John Robert French (May 28, 1819 – October 2, 1890) was an American publisher, editor and Republican politician. He served as a

Congressional Representative A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ad ...

from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, as Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate and as a member of the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

during the 1860s.

Early life and career

French was born in

Gilmanton, New Hampshire Gilmanton is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,945 at the 2020 census. Gilmanton includes the villages of Gilmanton Corners and Gilmanton Ironworks. The town became well known in the 1950s after it was ...

and received an academic education in Gilmanton and

Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the third largest city in New Hampshire behind Manchester and Nashua. The village of ...

. He learned the printer’s trade, and for five years worked as publisher and associate editor of the ''New Hampshire Statesman'' in Concord. In 1847, while at the ''New Hampshire Statesman'', French published a volume of writings by

Nathaniel Peabody Rogers Nathaniel Peabody Rogers (June 3, 1794 – October 16, 1846) was an American attorney turned abolitionist writer, who served, from June 1838 until June 1846, as editor of the New England anti-slavery newspaper '' Herald of Freedom''. He was also ...

titled, ''A Collection from the Newspaper Writings of Nathaniel Peabody Rogers''. He was the publisher and associate editor of '' Herald of Freedom'' in Concord, one of the first anti-slavery newspapers. He worked as editor of the ''Eastern Journal'' in Biddeford, Maine for two years. In 1854, French moved to

Lake County, Ohio Lake County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 232,603. The county seat is Painesville. The county was established on March 6, 1840, from land given by Cuyahoga and Geauga Counties. Its name is der ...

where he worked as editor of the ''Telegraph'', the ''Press'', and, in 1856, the ''Cleveland Morning Leader''.

Political career

In 1858 and 1859, French served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. In 1861, he was appointed by Secretary

Salmon P. Chase Salmon Portland Chase (January 13, 1808May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist who served as the sixth chief justice of the United States. He also served as the 23rd governor of Ohio, represented Ohio in the United States Senate, a ...

to a clerkship in the Treasury Department in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

French was appointed by President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

as a member of the board of direct-tax commissioners for the State of

. He settled in Edenton, North Carolina at the close of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. In 1867, he served as a Delegate to the State constitutional convention. Upon the readmission of the State of North Carolina to representation following the Civil War, French was elected as a Republican to the

Fortieth Congress The 40th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1867, ...

, serving from July 6, 1868 to March 3, 1869. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1868. He was elected Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate on March 22, 1869 and served in that capacity until March 24, 1879. French was appointed secretary and disbursing office of the

Ute Ute or UTE may refer to: * Ute (band), an Australian jazz group * Ute (given name) * ''Ute'' (sponge), a sponge genus * Ute (vehicle), an Australian and New Zealand term for certain utility vehicles * Ute, Iowa, a city in Monona County along ...

Commission in July 1880, whereupon he returned to

In his later years, French moved to

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

, and then to Boise City, Idaho, where he was editor of the ''Boise City Sun'' until his death. He is interred in Boise City Cemetery.

Personal life

French was Nathaniel Peabody Rogers's son in law.

References

External links

Senate website biography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:French, John 1819 births 1890 deaths People from Gilmanton, New Hampshire Politicians from Concord, New Hampshire People from Lake County, Ohio People from Edenton, North Carolina People from Washington, D.C. Politicians from Omaha, Nebraska People from Boise, Idaho American newspaper editors American newspaper publishers (people) Members of the Ohio House of Representatives Sergeants at Arms of the United States Senate Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina 19th-century American journalists American male journalists 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American politicians Journalists from Ohio 19th-century American businesspeople