Today, the Albany Commemorative Silver Half Dollar Coin remembers the first meeting of the Justices of the peace in the newly chartered city on July 26, 1686.
From the Bi-centennial History of Albany, History of the County of Albany, N.Y., from 1609 to 1886, Volume 2, by George Rogers Howell and Jonathan Tenney, published in 1886:
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Governor Dongan in this Charter designates the officers of the said city as follows:
“There shall be forever hereafter, within the said City, a Mayor, Recorder, Town Clerk, and six Aldermen and six Assistants, to be appointed, nominated, elected, chosen and sworn, as hereinafter is particularly and respectively mentioned, who shall be forever hereafter called the Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of Albany, and that there shall be, forever, one Chamberlain or Treasurer, one Sheriff, one Coroner, one Clerk of the Market, one High Constable, three Sub-Constables, one Marshal or Sergeant-at-Mace, to be appointed, chosen and sworn in manner hereafter mentioned.
“That the Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council of the City of Albany shall be one body corporate and politic, in deed, fact and name; and that by the name of the Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of Albany, they may have perpetual succession.”
The Charter then proceeds to appoint the Mayor, Common Council and other officers of the city under the Charter, which were as follows:
Peter Schuyler, Mayor; Jan Bleecker, Chamberlain; Isaac Swinton, Recorder; Richard Pretty, Sheriff; Robert Livingston, Clerk; James Parker, Marshal.
Aldermen. — Dirk Wessels, Jan Jans Bleecker, David Schuyler, Johannis Wendell, Lavinus Van Schaack, Adrian Gerritse.
Assistant Aldermen. — Joachim Staats, John Lansing, Isaac Verplanck, Lawrence Van Ale, Albert Ruyckman, Melgert Winantse.
Early in July, previous to the granting of this Charter, Peter Schuyler and Robert Livingston were appointed Commissioners by the town of Albany, which appointment was ratified by the Magistrates of the city, to go to New York, and procure the Charter we have described, which they did, and the same was agreed to between the Magistrate, and Colonel Dongan, Governor-General of the Province of New York.
On the 22d of July, 1686, the Commissioners returned with the same, and were publicly received “with all the joy and acclamations imaginable, and received the thanks of the magistrates, burgesses and other dignitaries of the city, for their diligence and care,” Peter Schuyler took the oath of Mayor, to act until a further ratification of his appointment by the citizens.
In the same manner the Aldermen and Assistant Aldermen we have named, took the oath of office and entered upon their duties.
The following is a copy of the minutes of the first meeting of the Justices of the Peace after the return of Pieter Schuyler and Robert Livingston with the charter, and a copy of the oath administered to the Mayor:
“Att a meeting of ye Justices of ye peace for ye County of Albany, ye 26th day of July, A.D. 1686.
“Pieter Schuyler, gent., and Robt Livingston, gent., who were commissionated by ye towne of Albanie to goe to New Yorke and procure ye Charter for this citty w’h was agreed upon between ye magistrates and ye right hon’l. Col. Tho. Dongan, Gov. Gen’l, who accordingly have brought the same along with them, and was published with all ye joy and acclamations imaginable, and ye said two gent’n received ye thanks of ye magistrates and burgesses for their diligence and care in obtaining ye same; and whereas Pieter Schuyler is nominated and appointed to be Mayor of ye citty of Albany by ye said charter, till such time that anoy’r fitt person be chosen in his room. Was sworn as follows:
“Whereas, you Pieter Schuyler are appointed and commissionated to be mayor and clerk of ye market and coroner of ye citty of Albany, as also coroner for ye s’d county, by ye charter granted to ye said citty by ye Right Hon’le Coll. Tho. Dongan, Gov. Gen’l of this province, you doe swear by ye ever living God y’t y’u will truly endevor, to ye best of y’r skill, with a good conshience and according to ye laws of this Government dispence justice equally in all cases and to all p’sons whereunto by virtue of ye office you are impowered, and further officiat and perform ye duty and office of Mayor, clerk of ye market and coroner, in every respect to ye best of y’r knowledge and capacity, so help y’u God.”
Previous to this City Charter, the laws of Albany were administered by the Justices of the Peace, who were invested with certain judicial and municipal powers by the Governor-General of the Province of New York.
With the municipal jurisdiction given the Mayor and Aldermen by the Charter, were large judicial powers.
The Mayor and the Aldermen, with certain Justices of the Peace, were authorized to hold courts of civil and criminal jurisdiction.
This Court became one of great importance, and continued down to the Revolution, and with some changes, applicable to the new form of government, after the adoption of the first State Constitution.
The Mayor’s Court, as it was called, possessed the powers and duties of a Court of Probate of Wills, and these now held by Surrogates. They also decided the time and place of holding elections.
The first meeting, or Court, of the Mayor and Aldermen, was held at the City Hall in Albany, August 31, 1686.
It was both a Court of Justice and a meeting of the Mayor and Aldermen for the transaction of municipal business.
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The Albany Commemorative Silver Half Dollar Coin shows with plans for the city in 1676 and 1695.
