John Anthon

John Anthon (May 14, 1784, in Detroit – March 5, 1863, in New York City) was an American jurist. and George Christian Anthon (1734–1815), a German-American physician who served in the British Army during the American Revolution until the surrender of Detroit in 1796. He attained the rank of surgeon general, resigned, married the daughter of a French officer, and settled in New York City. His brother, Henry Anthon (1795-1861), was a noted clergyman. Another brother, Charles Anthon (1797–1867), was a noted educator and classical scholar.

In 1786, the family moved to New York where Anthon received a classical education,

Career He then studied law, and, upon attaining his majority, was admitted to the bar in 1805. He started a practice in New York City around 1807, initially in the Mayor's (or Municipal) Court. He was a prominent defense attorney and, in his practice, was described thusly:

Anthon had the reputation of being the best practitioner at the New York bar. Although somewhat brusque in manner and possessed of a displeasing voice, he showed great skill in marshaling facts and in legal exposition and analysis." The establishment of the Supreme Court of the City of New York is largely due to his efforts, he having successfully urged its necessity upon the state legislature. Together, they had thirteen children, including:

George Anthon (1811–1816), who died young. Caroline Anthon (1814–1871) who married William Mott Callender in 1845. William Henry Anthon (1827–1875), a lawyer and Staten Island assemblyman who married Sarah Attwood Meert (d. 1911), daughter of Joseph Michel Meert, in 1850. Elizabeth Van Shaick Anthon (1828–1832), who died young.

Anthon died on March 5, 1863, in Manhattan.

Through his son William, he was the grandfather of Marie Theresa Anthon (d. 1933), who married her cousin, William Stanhope Callender, who was married to Stuyvesant Fish (1851–1923), the director of the National Park Bank of New York City and president of the Illinois Central Railroad and was the son of Hamilton Fish (1808–1893), who served as a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, Lt. Governor of New York, Gov. of New York, and U.S. Secretary of State.

Publications An Analytical Abridgment of Blackstone's Commentaries, with a prefatory essay "On the Study of Law" (2d ed., 1832) Reports of Cases at Nisi Prius in the New York Supreme Court (1820) Anthon's Law Student Digested Index to the Reported Decisions of the United States Courts (5 vols., 1813) American Precedents and Declarations (1810)