author
James A. (James Arthur) Roberts
1847–1922
Best remembered as a New York public official, he also left behind a useful historical work that helped preserve Revolutionary-era records for later readers. His career moved from Civil War service and law into state politics and public history.
1 Audiobook
A Century in the Comptroller's Office, State of New York, 1797 to 1897
by James A. (James Arthur) Roberts
About the author
Born in Maine in 1847, James Arthur Roberts served in the Union Army during the Civil War before building a legal and political career in New York. He studied at the University at Buffalo's law school, practiced law in Buffalo, and went on to serve in the New York State Assembly and later as New York State Comptroller.
Alongside public office, he is connected with the historical volume New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, a work based on records gathered and organized through the comptroller's office. That blend of government work and historical preservation helps explain why his name still appears in library catalogs and archival collections today.
Roberts died in New York City in 1922. Though he is usually described first as a lawyer and politician rather than a literary figure, his role in preserving and publishing historical records gives him an enduring place in the background of New York history.