Robert Hewson Pruyn (February 14, 1815 – February 26, 1882) was an American lawyer, militia general, diplomat, and politician from Albany, New York. He was most notable for his service as Speaker of the New York State Assembly, Adjutant General of New York, and United States Minister Resident to Japan.

Early life Pruyn was born in Albany, New York, on February 14, 1815, the son of Casparus F. and Ann (née Hewson) Pruyn. The Pruyn (pronounced "Prine") family of Albany, New York was one of the oldest and most esteemed Dutch families in New York, and at the time of Robert's birth there, had resided in Albany for over two centuries."A Guide to the Pruyn Family Papers, 1679-1978 ". Albany Institute of History & Art. Retrieved March 14, 2007.

Pruyn graduated from The Albany Academy, and received Bachelor of Arts (1833) and Master of Arts (1836) degrees from Rutgers University. He studied law with Abraham Van Vechten, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Albany."Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Pruyn". Schenectady County Public Library. Retrieved March 14, 2008.

Political, military, and diplomatic service Pruyn served as Albany's corporation counsel and was a member of the city council. Active in the state militia, he was named Judge Advocate General in 1841, serving until 1846, and again in 1851. Seward, p. 535

A political ally and close friend to William Henry Seward, he was a Whig member of the New York State Assembly (Albany Co., 3rd D.) in 1848, 1849, 1850, 1851, 1852 and 1854.Treat, p. 193 On January 30, 1850, after Speaker Noble S. Elderkin left the Assembly to stay at home with his wife who was terminally ill, Pruyn was elected Speaker pro tempore. He was again Speaker in 1854.Findling, p. 427

Pruyn was an experienced militia officer, including service as the state judge advocate general. In 1855, Governor Myron Clark appointed him Adjutant General of the New York National Guard, replacing John Watts de Peyster.Allaben, p. 205Allaben, p. 304 The New York Almanac and Yearly Record. Mason Brothers: New York, 1857. He achieved the rank of brigadier general of the militia,Hutchins, p. 400 and was succeeded as adjutant general by Frederick Townsend.

At the personal request of Seward, who was then Secretary of State, President Abraham Lincoln appointed him Minister to Japan in 1861, and he served in that capacity until 1865, when he returned to New York.Jean S. Olton, "Robert Hewson Pruyn: Enjoy to Japan 1862-1865," Town of Colonie, New York (November 1990).Treat, p. 194"". New York Times. December 14, 1865. Japan–United States relations had only recently been established with the visits by Commodore Perry in 1852 to 1854.

Pruyn's crowning achievement was the successful negotiation following the Shimonoseki bombardment.Shavit, p. 406 He was considered highly successful in his dealings with the shōgun.Stern, p. 159Johnson & Howard, p. 424 He also signed an agreement to allow shipwrecked Japanese sailors to be repatriated.

Later career He was awarded an LL.D. from Williams College in 1865 and served on the board of trustees. He went on to become president of the National Commercial Bank and Trust of Albany, and was one of the founders of Albany Law School."The History of Albany Law School ". Albany Law School. Retrieved March 14, 2008.

In 1866, he was the unsuccessful Conservative Union candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New York along with gubernatorial candidate, John T. Hoffman, who was then the mayor of New York City.The Conservative Union state convention opens in NYT on September 11, 1866

In the Summer of 1869, he was illegally arrested with other Albany and Susquehanna Railroad executive members during Jay Gould and Jim Fisk's attempt to buy the railroad.

Personal life In 1841, Pruyn married Jane Ann Lansing (1811–1886), a member of another prominent Albany family. Her father, Gerrit Yates Lansing, was a U.S. Representative who served as the chancellor of the University of the State of New York. Together, Robert and Jane were the parents of four children, including:

Edward Pruyn (1843–1862) Robert Clarence Pruyn (1847–1934), who was a prominent banker and leader of the American toy industry."The embossing company ". toyhistory.com. Retrieved March 14, 2008. Helen Lansing Pruyn (1849–1854) Charles Lansing Pruyn (1852–1906)

He died suddenly in 1882 in Albany."THE HON. ROBERT H. PRUYN DEAD". New York Times. February 27, 1882. His remains are interred at Albany Rural Cemetery, Section 30, Lot 14.

Electoral history + 1866 General election results Governor candidate Running Mate Party Popular VoteReuben E. FentonStewart L. WoodfordRepublican 366,315 (50.96%)John Thompson HoffmanRobert H. PruynConservative Union 352,526 (49.04%)

Notes

References Allaben, Frank. John Watts de Peyster. Frank Allaben Genealogical Company: New York, 1908. Findling, John. Dictionary of American Diplomatic History. Greenwood Press: Westport, 1989. Hutchins, S.C. Civil List and Forms of Government of the Colony State of New York. Weed, Parsons & Co.: Albany, 1870. Johnson, Rossiter, and Brown, John Howard. The twentieth-century biographical dictionary of notable Americans. The Biographical Society: Boston. 1904. Shavit, David. The United States in Asia: A Historical Dictionary. Greenwood Press: Westport. 1990. Seward, Frederick W. Autobiography of William H. Seward, from 1801 to 1834. D. Appleton: New York. 1877. Stern, Philip Van Doren. When the Guns Roared: World Aspects of the American Civil War. Doubleday: New York, 1965. Treat, Payson Jackson. The Early Diplomatic Relations Between the United States and Japan, 1853-1865. The Johns Hopkins Press: Baltimore, 1917.

Further reading American Council of Learned Societies. "Dictionary of American Biography". Charles Scribner's Sons: New York. 1959. Lee, Edwin B. "Robert H. Pruyn in Japan, 1862–1865". New York History 66 (1985) pp. 123–39. Robert H. Pruyn Papers, Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, N.Y. "Friends of Pruyn House web site "

External links

Political Graveyard, Pruyn, Robert Hewson (1815-1882). Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States. Pruyn House, Diane Morgan Curator 207 Old Niskayuna Road P.O. Box 212 Newtonville, NY 12128.

S. Fessler, " The Letters of Robert Hewson Pruyn" (2022). East Asian Studies Faculty Scholarship. 19.