Henry Cruger

Henry Cruger Jr. (November 22, 1739April 24, 1827) was an American and British merchant at the time of the American Revolution. He has a unique distinction of having been elected to both the Parliament of Great Britain (MP, 1774–1780, 1784–1790) and the New York State Senate (1792–1796). Early life Henry Cruger was born in New York and was a member of a wealthy merchant family. His parents were Elizabeth (née Harris) Cruger (1716–1752) and Henry Cruger Sr. (1707–1780), a member of the New York General Assembly and then the governor's council. His eldest brother, John Harris Cruger, succeeded his father as a member of the governor's council of New York, served as a Loyalist during the War and later moved to England. Two other brothers settled in the West Indies. His younger sister, Mary Cruger, was married to Jacob Walton, also a representative in General Assembly for New York. His paternal grandparents were Maria (née Cuyler) Cruger, an heiress (and sister of Albany Mayor Johannes Cuyler), and John Cruger, an alderman who served as the 38th mayor of New York City and was born in Bristol, England. His uncle John Cruger Jr. served as the 41st mayor of New York City and was the last Speaker of the New York General Assembly. Cruger studied at King's College (now Columbia University) in New York City, but before being graduated he moved to Bristol, England, in 1757.