Lyman Tremain was a jurist and politician from New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

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He was admitted to the bar

Bar (law)

Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...

 in 1840 and practiced in Durham, where he was elected to his first political office as town supervisor

Town supervisor

Town Supervisor is an elective legislative position in New York towns. Supervisors sit on the town board, where they preside over town board meetings and vote on all matters with no more legal weight than that of any other board member .Towns may adopt local laws that allow them to provide for an...

 in 1842. He was appointed District Attorney of Greene County in 1844. He was elected Surrogate

New York Surrogate's Court

The Surrogate's Court handles all probate and estate proceedings in the state of New York. All wills are probated in this court and all estates of people who die without a will are handled in this court...

 in 1846, but lost reelection in 1851.

He moved to Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

 in 1853 and entered into partnership with former Congressman Rufus Wheeler Peckham

Rufus Wheeler Peckham (1809-1873)

Rufus Wheeler Peckham was a judge and congressman from New York, and the father of a U.S. Supreme Court justice.-Biography:...

 in 1855. Elected as a Democrat, he was New York State Attorney General

New York State Attorney General

The New York State Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of New York. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government of New York.The current Attorney General is Eric Schneiderman...

 from 1858 to 1859.

He ran unsuccessfully as the Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New York

Lieutenant Governor of New York

The Lieutenant Governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the government of New York State. It is the second highest ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four year term...

 in 1862. In June 1864 he was a delegate to the Baltimore Convention of the National Union Party

National Union Party (United States)

The National Union Party was the name used by the Republican Party for the national ticket in the 1864 presidential election, held during the Civil War. State Republican parties did not usually change their name....

 where he placed the name of Daniel S. Dickinson

Daniel S. Dickinson

Daniel Stevens Dickinson was a New York politician, most notable as a United States Senator from 1844 to 1851.-Biography:...

 in contention for the Vice Presidential nomination on the ticket with President Lincoln. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly

New York State Assembly

The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...

 from 1866 to 1868, and was Speaker

Speaker of the New York State Assembly

The Speaker of the New York State Assembly is the highest official in the New York State Assembly, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party....

 in 1866. He was a delegate to the 1868 Republican National Convention

1868 Republican National Convention

The 1868 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held in Crosby's Opera House, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, on May 20 to May 21, 1868....

 and placed Governor Fenton's name in contention for Vice President on the ticket with General Grant.

In 1872, Tremain was elected as a Republican to the Forty-third United States Congress, defeating the incumbent Samuel Sullivan Cox. He served from March 4, 1873, to March 3, 1875, and then did not seek reelection. In 1873, Tremain also served with his partner's oldest son, Wheeler Hazard Peckham

Wheeler Hazard Peckham

Wheeler Hazard Peckham was an American lawyer from New York and a failed nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States. His father, Rufus Wheeler Peckham, was also a lawyer, and a New York Court of Appeals judge and congressman. His brother, also named Rufus Wheeler Peckham, was also a New...

, as special counsel to the State in the prosecution of Boss Tweed

Boss Tweed

William Magear Tweed – often erroneously referred to as William Marcy Tweed , and widely known as "Boss" Tweed – was an American politician most notable for being the "boss" of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century...

. After leaving Congress, Tremain returned to private legal practice in Albany and then died in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 while visiting. He was buried in Albany Rural Cemetery

Albany Rural Cemetery

The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Menands, New York, just outside of the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the United States, at over . Many historical American figures are buried there.-History:On April 2,...

 in Menands, New York

Menands, New York

Menands is a village in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 3,990 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Louis Menand...

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Tremain's son Lyman (June 1843 - February 6, 1865) was a lieutenant colonel of the 10th New York Cavalry

United States Cavalry

The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, is the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army. The role of the U.S. Cavalry is reconnaissance, security and mounted assault. Cavalry has served as a part of the Army forces in every war in which the United States has participated...

 during the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, who was killed at the Battle of Hatcher's Run

Battle of Hatcher's Run

The Battle of Hatcher's Run, also known as Dabney's Mill, Armstrong's Mill, Rowanty Creek, and Vaughn Road, fought February 5–7, 1865, was one in a series of Union offensives during the Siege of Petersburg, aimed at cutting off Confederate supply traffic on Boydton Plank Road and the Weldon...

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Tremain was of an old Cornish American

Cornish American

Cornish Americans are citizens of the United States who describe themselves as having Cornish ancestry. Cornish ancestry is not recognised on the United States Census, although the Cornish people are recognised as a separate ethnic group and national identity for the United Kingdom Census...

family.