Henry Glen was born in Albany, New York, on July 13, 1739, to Jacob Glen and Elizabeth Cuyler. His sister, Janet, was the wife of Abraham Cuyler, who was the Mayor of Albany from 1770 until 1776 when he was banished for Tory leanings and settled in Canada. His brothers included Johannes Glen and Jacobus Teller Glen. Glens Falls was named for Johannes, and Glenville was named for their ancestor, Sander Leendertse Glen, also known as Alexander Lindsay Glen. Henry's middle name was Jacob, and his names in Dutch were "Hendrick" and "Jacobse" or "Jacobus." He grew up in the Dutch culture of Albany and Schenectady, and his name often appears in records in English, in Dutch, or in a combination of both languages. In addition, his name is sometimes recorded with his middle name, without his middle name, and with spelling variants, including "Hendrik" and "Hendrick." His last name also sometimes appears in written records as "Glenn."
Career
Early career
Glen became a merchant and was successful in the Indian Trade and land speculation, operating a company in partnership with his brother Johannes and Jacobus Teller. He was an early white settler of Schenectady, and was appointed Town Clerk in 1767. He held this post until 1809. In the 1760s, Glen was appointed a second lieutenant in his brother's militia company.
At the start of the American Revolution, Glen was appointed commander of the 2nd Company of Schenectady Militia, with the rank of captain. Glen also served as a member of Schenectady's Committee of Safety. In addition, he was elected to the New York Provincial Congress. Glen was later appointed a Continental Army Assistant Deputy Quartermaster General with the rank of major. He then advanced to deputy quartermaster general, and attained the rank of colonel. Quartermasters were responsible for procuring food, horses, wagons, weapons, ammunition, uniforms, tents and other materiel and arranging for them to be distributed to the Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery units. During the Revolution, Glen also served as one of New York's three Commissioners of Indian Affairs, and was one of the commission's executive agents. The Commissioners of Indian Affairs were responsible for negotiating with the nations of upstate New York in an effort to end their support for the British, and possibly begin to support the Patriot cause.
Post-American Revolution
After the Revolution, Glen resumed his Schenectady business interests. An early supporter of what became the Federalist Party, he served in the New York State Assembly from 1786 to 1787. In 1792, he was a successful candidate for election to the United States House of Representatives. He served four terms, beginning with the Third and through the Sixth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1793, to March 3, 1801. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1800, and was succeeded by Killian K. Van Rensselaer. In 1810, Glen returned to the New York Assembly and served one term.
Personal life
In 1762, Henry Glen married Elizabeth Vischer. Their children included:
Glen died in Schenectady on January 6, 1814. He is presumed to have originally been interred in Schenectady's First Dutch Churchyard. The remains at this site were later moved to Vale Cemetery, presumably including Glen's. Not all the gravestones from Schenectady's first cemeteries were transported to Vale Cemetery, so the exact location of his grave is not known.
