Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/215

 RUTER

RUTHERFOORD

Democratic national convention at Chicago, 111., in 1896, identifying himself with the gold faction of that convention, and is supposed to have in- jured his health by overwork at that time. He received the degree of LL.D. from Williams col- lege in 1891. He died near St. Adelaide de Pabos, Quebec, July 16, 1896.

RUTER, Martin, clergyman, was born in Charlton, Worcester county, Mass., April 3, 1785. His father was a Revolutionary soldier ; he at- tended the common schools ; was licensed to preach in 1800, and was admitted to the New York conference of the M.E. churcli in June, 1801. He was an itinerant preacher in New Eng- land and at Montreal, Canada, prior to 1816 ; was married, first, in June, 1805, to Sibyl Robertson of Chesterfield, N.H., who died in March, 1808 ; and, secondly, in April, 1809, to Ruth Young of Concord, N.H. He was stationed in Philadelphia, Pa., 1816-17 ; was principal of Wesleyan academy. New Market, Mass., 1818-20, and agent of the Book Concern, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1820-27. He was a delegate to the general conferences at Baltimore, Md., in 1808, 1816, 1820 and 1824; pres- ident of Augusta college, Ky., 1827-32 ; secretary of the general conference at Pittsburg, Pa., 1828 ; pastor in Pittsburg, 1832-33 ; a delegate to the Pittsburg conference of 1833, and president of Allegheny college, 1833-37. He was a delegate to the Pittsburg conference at Washington, D.C., 1834, and to the general conference at Cincinnati, 1836, and in 1837 became superintendent of Meth- odist missions in Texas. In this capacity he served one year, riding thousands of miles on horseback, preaching every day, and often three times a day, and planting societies in every part of the state. The honorary degree of D.D. was conferred upon him by Transylvania college, Ky., in 1820. Ruter Hall, Allegheny college, and Ru- tersville, Tex., were named for him, and a college was founded at Rutersville in his honor. He is the author of : Collection of Miscellaneous Pieces ; Explanatory Notes on the Ninth CJiapter of Ro- mans; Sketch of Calvin's Life and Doctrine; Letters on Calvin and Calvinism (1815-16); He- brew Grammar ; History of Martyrs ; Ecclesiasti- cal History ; various text-books, and left in MS.: Plea for Africa as a Field for Missionary Labor, and a Life of Bishop Asbury. He died on his way home in Washington, D.C., May 16, 1838.

RUTGERS, Henry (or Hendrick), patriot, was born in New York city, Oct. 7, 1745 ; son of Hendrick (1712-1779) and Catharine (de Pey- ster) Rutgers ; grandson of Capt. Harman and Catharina (Meyer) Rutgers and of Johannes de Peyster, who settled in New York about 1642- 45, and a descendant of Rutger Jacobsen Van Schoenderwoerdt, who embarked fi-om Holland on the yacht Rensselaer swyck, in 1636, for Fort

Orange (Albany) N.Y. ; was married to Tryntje Jansse Van Breesteede of New Amsterdam, 1646, and was a magistrate in 1655. Henry Rutgers'8 ancestors engaged chiefly in the brewery business. He was graduated from King's college in 1766 ; and devoted his attention to the management of his estate. He was appointed a lieutenant in the Colonial militia in 1775 ; a lieutenant in Malcom's regiment in 1776, and in the battle of White Plains commanded his company and succeeded Malcom as colonel. During the occupation of New York city by the British, his house was used as a barrack and military hospital, and the Rutgers brewery was used as a hospital kitchen, and subsequently as a repository of naval stores. He was major of the New York militia, 1788 ; colonel, 1790 ; a member of the New York state assembly in 1784, 1800-02 and 1807 ; a presidential elector from the sixth district in 1809, elector-at- large in 1819, and elector from the first district in 1821. In 1811 he assisted in raising funds for building the first Tammany Hall. He presided over a meeting held June 24, 1812, and contributed to the defence of the city against an expected attack by the British. He was a member of the correspondence committee appointed to devise a plan for checking the spread of slavery, 1819. He was a regent of the University of the State of New York, 1802-26 ; a trustee of the College of New Jersey, 1804-17 ; gave $5,000 toward the re- establishment of Queen's college, N.J., and changed the name to Rutgers, Dec. 5, 1825, and

Q.u£ty^J■S COULEce

contributed sites of land on the East River, in Chatham Square, and in other parts of the city for the erection of schools and churches. He was elected president of the Public School society to succeed De Witt Clinton, 1828. He never married. He died in New York, Feb. 17, 1830.

RUTHERFOORD, John, governor of Virginia, was born in Richmond, Va., Dec. 6, 1792 ; son of Thomas and Mary (Winston) Rutherfoord. His father was a native of Kircaldy, Scotland, who came to America in 1784 as a merchant, with a letter of introduction to Washington from Sir Edward Neversham, a member of parliament for