Robert Roosevelt

Robert Barnhill Roosevelt, also known as Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, was born on August 7, 1829, in New York City. The son of Cornelius Van Schaack (C.V.S.) Roosevelt and Margaret Barnhill, he was a member of the Roosevelt family, with notable relatives including his nephew, President Theodore Roosevelt, and his grand-niece, First Lady Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. His ancestry included Dutch American heritage from the Schuyler family through his ancestor Cornelius Van Schaack Jr.

Roosevelt pursued legal studies and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1850, subsequently beginning his practice in New York City. During the American Civil War, he was involved in Democratic politics, being a founder of the Allotment Commission and the Loyal National League. He also participated in the organization of the Citizens' Association amid the political upheaval during William Tweed's administration and edited its official publication, the New York Citizen, with Charles G. Halpine until Halpine's death.

He was a founding member of the Committee of Seventy and served as vice-president of the Reform Club and the Holland Society of New York. He contributed 200 volumes related to Hugo Grotius to Columbia University's Rare Books Library and served as Holland Society President in 1890.

In Congress, Roosevelt served as a Democrat representing New York in the 42nd United States Congress from March 4, 1871, to March 3, 1873. His election was influenced by anti-Tammany Democratic organizations, though he publicly denounced Tammany Hall's measures and contributed to its weakening. Roosevelt also served as a trustee for the New York and Brooklyn Bridge from 1879 to 1882 and played a role in establishing paid fire and health departments in New York City. Additionally, he held a seat on the New York City Board of Aldermen.

He was appointed as Minister to The Hague by President Grover Cleveland, serving from August 10, 1888, to May 17, 1889, and later served as treasurer of the Democratic National Committee in 1892. In 1893, Cleveland appointed him as secretary of the embassy in London, in exchange for a campaign contribution of $10,000.

Roosevelt was an advocate for conservation and fishing, founding the New York State Fishery Commission in 1867 and serving as one of its fish commissioners for twenty years without salary. His efforts in fisheries and game protection influenced policies beyond New York. He was involved with numerous organizations dedicated to the protection of game and fish, including serving as president of several related associations. As a member of Congress, he originated the bill to establish the United States Fish Commission.

As an author, Roosevelt wrote on topics including fishing, game, and waterfowl, sometimes under pseudonyms such as Barnwell or Ira Zell. His publications include *Superior Fishing* (1866), *Game Birds of the North* (1866), and *Fish Hatching and Fish Catching* (1879). He was a friend of writers like Oscar Wilde and contributed to the dissemination of oral stories such as the "Br'er Rabbit" tales, which he reportedly first published in Harper's Magazine before Joel Chandler Harris.

Roosevelt was married twice. His first wife was Elizabeth Ellis, a descendant of the Livingston family, with whom he had three children: Margaret Barnhill Roosevelt (who married Augustus Van Horne Kimberly), John Ellis Roosevelt (married Nannie Mitchell Vance), and Robert Barnhill Roosevelt Jr. after Elizabeth’s death in 1887, Roosevelt married Marion Theresa "Minnie" O'Shea, an Irish immigrant. They had children known as his stepchildren, including Kenyon Fortescue, a lawyer; Major Granville Roland "Rolly" Fortescue, who married Grace Hubbard Bell; and Maude Fortescue, who married Ernest William Sutton Pickhardt.

Roosevelt was active in conservation efforts, founding the New York State Fishery Commission and serving as a fish commissioner for two decades. He helped initiate the bill that created the U.S. Fish Commission and was prominent in various organizations dedicated to animal protection.

He died on June 14, 1906, in Sayville, New York. His remains were interred at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. His estate was inherited by his family.

**Selected Published Works**

- *Superior Fishing; or The Striped Bass, Trout, Black Bass and Bluefish of the Northern States* (1862)

- *Game Fish of the Northern States and British Provinces* (1862)

- *Game Birds of the North* (1866)

- *Florida and the Game Water Birds* (1868)

- *Five Acres Too Much* (1869)

- *Progressive Petticoats* (1871)

- *Fish Hatching and Fish Catching* (1879)