Henry Van Der Lyn or Henry Vanderlyn (hen'ree văn'durlin) (April 24, 1784 – October 1, 1865) was a 19th-century American lawyer from Oxford, New York. He was best known for the diaries he kept over a thirty-year period, from April 1827 and March 1857.[1]

Henry Vanderlyn
Portrait by John Vanderlyn, 1815
Born(1784-04-24)April 24, 1784
DiedOctober 1, 1865(1865-10-01) (aged 81)
NationalityAmerican
Known forPainting

Early life and education

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Henry Vanderlyn was the grandson of Pieter Vanderlyn (c.1687–1778) an American colonial painter born in Holland who settled in Kingston, New York. Henry was the brother of John Vanderlyn (1775–1852) a well known Neoclassical painter.

Vanderlyn moved to Oxford in 1806 and established a law practice after earning his bachelor's degree at Union College and serving in a New York City law office where he was admitted to the Bar association.

Vanderlyn was a very popular person in Oxford for his genial personality and his generous support of the Oxford Academy School.

Writing

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He made daily notes on life in Oxford and kept a diary of local and personal events. This diary is a window into the formative years in Chenango County, New York during the first half of the 19th century.

One of the Oxford Historical Society museum's most prized items is a set of six volumes of these diaries covering the years 1827-1853. The original handwritten diary is in the New York State Historical Society.

References

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  1. ^ Marder, Nancy S. (2018). "The Changing Landscape of the 19th Century Courts". Reviews in American History. 46 (3): 433–437. doi:10.1353/rah.2018.0065 – via EBSCOHost.
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