Daniel Cady

Daniel Cady (April 29, 1773 – October 31, 1859) was an American lawyer, politician and judge in upstate New York. The father of activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Judge Cady served one term as a U.S. representative from New York.

Life Cady was born in that part of Canaan, Columbia County, New York which was later split off to form Chatham, New York. He was a son of Eleazer Cady (1745–1819) and Tryphena (née Beebe) Cady (1749–1839).

He was uncle to John W. Cady (1790–1854), who was also a U.S. representative from New York.

Career He learned the shoemaker's trade, but accidentally injured an eye and lost the sight of it at age 18. He then studied law, first in Canaan with Judge Whiting, then in Troy with John Woodworth at the Albany Law School. Cady was admitted to the bar in 1795, and commenced practice in Florida, Montgomery County.

Cady was elected as a Federalist to the 14th United States Congress, holding office from March 4, 1815, to March 3, 1817. He was not a candidate for renomination and after serving in the U.S. Congress, returned to the practice of law.

From June 7, 1847, to January 1, 1855, Cady was a justice of the New York Supreme Court (4th D.) until he retired and resigned. Cady also served as an ex officio judge of the New York Court of Appeals in 1849 and 1853.

Legacy He is considered by some the father of Fulton County, virtually engineering the county's creation in 1838 after the Montgomery county seat was moved from Johnstown to Fonda, New York. The newly established county was named after Robert Fulton, a cousin of Cady's wife. Five of their children died in early childhood or infancy. A sixth child, a son named Eleazar, died at age 20 just before his graduation from Union College in Schenectady, New York. Their surviving children included: Eleazer Livingston Cady (1806–1826), who died at age 20 just before his graduation from Union College. Margaret Chinn Cady (1817–1901), who married Duncan McMartin (1817–1894), son of Duncan McMartin Jr., a New York State Senator. Margaret was said to have been emotionally devastated by the loss of so many children and fell into a depression, which prevented her from being fully involved in the lives of her surviving children. He was buried at Johnstown Cemetery.

Descendants Daniel Cady's wife's sister Elizabeth, who married Peter Gerrit Smith, was the mother of Gerrit Smith, the prominent abolitionist who was married to Ann Carroll Fitzhugh. Gerrit Smith was a candidate for President of the United States in 1848, 1856, and 1860.

Through his daughter Elizabeth, Daniel Cady was the grandfather of Daniel Cady Stanton (1842–1891), Henry Brewster Stanton, Jr. (1844–1903), Gerrit Smith Stanton (1845–1927), Theodore Weld Stanton (1851–1925; a prominent journalist), Margaret Livingston Stanton Lawrence (1852–1930), Harriot Eaton Stanton Blatch (1856–1940; also a suffragist), and Robert Livingston Stanton (1859–1920).

Through his daughter Harriet, he was the grandfather of Daniel Cady Eaton (1834-1895), professor of botany at Yale College from the 1860s and the first Governor of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut.