John Busteed Ireland

John Busteed Ireland (September 6, 1823 – October 11, 1913) was an American lawyer, writer, and landowner. Early life Ireland was born in Watkins Glen, Schuyler County, New York on September 6, 1823. He was the son of John Lawrence Ireland (1796–1879) and Mary (née Floyd) Ireland (1798–1887), the sister of U.S. Representative John Gelston Floyd. John's younger brother was Nicoll Floyd Ireland. His paternal grandparents were John Ireland and Judith (née Lawrence) Ireland (a daughter of New York State Senator Jonathan Lawrence and the former Ruth Riker, a member of the Riker family, for whom Rikers Island is named). Among his great-uncles were U.S. Representative Samuel Lawrence, New York City Comptroller John L. Lawrence, and U.S. Representative William T. Lawrence. His maternal grandparents were Nicoll Floyd (eldest son of Gen. William Floyd, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence) and Phoebe (née Gelston) Floyd (a daughter of David Gelston, the Collector of the Port of New York under Presidents Jefferson, Madison and Monroe). As a child, his family moved from Watkins Glen to New York City to live. Ireland graduated from New York University in 1842.