William Lewis Dayton Jr.

William Lewis Dayton Jr. (April 13, 1839 – July 28, 1897) was an American lawyer, judge and diplomat who served as U.S. Minister to the Netherlands. He was the son of William L. Dayton.

Biography[edit]

William Lewis Dayton Jr. was born in Princeton, New Jersey on April 13, 1839. He graduated from Princeton University in 1858, studied law and became an attorney.^[1]

A Republican, from 1861 to 1865 he served as a Secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Paris when his father was U.S. Ambassador to France. From 1865 to 1868 he served as Secretary to Governor Marcus Lawrence Ward.^[2]

The younger Dayton was elected to the Trenton City Council in 1876 and served as Council President from 1876 to 1877. From 1879 to 1881 he was Trenton's City Solicitor.^[3]

In 1882 Dayton was appointed Minister to the Netherlands, serving until 1885.^[4] He served again as Trenton City Solicitor from 1889 to 1891. He was appointed a Judge of the New Jersey Court of Appeals in 1896 and served until his death.^[5]

Dayton was a founder of Mercer Hospital, Counsel and a board of directors member for the Trenton Banking Company, a member of the Trenton Battle Monument Association, manager of the Trenton Saving Fund Society, and President of the Board of Trustees of Trenton's First Presbyterian Church.^[6]^[7]

Dayton died in Trenton on July 28, 1897.^[8] He is buried in Trenton's Riverview Cemetery.^[9]

William L. Dayton Jr. was married to Harriet Maria Stockton, the daughter of Robert F. Stockton (1832–1898) and niece of John P. Stockton.^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]

References[edit]

^ Walter Romeyn Benjamin, The Collector: A Monthly Magazine for Autograph and Historical Collectors, Volume 12, Issue 4, (January, 1899), page 40
^ T. F. Fitzgerald, Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, 1897, page 294
^ John Howard Brown, Lamb's Biographical Dictionary of the United States, Volume 2, 1900, page 394
^ Hartford Courant, The New Diplomatic Appointments, April 22, 1882
^ Rossiter Johnson, John Howard Brown, The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, 1904, page 1898
^ Trenton Banking Company, The Trenton Banking Company: A History of the First Century of its Existence, 1907, page 107
^ New York Times, Trenton's Battle Monument, October 20, 1893
^ New York Times, Death List of a Day, July 29, 1897
^ William L. Dayton Jr. at Find A Grave
^ Daughters of the American Revolution, Lineage Book, Volume 10, 1899, page 77
^ Hamilton Schuyler, A History of St. Michael's Church, Trenton, 1926, page 290
^ New York Times, Death Notice, Mrs. William L. Dayton, November 30, 1937
^ New York Times, Death List of a Day, May 6, 1898

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by James Birney	U.S. Minister to the Netherlands 1882–1885	Succeeded by Isaac Bell Jr.

[1] Walter Romeyn Benjamin, The Collector: A Monthly Magazine for Autograph and Historical Collectors, Volume 12, Issue 4, (January, 1899), page 40

[2] T. F. Fitzgerald, Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, 1897, page 294

[3] John Howard Brown, Lamb's Biographical Dictionary of the United States, Volume 2, 1900, page 394

[4] Hartford Courant, The New Diplomatic Appointments, April 22, 1882

[5] Rossiter Johnson, John Howard Brown, The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, 1904, page 1898

[6] Trenton Banking Company, The Trenton Banking Company: A History of the First Century of its Existence, 1907, page 107

[7] New York Times, Trenton's Battle Monument, October 20, 1893

[8] New York Times, Death List of a Day, July 29, 1897

[9] William L. Dayton Jr. at Find A Grave

[10] Daughters of the American Revolution, Lineage Book, Volume 10, 1899, page 77

[11] Hamilton Schuyler, A History of St. Michael's Church, Trenton, 1926, page 290

[12] New York Times, Death Notice, Mrs. William L. Dayton, November 30, 1937

[13] New York Times, Death List of a Day, May 6, 1898

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