What is "livingston manor"

Livingston Manor was a 160,000 acre tract of land granted to Robert Livingston the Elder through the influence of Governor Thomas Dongan, and confirmed by royal charter of George I of Great Britain in 1715, creating the manor and lordship of Livingston. This tract embraced a large portion of what is now Columbia County. The lords of the manor were:

• Robert Livingston the Elder (1654–1728)
• Philip Livingston (1728–1749)
• Robert Livingston (1749–1790)

The first division of the estate was made in 1728, when Robert Livingston the Elder stipulated that his son Robert Livingston be granted 13,000 acres from Livingston Manor's southwest corner, a tract which Robert christened Clermont Manor. In 1790 the remainder of Livingston Manor was divided among the heirs of the last lord of the manor, Robert Livingston, rather than passed down through primogeniture, as Robert disapproved of his eldest son. The inheritors of the estate were all men who had distinguished themselves considerably during and after the American Revolution:

• Philip Livingston, delegate to the Continental Congress and signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence
• William Livingston, Governor of New Jersey and signatory of the United States Constitution
• William Alexander, major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War
• James Duane, delegate to the Continental Congress, Mayor of New York City, and signatory of the Articles of Confederation

These four heirs subsequently divided the land among their own families, and the power of the Livingston family was slowly diminished. A portion of the estate is still held by the family. The town of Livingston, New York occupies part of the original tract.

Although an English-deeded tract, some sources list Livingston Manor with the patroonships of New Netherland.