James Maury (consul)
Encyclopedia
James Maury was one of the first United States diplomats and one of the first American consuls appointed overseas. In 1790 he was appointed to the Consulate of the United States in Liverpool
, one of the first overseas consulates founded by the then fledgling United States of America. Maury held the position of consul for 39 years until he was removed from office by President Andrew Jackson
in 1829.
. He was the son of The Reverend James Maury
(1719–1769), an educator and Anglican cleric in the American colonies, of Huguenot
ancestry. Among The Reverend Maury's notable pupils were Thomas Jefferson
and James Madison, the First Bishop of Virginia.
for an appointment for the son of his former tutor of two years. The petition was successful, and Maury, who was already living and working as a merchant in Liverpool, was appointed consul of the United States at Liverpool in 1790.
The Consulate of the United States in Liverpool
was one of the first overseas consulates founded by the then fledgling United States
. Liverpool was at the time an important centre for Transatlantic commerce and a vital trading partner for the former Thirteen Colonies
.
In 1801 Maury chaired the inaugural meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Liverpool, representing Liverpool merchants trading with the United States. Maury was the first signatory to the society's rules and was its first President.
Maury held the position of consul for 39 years, until 1829, when he was removed from office by President Andrew Jackson
. A Silver platter was presented to him by the merchants of Liverpool after his forty years of service. The inscription reads: "Presented by the merchants and other inhabitants of Liverpool to James Maury, Esq., Late Consul of the United States of America in that Town as a mark of general respect on his removal from an Office which he had honourably held for forty years, 1829."
Maury's Liverpool residence was at number 4 Rodney St
. His portrait, painted by Gilbert Stuart Newton
, still hangs today in the West Reception Room in Liverpool Town Hall
.
James Maury died on 23 February 1840 in New York City
.
Consulate of the United States in Liverpool
The United States Consulate in Liverpool, England was established in 1790, and was the first overseas consulate founded by the then fledgling United States of America. Liverpool was at the time an important center for transatlantic commerce and a vital trading partner for the former Thirteen...
, one of the first overseas consulates founded by the then fledgling United States of America. Maury held the position of consul for 39 years until he was removed from office by President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
in 1829.
Early life
James Maury was born on February 1746 in Albemarle County, VirginiaAlbemarle County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,236 people, 31,876 households, and 21,070 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 33,720 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile...
. He was the son of The Reverend James Maury
James Maury
The Reverend James Maury was a prominent Virginia educator and minister during the American Colonial period.He was the son of Matthew Maury, a French Huguenot, who was born in Castel Mauron, in Gascony, and his wife, Mary Anne Fontaine, daughter of Rev. James Fontaine and Anne Elizabeth...
(1719–1769), an educator and Anglican cleric in the American colonies, of Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
ancestry. Among The Reverend Maury's notable pupils were Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
and James Madison, the First Bishop of Virginia.
Consul at Liverpool
Secretary of State Jefferson petitioned the then United States President George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
for an appointment for the son of his former tutor of two years. The petition was successful, and Maury, who was already living and working as a merchant in Liverpool, was appointed consul of the United States at Liverpool in 1790.
The Consulate of the United States in Liverpool
Consulate of the United States in Liverpool
The United States Consulate in Liverpool, England was established in 1790, and was the first overseas consulate founded by the then fledgling United States of America. Liverpool was at the time an important center for transatlantic commerce and a vital trading partner for the former Thirteen...
was one of the first overseas consulates founded by the then fledgling United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Liverpool was at the time an important centre for Transatlantic commerce and a vital trading partner for the former Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
.
In 1801 Maury chaired the inaugural meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Liverpool, representing Liverpool merchants trading with the United States. Maury was the first signatory to the society's rules and was its first President.
Maury held the position of consul for 39 years, until 1829, when he was removed from office by President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
. A Silver platter was presented to him by the merchants of Liverpool after his forty years of service. The inscription reads: "Presented by the merchants and other inhabitants of Liverpool to James Maury, Esq., Late Consul of the United States of America in that Town as a mark of general respect on his removal from an Office which he had honourably held for forty years, 1829."
Maury's Liverpool residence was at number 4 Rodney St
Rodney Street, Liverpool
Rodney Street in Liverpool, England is noted for the number of doctors and its Georgian architecture. It is sometimes known as the "Harley Street of the North". Together with Hope Street and Gambier Terrace it forms the Rodney Street conservation area...
. His portrait, painted by Gilbert Stuart Newton
Gilbert Stuart Newton
-Life:Newton was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the twelfth child and youngest son of Henry Newton, a customs official, and Ann, his wife, daughter of Gilbert Stuart, snuff manufacturer at Boston, Massachusetts, of Scottish descent, and sister to Gilbert Stuart the portrait painter...
, still hangs today in the West Reception Room in Liverpool Town Hall
Liverpool Town Hall
Liverpool Town Hall stands in High Street at its junction with Dale Street, Castle Street, and Water Street in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, described in the National Heritage List for England as "one of the finest...
.
Personal life
Maury was married twice, firstly to Catherine Armistead, and secondly to Margaret Rushton. He and Rushton had five children: James Sifrein Maury (1797-1864); William Maury (1799-1849); Matthew Maury (1800-1877); Ann Maury (1803-1876); Rutson Maury (1805-1882). Ann Maury conducted considerable research on her family history and published a substantial genealogical chart of the Maury family, which can be still be obtained from The Fontaine Maury Society library.James Maury died on 23 February 1840 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
External links
- article at Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved June 1, 2010
- Maury family webpage Retrieved June 1, 2010
- Maury family tree Retrieved June 1, 2010
- US Embassy, London Retrieved June 1, 2010
- Liverpool Athenaeum Retrieved June 1, 2010
- Virginia Historical Society Retrieved June 1, 2010