John Duer

John Duer (October 7, 1782 - August 8, 1858) was a New York attorney, jurist, and co-founder of Children's Village. Born in Albany, New York on October 7, 1782, he was the son of William and Catherine Duer. William Alexander Duer was his brother, and his maternal grandfather was William Alexander, Lord Stirling. He was the father of William Duer (1805-1879), who also served in Congress. John Duer entered the army at age 16, but after two years left to read law in the office of Alexander Hamilton. He was admitted to the bar, began a practice in Orange County, New York, and moved to New York City in 1820, where he became a highly successful insurance lawyer. He was a delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1821. In 1825 he was appointed with Benjamin F. Butler and John Canfield Spencer to the commission that revised the state statutes, and he was especially active in preparing the first half of the work. From 1828 to 1829 he was United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He was elected an associate judge of the New York Superior Court in 1849, and on the death of Judge Thomas J. Oakley in 1857, Duer became Chief Justice. Duer died on Staten Island on August 8, 1858, and was buried at Trinity Churchyard Cemetery in Manhattan.