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Nanning Visscher Winne was the only son of Lavinus Winne, a lawyer in Albany, his native city where the family have resided for several generations. Visscher was born in Albany, on the 17th day of January, 1807. His father died when he was only seven years old, leaving him under the guardianship of his uncle John L. Winne, who, desirous of surrounding him by Christian influences, placed him in the family of the Rev. Dr. Chester, a clergyman of the Presbyterian church, with whom he remained for four years. He afterwards went to attend school in Princeton, New Jersey, and subsequently to Union College, where he graduated in 1825. He returned to Albany and began to study medicine with Dr. Platt Williams; but having a taste for surgery, and pecuniary means to follow his inclinations, he went to New Haven, and became a private pupil of the celebrated Dr. Nathan Smith. He attended medical lectures in New Haven, and received his medical degree from Yale College in 1828. Between Nathan Smith and young Winne there arose a strong and mutual friendship, so that the latter remained with Dr. Smith for more than one year after he had graduated, devoting himself more particularly to surgery. He continued a correspondence, and enjoyed the confidence of Dr Smith, until the death, of that venerable surgeon. Dr. Winne returned to Albany in 1829, where he resided for four or five years, occupying a part of the time the position of ward physician. He was by Gov. Throop appointed surgeon on the staff of Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer in 1821, and served until 1831, when at his own request he was honorably discharged. About 1833 he removed to the town of New Scotland, where he continued to practice for eight years, residing upon a farm which he cultivated until 1857, when he again removed to Albany. Dr. Winne died, after a few days illness of disease of the lungs, on the 6th day of June, 1858, at the age of fifty-one years. His wife was a daughter of Alderman G. Y. S. Bleeker, who survives him, with five sons and six daughters.
At the age of twenty-one Dr. Winne came in possession of a liberal patrimony, but unsuspecting, open hearted and liberal, its care occasioned him perplexity, and ultimately financial embarrassments and discouragement. Dr. Winne was a man of more than ordinary talents, and of respectable acquirments. He was familiar with the classics, spoke French fluently, and German passing well. He had selected a good library, which however was accidently destroyed by fire, after his death in 1861. Dr. Winne kept up his medical reading, but never devoted himself with energy to the practice of his profession. The necessity was not upon him in early life, and without that stimulus, which is a blessing in disguise, he found it in later years difficult to put forth vigorous professional effort.
