What is William Peter Van Ness?
[[File:William_P._Van_Ness.jpg|thumb|right|200px]] '''William Peter Van Ness''' (February 13, 1778–September 6, 1826) was a [[United States federal judge]]. ==Early Life and education== Van Ness was born in [[Ghent, New York]]. He is the son of Judge Peter Van Ness (1734– 1804), a [[lawyer]] and [[farmer]]. The home and land were later purchased by [[Martin Van Buren]], who renamed the estate [[Lindenwald]]. Peter Van Ness is buried on the Lindenwald estate.<ref>{{cite book |title=New York, a guide to the Empire state |last=New York State Historical Association |year=1949 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=[[New York City|New York]] |isbn=1603540318 |pages=564, 565 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TmbOZd4D-ccC |accessdate=April 3, 2011}}</ref> William Van Ness's brothers included [[U.S. Representative]] and [[Washington, D.C.]] [[mayor]] [[John Peter Van Ness]]<ref>{{cite book |title=The life and times of Martin Van Buren |last=Mackenzie |first=William Lyon |year=1846 |publisher=Cooke & Co |page=23 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4BcOAAAAIAAJ |accessdate=April 3, 2011}}</ref> and [[Vermont]] [[governor]] [[Cornelius P. Van Ness|Cornelius Peter Van Ness]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Early history of Vermont, Volume 4 |last=Wilbur |first=La Fayette |year=1903 |publisher=Roscoe Printing House |page=124 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=47k1AAAAIAAJ |accessdate=April 3, 2011}}</ref> William Van Ness attended [[Washington Seminary]]<ref>{{cite book |title=The parsonage between two manors: annals of Clover-Reach |last=Gebhard |first=Elizabeth Louise |year=1910 |publisher=Bryan Printing Co |page=45 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TUAYAAAAYAAJ |accessdate=April 3, 2011}}</ref> and graduated from [[Columbia College, Columbia University|Columbia College]] in 1797.<ref>{{cite book |title=Officers and graduates ... |year=1916 |publisher=Columbia University |page=88 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dEMbAAAAYAAJ |accessdate=April 3, 2011}}</ref> After graduating from college William Va