The original appellation of this office was that of Assistant Attorney-General. The districts embraced several counties and were seven in member (Act February 12, 1796). The office was filled by the Governor and Council of Appointments. The Attorney-General officiated personally in New York County. The office of District Attorney was created April 4, 1801. At first the State was divided into seven districts as before, but subsequently several new ones were formed. By a law passed April 1818, each county was constituted a separate district for the purposes of this office. During the prevalence of the Second Constitution, District Attorneys were appointed by the Court of General Sessions in each county.
Act of 1796
First District
Kings, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, and Westchester counties
|
Nathaniel Lawrence 02/16/1796 |
01/16/1798 |
Second District
Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster counties
|
02/23/1796 |
Conrad E. Elmendorph 01/27/1798 |
Third District
Columbia and Rensselaer counties
|
02/23/1796 |
Fourth District
Clinton and Washington counties
|
Anthony L. Blanchard 03/12/1796 |
Fifth District
Albany, Montgomery, Saratoga, and Schoharie counties
|
02/16/1796 |
George Metcalfe 02/16/1797 |
Sixth District
Onondaga, Ontario, Steuben, and Tioga counties
|
William Stuart 03/31/1796 |
Nathaniel W. Howeel 02/09/1797 |
Seventh District
Herkimer and Otsego counties
|
Thomas R. Gold 02/26/1797 |
Act of 1801
First District
Kings, Queens, Richmond, and Suffolk counties, with Westchester until 1816 and New York until 1815. One of the original districts.
|
Richard Riker 08/19/1801 |
02/19/1811 |
|
Richard Riker 02/19/1811 |
Barent Gardenier 03/05/1813 |
|
Thomas S. Lester 04/08/1815 |
Second District
Delaware, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Ulster counties. One of the original districts.
|
Conrad E. Elmendorph 1801 |
08/19/1801 |
|
Lucas Elmendorf 10/28/1801 |
Randall S. Street 02/09/1810 |
|
Samuel Hawkins 02/15/1811 |
Randall S. Street 03/19/1813 |
|
George Bloom 02/13/1815 |
Third District
Columbia, Greene, and Rensselaer counties. One of the original districts.
|
Ebenezer Foot 08/13/1801 |
Moses I. Cantine 03/05/1805 |
|
John V.D. Scott 03/10/1806 |
Moses I. Cantine 02/08/1808 |
|
Thomas P. Grosvenor 04/03/1810 |
Moses I. Cantine 02/15/1811 |
Fourth District
Clinton, Essex, Warren, and Washington counties, with St. Lawrence from 1802-1808 and Franklin from 1808. One of the original districts.
|
Anthony I. Blanchard 1801 |
John Russell 04/08/1803 |
|
04/03/1806 |
Roger Skinner 06/07/1811 |
|
04/11/1812 |
David Russell 04/01/1813 |
|
Jesse L. Billings 02/13/1815 |
Fifth District
Albany, Montgomery, Saratoga, and Schoharie counties, with Schenectady from 1809. One of the original districts.
|
George Metcalfe 1801 |
Daniel L. Van Antwerp 03/16/1811 |
|
02/28/1813 |
Samuel S. Lusk 04/06/1813 |
|
Richard M. Livingston 02/16/1815 |
Sixth District
Chenango, Herkimer, Lewis, Oneida, and Otsego counties, with Madison from 1806 and Jefferson from 1805-1808. One of the original districts.
|
Nathan Williams 08/20/1801 |
Joseph Kirkland 03/14/1813 |
|
Thomas H. Hubbard 02/26/1816 |
Seventh District
Cayuga, Onondaga, Ontario, Steuben, and Tioga counties, with Allegany from 1806, Broome from 1806-1817, Seneca from 1804-1813, Genesee from 1803-1813, Chautauqua and Niagara from 1808-1813, and Cattaraugus from 1808. One of the original districts.
|
William Stuart 03/02/1803 |
Daniel W. Lewis 02/09/1810 |
|
William Stuart 02/12/1811 |
Vincent Matthews 03/12/1813 |
|
Daniel Cruger 03/17/1815 |
Eighth District
Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. Formed March 18, 1808.
|
Samuel Whittlesey 04/06/1808 |
Amos Benedict 02/09/1810 |
|
Samuel Whittlesey 02/12/1811 |
Amos Benedict 03/03/1813 |
|
Ela Collins 03/15/1815 |
Ninth District
Cayuga, Chenango, Madison, and Onondaga counties, with Cortland until 1817. Formed March 29, 1809.
|
Nathaniel King 03/30/1809 |
Daniel Kellogg 03/04/1813 |
|
Joseph L. Richardson 04/1815 |
Tenth District
Chautauqua, Genesee, Niagara, Ontario, and Seneca counties. Formed March 12, 1813.
|
Polydorus B. Wisner 03/12/1813 |
John Canfield Spencer 02/13/1815 |
Eleventh District
Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester counties. Formed March 12, 1813.
|
Alexander McDonald 03/19/1813 |
William Nelson 07/10/1815 |
Twelfth District
New York County. Formed March 24, 1815.
|
John Rodman 03/31/1815 |
Hugh Maxwell 01/28/1817 |
Thirteenth District
Broome, Cortland, Seneca, and Tompkins counties. Formed April 15, 1817.
|
David Woodcock 04/15/1817 |
Act of 1818
Albany County
|
Daniel L. VanAntwerp 06/11/1818 |
07/03/1819 |
|
Benjamin F. Butler 02/19/1821 |
Edward Livingston 06/14/1825 |
|
03/27/1838 |
Henry G. Wheaton 03/30/1842 |
|
Edwin Litchfield 03/30/1844 |
Andrew J. Colvin 03/21/1846 |
Allegany County
|
Timothy H. Porter 10/1818 |
Henry Wells 02/1819 |
|
James Cochran 04/17/1820 |
John A. Collier 06/12/1820 |
|
Samuel S. Haight 11/13/1820 |
Samuel S. Haight 11/14/1821 |
|
Samuel S. Haight 02/1822 |
John Cook 1827 |
|
George Miles 1836 |
Alexander S. Diven 06/1837 |
|
Wilkes Angel 1841 |
Wilkes Angel 11/1843 |
|
01/1845 |
Broome County
|
John A. Collier 06/11/1818 |
Thomas G. Waterman 02/25/1822 |
|
Mason Whiting 04/10/1823 |
Peter Robinson 05/20/1823 |
|
Mason Whiting 11/30/1831 |
Joseph S. Bosworth 1837 |
|
Hamilton Collier 12/01/1837 |
Ausburn Birdsall 02/21/1842 |
Cattaraugus County
|
Henry Wells 07/21/1818 |
John A. Bryan 1819 |
|
Timothy H. Porter 1819 |
John A. Bryan 1820 |
|
Milton B. Canfield 1820 |
Henry Wells 1820 |
|
William Smith 02/15/1821 |
Samuel S. Haight 11/1821 |
|
Samuel S. Haight 02/1822 |
Henry Wells 02/1823 |
|
Henry Wells 06/1823 |
John A. Bryan 10/1823 |
|
Timothy H. Porter 02/1824 |
Timothy H. Porter 06/16/1824 |
|
George A.S. Crooker 01/1827 |
John A. Bryan 06/19/1827 |
|
C.J. Fox 10/1827 |
Anson Gibbs 10/13/1829 |
|
James Burt 10/10/1834 |
James Burt 1838 |
|
Daniel Reed Wheeler 02/05/1841 |
William Pitt Angel 02/07/1844 |
Cayuga County
|
Joseph L. Richardson 06/11/1818 |
John Porter 02/21/1821 |
|
John Porter 12/21/1822 |
Theodore Spencer 1828 |
|
Richard L. Smith 01/21/1832 |
Michael S. Myers 01/25/1838 |
|
Dennison Robinson 01/27/1841 |
Luman Sherwood 06/03/1844 |
Chautauqua County
|
Daniel G. Guernsey 06/11/1818 |
James Mullet, Jr. 02/14/1826 |
|
Samuel A. Brown 02/16/1828 |
Joseph Wait 06/30/1838 |
|
David Mann 10/22/1841 |
Chemung County
|
Andrew K. Gregg, Sr. 03/1835 |
Andrew K. Gregg, Sr. 07/1836 |
|
Andrew K. Gregg, Sr. 04/14/1838 |
Hiram Gray 04/22/1841 |
|
Don Carlos Woodcock 07/21/1841 |
William North 07/09/1844 |
|
Elijah B. Brook 01/14/1845 |
Chenango County
|
Simon Gages Throop 06/11/1818 |
Lot Clark 04/11/1822 |
|
John C. Clark 10/1823 |
Robert Monell 1827 |
|
Lot Clark 1828 |
John Clapp 1836 |
|
George M. Smith 1841 |
Robert O. Reynolds 1843 |
|
George M. Smith 1845 |
Clinton County
|
John Palmer 06/11/1818 |
Lemuel Stetson 10/14/1837 |
|
J. Douglass Woodward 01/02/1832 |
Lorenzo D. Brock 01/01/1844 |
Columbia County
|
Joseph D. Monell 06/11/1818 |
Thomas Bay 07/09/1819 |
|
Julius C. Wilcoxson 03/30/1821 |
10/19/1832 |
|
03/04/1843 |
Cortland County
|
Edward C. Reed 1827 |
1836 |
|
Horatio Ballard 1845 |
Delaware County
|
William H. Elting 06/11/1818 |
John B. Spencer 02/21/1821 |
|
Selah R. Hobbie 11/11/1823 |
Noadiah Johnston 06/11/1827 |
|
12/10/1833 |
Samuel Gordon 12/17/1836 |
|
Nelson K. Wheeler 12/17/1839 |
James A. Hughston 12/19/1842 |
|
Truman H. Wheeler 12/09/1845 |
Dutchess County
|
George Bloom 06/11/1818 |
Philo Ruggles 07/09/1819 |
|
Francis A. Livingston 02/13/1821 |
Stephen Cleveland 02/23/1829 |
|
George A. Shufeldt 02/24/1832 |
William Eno 06/06/1838 |
|
Eleazor Morton Swift 1843 |
Erie County
|
Herman B. Potter 02/13/1819 |
Thomas C. Love 1829-1834 |
|
1835 |
Henry W. Rogers 1837 |
|
Henry K. Smith 1838 |
Henry W. Rogers 1841 |
|
1842 |
Solomon G. Haven 1844 |
Essex County
|
Ralph Hascall 06/11/1818 |
Dead Edson 03/03/1821 |
|
David B. McNeil 10/02/1828 |
04/11/1833 |
|
Moses T. Clough 09/24/1844 |
Franklin County
|
Asa Hascall 06/13/1818 |
Azel Hayward 1830-1835 |
|
Joseph H. Jackson 1841 |
Asa Hascall 1843 |
Fulton County
|
Alfred Conklin 06/11/1818 |
William I. Dodge 02/21/1821 |
|
Charles McVean 1836-1839 |
John W. Cady 01/20/1840 |
|
Clark S. Grinnell 04/10/1840 |
Genesee County
|
Daniel D. Brown 06/11/1818 |
Herman J. Redfield 02/12/1821 |
|
Levi Rumsey 1829-1834 |
Daniel H. Chandler 02/04/1834 |
|
Isaac A. Verplanck 02/17/1838 |
02/03/1842 |
|
02/16/1845 |
Isaac A. Verplanck 10/20/1846 |
Greene County
|
Alexander Fraser 06/22/1819 |
Erastus Barnes 02/15/1821 |
|
Lewis Benton 1824-1828 |
1832-1837 |
|
Lucius Robinson 1837-1839 |
Danforth K. Olney 1840-1845 |
Hamilton County
|
G. Ratrie Parbut 1841 |
Isaac I. Vanderwarker 1843 |
|
Cyrus H. Brownell 1845 |
Herkimer County
|
Simeon Ford 06/11/1818 |
Michael Hoffman 05/1823 |
|
George H. Feeter 1825-1828 |
Aaron Hackley, Jr. 1828-1831 |
|
James B. Hunt 1838 |
Dudley Burwell 01-03/1836 |
|
Michael Hoffman 03-09/1836 |
Simeon Ford 09/1836 |
|
Hiram Nolton 1837-1847 |
Jefferson County
|
David W. Bucklin 06/12/1818 |
Horatio Shumway 02/26/1820 |
|
David W. Bucklin 02/12/1821 |
Robert Lansing 06/1826-1833 |
|
George C. Sherman 02/1833-1840 |
Dyer M. Burnham 1841-1842 |
|
Joseph Mulling 1843-1845 |
Robert Lansing 02/1845 |
|
Joshua Moore, Jr. 1846 |
Kings County
|
James B. Clarke 03/028/1819 |
04/26/1830 |
|
04/30/1833 |
06/03/1839 |
Lewis County
|
Ela Collins 06/11/1818 |
Charles Dayan 03/14/1840 |
|
William Collins 03/24/1845 |
Livingston County
|
George Hosmer 02/08/1821 |
Orlando Hastings 01/27/1824 |
|
George Hosmer 05/29/1824 |
Augustus A. Bennett 05/30/1836 |
|
Gersham Buckley 11/08/1836 |
George Hastings 05/27/1839 |
Madison County
|
Thomas H. Hubbard 06/11/1818 |
William K. Fuller 03/26/1821 |
|
06/30/1829 |
Justin Dwinnell 1837 |
|
1845 |
Monroe County
|
Thomas Childs 03/05/1821 |
1825 |
|
Daniel D. Barnard 1829 |
Horace Gay 1831 |
|
Vincent Matthews 1831 |
Hester L. Stevens 1831 |
|
Horace Gay 1836 |
Abner Pratt 1836-1843 |
|
Jasper W. Gilber 1836-1843 |
Nicholas E. Paine 1846-1847 |
Montgomery County
|
Alfred Conkling 06/11/1818 |
William J. Dodge 02/12/1821 |
|
Charles McVean 1836-1839 |
Garrett L. Root 06/18/1839 |
|
Garrett L. Root 1841 |
Howland Fish 1843 |
|
Henry Adams 1846 |
New York County
|
Pierre C. Van Wyck 06/11/1818 |
Hugh Maxwell 02/13/1821 |
|
Hugh Maxwell 12/21/1822 |
Hugh Maxwell 02/1824 |
|
Hugh Maxwell 1827 |
05/23/1829 |
|
05/1832 |
Thomas Phoenix 05/22/1835 |
|
James R. Whiting 06/04/1838 |
Matthew C. Paterson 06/10/1844 |
|
John McKeon 02/06/1846 |
Niagara County
|
Charles G. Olmstead 06/11/1818 |
Herman F. Potter 02/13/1819 |
|
Zina H. Colvin 04/11/1821 |
Zina H. Colvin 01/26/1827 |
|
Elias Ransom, Jr. 01/29/1830 |
William Hotchkiss 1833-1835 |
|
Joseph C. Moore 01/1836 |
Robert H. Stevens 05/1836 |
|
Jonathan L. Woods 1840-1842 |
Alfred Holmes 1843-1846 |
Oneida County
|
Nathan Williams 06/11/1818 |
02/12/1821 |
|
10/30/1825 |
Ichabod C. Baker 09/08/1834 |
|
Timothy Jenkins 12/20/1840 |
Calvert Comstock 09/09/1845 |
Onondaga County
|
James Porter 06/11/1818 |
Victory Birdseye 06/17/1818 |
|
James Porter 07/21/1818 |
Jerome L. Briggs 1836 |
|
William J. Dodge 1841 |
1843 |
Ontario County
|
John C. Spencer 06/11/1818 |
James C. Brown 08/23/1849 |
|
Stephen V.R. Mallory 11/05/1850 |
Stephen V.R. Mallory 11/08/1853 |
|
Jacob P. Faurot 11/08/1853 |
Thomas O. Perkins 11/06/1855 |
|
Edwin Hicks 03/07/1857 |
William H. Smith 11/03/1857 |
Orange County
|
Samuel Rossiter Betts 02/15/1818 |
Henry G. Wisner 06/06/1820 |
|
Samuel Rossiter Betts 02/15/1821 |
05/09/1823 |
|
Charles Bortland 01/06/1826 |
Isaac R. Van Duzer 01/02/1829 |
|
Samuel J. Wilkin 05/28/1835 |
Nathan Westcott 06/19/1841 |
Orleans County
|
Orange Butler 1825 |
George W. Fleming 1828 |
|
Henry R. Curtis 1831 |
George W. Fleming 1832 |
|
Henry R. Curtis 1833 |
1846 |
Oswego County
|
James F. Wright 04/17/1820 |
Samuel B. Beach 02/19/1821 |
|
David P. Brewster 1829 |
Abraham P. Grant 1835 |
|
Joel Turrill 1838 |
Leande Babcok 1840 |
|
Orville Robinson 1841 |
William Duer 1845 |
Otsego County
|
06/11/1818 |
Robert Campbell 06/12/1820 |
|
Samuel Chase 02/12/1821 |
Eben B. Morehouse 1829 |
|
1837 |
Johnson B. Steele 1845 |
Putnam County
|
Walker Todd 06/11/1818 |
Frederick Stone 02/27/1821 |
|
Jeremiah Hine 09/08/1829 |
Frederick Stone 09/1838 |
Queens County
|
Eliphalet Wikes 06/10/1818 |
1821-1826 |
|
Benjamin F. Thompson 1826-1836 |
William H. Carroll 05/03/1836 |
|
Alexander Hadden 1842-1845 |
John C. Lamberson 06/22/1845 |
Rensselaer County
|
Job Pierson 02/15/1818 |
William H. McManns 06/11/1818 |
|
Job Pierson 02/15/1821 |
Samuel Cheever 03/31/1821 |
|
Job Pierson 10/03/1823 |
Jacob C. Lansing 01/28/1833 |
|
John Coon 02/08/1836 |
David L. Seymour 10/14/1839 |
|
Martin L. Townsend 10/14/1842 |
Richmond County
|
George Metcalf 06/10/1818 |
Henry B. Metcalf 1826 |
|
Thomas S. Kingsland 1833 |
George Catlin 1839 |
|
Roderick N. Morrison 1840 |
Lot C. Clark 1841-1847 |
Rockland County
|
Edward Suffern 06/10/1818 |
John T. Smith 06/01/1820 |
|
William F. Frazer 04/16/1833 |
Saratoga County
|
Richard M. Livingston 06/11/1818 |
William LaFayette Warren 02/13/1821 |
|
09/06/1836 |
Chesselden Ellis 04/25/1837 |
|
William A. Beach 09/11/1843 |
Schenectady County
|
John K. Paige 06/11/1818 |
09/03/1823 |
|
01/15/1839 |
Schoharie County
|
Henry Hamilton 06/11/1818 |
David F. Saca 02/12/1821 |
|
Thomas Lawyer 02/04/1822 |
Jacob Houck, Jr. 10/11/1831 |
|
Robert McClellan 06/07/1836 |
Benonai Spafford 10/12/1844 |
|
William A. Sternbergh 10/12/1844 |
Peter S. Danforth 06/05/1845 |
Seneca County
|
Lemuel W. Ruggles 06/22/1818 |
Lemuel W. Ruggles 07/01/1818 |
|
Jesse Clark 04/17/1821 |
John Maynard 05/27/1833 |
|
Elisha Foote, Jr. 12/02/1836 |
Joseph Herron 02/22/1841 |
|
Samuel Birdsall 1846 |
St. Lawrence County
|
John Scott 04/08/1819 |
Bishop Perkins 02/24/1821 |
|
John W. Grant 05/21/1840 |
William A. Dart 04/17/1845 |
Steuben County
|
Daniel Cruger 06/11/1818 |
Henry Wells 10/22/1824 |
|
Edward Howell 02/07/1829 |
Benedict W. Franklin 11/04/1834 |
|
Edward Howell 06/21/1836 |
Lazarus H. Read 03/04/1840 |
|
Andrew G. Chatfield 12/02/1845 |
Morris Brown 06/20/1846 |
Suffolk County
|
Silas Wood 06/11/1818 |
03/09/1821 |
|
Charles A. Floyd 01/10/1830 |
10/07/1830 |
Sullivan County
|
Lemuel Jenkins 06/22/1818 |
Jesse M. Foster 03/27/1819 |
|
Peter F. Hunn 1832 |
Alpheus Dimmick 1836-1847 |
Tioga County
|
John L. Tilinghast 06/11/1818 |
William Maxwell 03/21/1822 |
|
Eleazer Dana 05/1823 |
Aaron Konkle 01/1826 |
|
Stephen Strong 07/1836 |
Ezra S. Sweet 07/1838 |
|
John J. Taylor 1839 |
John W. Taylor 06/1841 |
|
George Sidney Camp 02/1843 |
Stephen Strong 02/1841 |
Tompkins County
|
David Woodcock 06/11/1818 |
Amasa Dana 01/28/1823 |
|
Samuel Love 05/15/1837 |
Benjamin G. Ferris 05/16/1840 |
|
Alfred Wells 05/17/1845 |
Ulster County
|
John Champlin 06/11/1818 |
Abraham Meyer 11/01/1820 |
|
John C. Tillotson 04/11/1822 |
1828 |
|
Nicholas Sickles 1835 |
Willett Linderman 09/21/1835 |
Warren County
|
Ashael Clark 06/10/1818 |
Horatio Buel 02/12/1821 |
|
Seth C. Baldwin 05/13/1823 |
William Hay, Jr. 04/19/1825 |
|
Seth C. Baldwin 09/04/1827 |
09/10/1835 |
|
Alfred G. Farlin 04/15/1845 |
Washington County
|
Jesse L. Billings 02/13/1815 |
06/11/1818 |
|
Jesse L. Billings 06/05/1820 |
Henry C. Martindale 02/24/1821 |
|
Leonard Gibbs 1828 |
1836 |
|
Charles F. Ingalls 1843 |
Wayne County
|
William H. Adams 05/18/1823 |
William H. Adams 09/23/1823 |
|
Graham H. Chapin 09/26/1829 |
William H. Adams 09/29/1830 |
|
John M. Holley 02/02/1831 |
01/31/1835 |
|
Charles D. Lawton 02/26/1839 |
Charles D. Lawton 09/26/1839 |
|
John M. Holley 11/05/1842 |
George H. Middleton 09/26/1845 |
|
Lyman Sherwood 05/30/1846 |
Westchester County
|
Robert P. Lee 06/11/1818 |
Aaron Wood 07/08/1819 |
|
William Nelson 02/21/1822 |
Richard R. Voris 09/27/1844 |
Wyoming County
|
William Riley Smith 06/21/1841 |
Yates County
|
Abraham P. Vosburgh 04/23/1823 |
James Taylor 09/27/1826 |
|
Charles G. Judd 10/10/1831 |
John L. Lewis, Jr. 08/31/1839 |
Note: Bronx, Nassau, and Schuyler counties were established after 1846, in 1914, 1899, and 1854 respectively.