clerk, Clerk of the Peace, and Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas at Albany, Having occasion to go to England in 1695, to obtain payment of certain claims against the Crown he, in company with the famous Capt. Kidd, preferred divers charges against Gov. Fletcher who in revenge suspended him, the following year, from all his offices, except that of Town Clerk. Fortunately for Livingston, he got introduced v/hilst in England, to the Earl of Bellomont, and having obtained the King's Commission (20 Jany 1695-6) reinstating him in all his places, his Lordship on becoming governor, took him into especial favour, called him to the Council on the 28th Sept. 1698, and used all his influence to