John Barker Church
Encyclopedia
John Barker Church was born in Lowestoft, England
, befriended the cause of the American Revolution
(while making a fortune as a supplier to the Continental and French armies), was Commissary General of the French Army in America, and financially aided the new government. Returning to England after the war, he was elected a Member of Parliament
. The Church family moved back to America for good in 1799, where he became a founding director of the Manhattan Company
and a director of the Bank of North America
. Church married Angelica Schuyler
, a daughter of General Philip Schuyler
whose sister Elizabeth married Alexander Hamilton
. Their son, Philip Schuyler Church served as aide de camp to Hamilton; married Anna Matilda Stewart, daughter of General Walter Stewart
; and was a founder of the Erie Canal
and Erie Railroad
. John and Angelica Church befriended many French upper-class refugees from the French Revolution
, helping them settle in Allegany County, New York
and elsewhere in the United States.
Belvidere
, the Church family estate in rural western New York, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1972 as a prime example of Federal style architecture.
used in the 1804 Burr-Hamilton duel. The weapons had already been used in an 1801 duel, in which Hamilton's son Philip was killed. Following the Burr-Hamilton duel, the pistols were returned to Church, and reposed at his Belvidere
estate until the late 19th century.
Later legend claimed that these pistols were the same ones used in a 1799 duel between Church and Burr, in which neither man was injured. This makes sense according to the accepted rules of the 'code duello', in which the challenged (in this case, Church) had the right to choose the weapons. However, the same rule was apparently ignored in the 1801 duel, where Philip Hamilton was the challenger and also supplied the weapons borrowed from his uncle. Also, Aaron Burr
claimed in his memoir that he, not Church, supplied the pistols for his duel with Church, and that they belonged to him. Hamilton biographer Ron Chernow
accepts Burr's version of the story.
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
, befriended the cause of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
(while making a fortune as a supplier to the Continental and French armies), was Commissary General of the French Army in America, and financially aided the new government. Returning to England after the war, he was elected a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. The Church family moved back to America for good in 1799, where he became a founding director of the Manhattan Company
Bank of the Manhattan Company
The Bank of the Manhattan Company is the earliest of the predecessor institutions that eventually formed the current JPMorgan Chase & Co.-History:...
and a director of the Bank of North America
Bank of North America
The Bank of North America was a private business chartered on December 31, 1781 by the Congress of the Confederation and opened on January 7, 1782, at the prodding of Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris. This was thus the nation's first de facto central bank. It was succeeded in its role as...
. Church married Angelica Schuyler
Angelica Schuyler Church
Angelica Schuyler Church was the eldest daughter of Continental Army General Philip Schuyler, wife of British MP John Barker Church, sister of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton , and a prominent member of the social elite wherever she lived; first in New York, then in Paris, London and New York again...
, a daughter of General Philip Schuyler
Philip Schuyler
Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...
whose sister Elizabeth married Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
. Their son, Philip Schuyler Church served as aide de camp to Hamilton; married Anna Matilda Stewart, daughter of General Walter Stewart
Walter Stewart
Walter Douglas Stewart was an outspoken Canadian writer, editor and journalism educator, a veteran of newspapers and magazines and author of more than twenty books, several of them bestsellers...
; and was a founder of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
and Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
. John and Angelica Church befriended many French upper-class refugees from the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, helping them settle in Allegany County, New York
Allegany County, New York
Allegany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,946. Its name derives from a Delaware Indian word, applied by settlers of Western New York State to a trail that followed the Allegheny River. Its county seat is...
and elsewhere in the United States.
Belvidere
Belvidere (Belmont, New York)
Belvidere, also known as Villa Belvidere is a historic home located in Angelica, near Belmont, Allegany County, New York. It is an outstanding example of Federal architecture built in 1804 from plans attributed to Benjamin Henry Latrobe...
, the Church family estate in rural western New York, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1972 as a prime example of Federal style architecture.
Burr-Hamilton duelling pistols
Church was an experienced duellist, and owned the Wogdon pistolsWogdon & Barton
Wogdon & Barton was an 18th century firm of gunsmiths based in London, England. Robert Wogdon produced flintlock firearms from the 1760s, and was particularly well known for his high quality duelling pistols. The name Wogdon became synonymous with dueling, to the extent that duels in England were...
used in the 1804 Burr-Hamilton duel. The weapons had already been used in an 1801 duel, in which Hamilton's son Philip was killed. Following the Burr-Hamilton duel, the pistols were returned to Church, and reposed at his Belvidere
Belvidere (Belmont, New York)
Belvidere, also known as Villa Belvidere is a historic home located in Angelica, near Belmont, Allegany County, New York. It is an outstanding example of Federal architecture built in 1804 from plans attributed to Benjamin Henry Latrobe...
estate until the late 19th century.
Later legend claimed that these pistols were the same ones used in a 1799 duel between Church and Burr, in which neither man was injured. This makes sense according to the accepted rules of the 'code duello', in which the challenged (in this case, Church) had the right to choose the weapons. However, the same rule was apparently ignored in the 1801 duel, where Philip Hamilton was the challenger and also supplied the weapons borrowed from his uncle. Also, Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
claimed in his memoir that he, not Church, supplied the pistols for his duel with Church, and that they belonged to him. Hamilton biographer Ron Chernow
Ron Chernow
Ronald Chernow is an American biographer. He is the author of Washington: A Life, Alexander Hamilton, The House of Morgan, and Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., among other works...
accepts Burr's version of the story.