*1779 09 26 Spottsylvania Co., VA, USA
+1826 11 02

Succeeded his father as Clerk of the Hustings Court for the Town and Corporation of Fredericksburg, some of whose signed certificates 1812 07 14-1820 02 26 survive.

Is listed at LDS IGI 442426.35.25657.

Month and date of birth and death from findagrave.com, which lists interment at Masonic Cemetery, Fredericksburg VA, is source of father-in-law's profession and gives date of marriage as 1802-10-20.

S. Bassett French confirms career. but gives date of death as 1825-11-23.

Dora C. Jett (see RBC 14139) gives the text of his tombstone, confirms his date of death, says his will was dated 1821-10-17 and left property to his wife, his sister and his sons RSC 10043, JJC 11661 and an unknown son George French Chew. I would very much like to see this will.

RLC 14093 gives year of marriage as 1802.

10051 <115:22

From RLC 14093, who only mentions him as a son of his father.

110435

From RLC 14093, who only mentions her as a daughter of her father.

110438

*1801/6 Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Co., VA, USA
+1870

(1850 Fredericksburg census, Microfilm 977, pp. 368-369, Family #504, Dwelling #504) Clerk of Circuit Court. Value of Real Estate $2700. Children?: Ann M. (20), Robt. (22), Ellen H. (12), Hugh (8), Eliza (6), M.H. (3, female). Others listed: Eliza French (65, Real Estate $5000), George F. Chew (42, Clerk Dep.), George Minor (42), Ann E. Minor (39), John Minor (8).

Name appears on several court documents (probate documents for Charles Lewis, 1834 07 10, 1834 12 06).

Marriage listed in Fredericksburg Circuit Court records.

S. Bassett French says that he was the clerk of the Corporation Court of Fredericksburg 1826-70, "with an interim of two Years in reconstruction times".

11661

In LDS records with a birthdate of 1809.

Is listed as Ellen in Fredericksburg marriage records, Ellener in 1850 Census (see JJC 11661).

MMA 14240: she was the daughter of Scottish immigrant Robert Patton (1745-1828) and his wife Anne Gordon Mercer. Her brother John Mercer Patton (1797-1858) was General George S. Patton's great-great-grandfather.

Was married first to a George Long.

Listed in 1880 Census, see RSC 13745, which is source for her state of birth.

11662

13742

13745

13748

13751 >3:1

13762

13764

*1811 11 04 VA, USA
+1873 08 03 Washington, DC, USA

Brief biography listed in Appleton's 1886 Encyclopedia, is mentioned elsewhere for his roles as aide to Seward (was present at signing of Alaskan treaty in 1867, painted by Emanuel Leutze, an excerpt of which is shown above) and wartime special messenger for Lincoln.

1834 07: Joined State Department (according to sworn testimony, p. 117 of Congressional Globe, 40th Congress, 2nd Session at memory.loc.gov)

1844 03 02: Is mentioned in National Intelligencer as an Assistant Marshal on horseback at the funeral for the late Secretary of State, the Hon. Abel P. Upshur, killed when a gun aboard the USS Princeton exploded during a demonstration.

1861 04 06: Carried a famous message (which survives, and can be viewed at memory.loc.gov) from Lincoln to Governor Pickens at Charleston.

1866 07: Promoted to Chief Clerk of the State Department.

1868 04 04: Testified before Senate in impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson (memory.loc.gov).

1880: widow listed in Washington, DC, USA census.

Should investigate Seward papers at U of Rochester.

Library of Congress has some correspondence with Hamilton Fish as part of the latter's archives (LC mm 78020602).

According to family lore, when his brother was captured in the Civil War, RSC negotiated his release into house arrest at RSC's home.

10043

Listed in 1880 Census of Washington, DC, USA as widowed, living with sons Robert, John and Walter, sister Louisa and servants Kittie Walker, Caroline Green and Elenora Buckner.

A portrait of her, painted by Charles Bird King, is in the online collection of the Smithsonian, their object #DC990444

Some sources spell her middle name Ringgold.

JJC 10005 had her birth year as 1818.

Buried at Chapel Hill, Lot 538, Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, DC.

10044 <2164:81

11933 >7:2

11936

11938

10021 >53:5

11637 >2:1

11943

11639

11945 >1:1