Jacob Radcliff

Jacob Radcliff
Mayor of New York City
In office February 13, 1810 – 1811
Preceded by	DeWitt Clinton
Succeeded by	DeWitt Clinton
In office July 10, 1815 – 1818
Preceded by	John Ferguson
Succeeded by	Cadwallader D. Colden
Personal details
Born	thumb (1764-04-20)April 20, 1764 Rhinebeck, New York
Died	May 20, 1842(1842-05-20) (aged 78) Troy, New York
Resting place	thumb
Political party	Federalist
Spouse	Juliana Smith
Parent	thumb
Alma mater	Princeton University
Occupation	Lawyer
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Jacob Radcliff (April 20, 1764 Rhinebeck, New York – May 20, 1842 Troy, New York) was Mayor of New York City from 1810 to 1811, and from 1815 to 1818.

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Radcliff graduated from Nassau Hall, Princeton in 1783 and practiced law under Egbert Benson, the first New York Attorney General. He was admitted to the bar in 1786, and about the same time, he married Juliana Smith, the daughter of Cotton Mather Smith and granddaughter of Cotton Mather. While practicing law in Poughkeepsie, he was a member of the New York State Assembly (Dutchess Co.) in 1795. He was appointed Assistant Attorney General on February 23, 1796.

On December 27, 1798, he became a justice of the New York Supreme Court. In this position he helped revise the state's laws. He resigned from the bench in 1804, and practiced chancery law in Brooklyn instead. When the Federalist Party gained the majority in 1810, Radcliff was appointed mayor of New York City. When the War of 1812 divided the Federalist party, Radcliff aligned with the Tammany Society, which was poised to gain a majority in state politics. Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall John Ferguson became mayor in 1815 but resigned to take the appointment of Surveyor of the Port of New York. Radcliff was chosen as his replacement.