Charles Irénée du Pont (March 29, 1797 – January 31, 1869) was an American

manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a ran ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

, and an early member of the prominent

du Pont family The du Pont family () or Du Pont family is a prominent American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739–1817). It has been one of the richest families in the United States since the mid-19th century, when it founded its fo ...

business. He was a nephew of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, the founder of the

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...

, and a member of the Delaware Senate.

Early life

Du Pont was born March 29, 1797, in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

, the eldest son of French immigrants Victor Marie du Pont de Nemours (born 1767 in Paris) and Gabrielle Joséphine de la Fite de Pelleport (born 1770 in

Stenay Stenay () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Stenaisiens''. History In 679, the assassinated king Dagobert II was buried in the church of Saint-Remi in Stenay. In 872, King ...

). He lived with his parents in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

until they established themselves in the wool-manufacturing business across from the Brandywine Creek from the

Eleutherian Mills From 1802 to 1921, Eleutherian Mills was a gunpowder mill site used for the manufacture of explosives founded by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, which grew into the DuPont company. The name also refers to the house on the hill above the mills, whi ...

near Greenville, Delaware. He was educated at Mount Airy College in

Germantown, Philadelphia Germantown (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Deitscheschteddel'') is an area in Northwest Philadelphia. Founded by German, Quaker, and Mennonite families in 1683 as an independent borough, it was absorbed into Philadelphia in 1854. The area, which is about ...

, from 1809 to 1813, when he left school to work with his father in Delaware.

Professional career

In 1815, the textile manufacturing company of Du Pont, Bauduy & Co. ended acrimoniously. :fr:Pierre de Bauduy de Bellevue, a Frenchman who had invested in the business in 1803, eventually sued the du Ponts over various disagreements. (The lawsuit was decided in the du Pont's favor in 1924.) After de Bauduy's departure, Charles and his father formed the partnership of Victor & Charles I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. After Victor's death in 1827, the firm continued to operate as Charles I. du Pont & Co., with the U.S. Army as a major client for its cloth. Charlies retired in 1856, at which point E.I. duPont de Nemours & Co. purchased his company.

Civic and political career

In addition to his business interest, du Pont was very active in civic and political affairs. Du Pont was a member of the Whig Party, who served in the State Senate from

New Castle County New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...

for four terms in the Delaware General Assembly from 1841-1847. He was elected a director of the

Farmers' Bank of Delaware Farmers' Bank of Delaware was the second bank chartered by Delaware. It operated from 1807 until 1981, when it was on the verge of bank failure and was acquired by Girard Bank. At that time, the bank had 28 branches. For most of its existence, the ...

in 1830, and served as president of the bank from 1865-1868. In 1853, he was made director of the Delaware Railroad Company, and was also a director of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad Company and the Columbia Insurance Co. of Philadelphia. He was also of the Brandywine Manufacturers' Sunday School and vice president of the Delaware Improvement Association.

Family

In 1824, du Pont married Dorcas Montgomery Van Dyke (born 1806), daughter of U.S. Senator and Representative Nicholas Van Dyke III and granddaughter of Delaware Governor Nicholas Van Dyke Jr. Their wedding was attended by the Marquis de Lafayette. They had three children: Victor, Mary Van Dyke and Charles Jr. After Dorcas' death in 1838, he married Ann Ridgely (born 1815). Like his first wife, Ridgely was the daughter of a U.S. Senator and Representative from Delaware,

Henry M. Ridgely Henry Moore Ridgely (August 6, 1779 – August 6, 1847) was an American lawyer and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Federalist Party, and later the Democratic Party, who served as U.S. Representativ ...

. They had two children: Amélia Elizabeth (who married her cousin

Eugene du Pont Eugène du Pont (November 16, 1840 – January 28, 1902) was an American businessman who served as the first head of the modern-day DuPont corporation. Life and education Du Pont was born on November 16, 1840 at Hagley House in New Castle C ...

) and Henry Ridgely. Du Pont died January 31, 1869, at

Louviers Louviers () is a Communes of France, commune in the Eure Departments of France, department in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy in north-western France. Louviers is from Paris and from Rouen. Population History Prehistory In the ...

, his family estate, and is buried at the Du Pont de Nemours Cemetery at

Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria), La ...

, near Greenville.

References

External links

*
University of Delaware Library
* Delaware Historical Societybr>website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Du Pont, Charles I. 1797 births 1869 deaths Delaware state senators Charles I. du Pont Businesspeople from Charleston, South Carolina People from Greenville, Delaware American Civil War industrialists American people of French descent Charles I. du Pont Delaware Whigs 19th-century American politicians Politicians from Charleston, South Carolina Ridgely family