DATE: 31 October, 1851
CREATOR: John J. Criddenden, Representative and Senator from Kentucky and Attorney General under William Henry Harrison, Joyn Tyler, and Millard Fillmore.
SCOPE: Letter to Antoine Chas. Cazenove, concerning 6th section of the first article of the Constitution.
EXTENT: 1 letter, dated October 31, 1851. autograph letter signed
HISTORY: John Jordan Crittenden (1787-1852) was a United States Senator from Kentucky and Attorney General of the United States. This letter seems to be a response to a request by A.C. Cazenove, a prominent Alexandria, VA businessman and Consol for the Swiss Confederation. This request must have pertained to the privileges of U.S., Congressmen.
The Cazenove family dates to the 15th century in southern France. Family members were Huguenots who sought refuge in Geneva, Switzerland, after the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre - 1572. Active in international commerce, branches of the family settled in England, Italy, Spain, and the United States
Anthony-Charles Cazenove, (1775-1852), merchant and banker, was the second son of Paul Cazenove and Jeanne Elizabeth Martin. He was born 1775 in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1790 he went to London to work for a time in the counting house of James Cazenove & Co. In 1794 he and his brother, John-Anthony emigrated to Philadelphia, to escape the French Revolution which had come to Geneva. He settled in Alexandria, Virginia. About 1795 he became a partner in the firm Albert Gallatin & Co. Gallatin, also from Geneva, was a prominent businessman, legislator, diplomat and US Secretary of the Treasury. In 1797, Anthony married Anne Hogan in Alexandria. They had nine children. Cazenove’s granddaughters married into other prominent families, particularly the Lee’s and du Pont’s. In 1850 his son Louis-Anthony Cazenove (1807-1852) bought the Lee-Fendale House (built in 1785 and still existing) in Alexandria. Both Louis and Anthony died in 1852.
J. J. Crittenden was a politician and Senator from Kentucky on four occasions (1817-19, 1835-41, 1842-48, 1855-61). He served as Governor of Kentucky and twice as U.S. Attorney General - March-September 1841 and 1850-1853.
SEE ALSO: The Mercantile Library Collection M-019 includes a letter from Senator John C. Calhoun to Cazenove dated July, 1822, one to him by Senator Daniel Webster, dated February 1, 1845, in M-098, and one to him by Henry Clay in M-023.
ACCESS: Due to rarity and condition, access to this collection is limited. Please contact the staff in advance of your visit to coordinate access to these materials for research purposes.
However, a transcript of the letter has been made available for research purposes: Transcription of letter to Antoine-Charles Cazenove.pdf
The collection is available for on-site use only in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Some of the material in Special Collection M-024 may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, subject to condition. For collections marked limited access, researchers are advised to contact the library at least three business days in advance of their visit to submit a request to view the physical material.
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Preferred Citation: When citing the material from this collection, the preferred citation is: From the Special Collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.
