William Brent Jr. (January 13, 1783 – May 13, 1848) was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat from

Stafford County, Virginia Stafford County is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is a suburb outside of Washington D.C. It is approximately south of D.C. It is part of the Northern Virginia region, and the D.C area. It is one of the fastest growing, and highest ...

who served two terms in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

and as the United States Chargé d'Affaires, Argentina from June 14, 1844, to July 7, 1846.

Early and family life

He was born to the former Dorothy Leigh and her husband,

Robert Brent Robert Brent (1764 – September 7, 1819) was the first mayor of Washington City, the future Washington D.C., federal capital of the United States of America. Brent was born into a prominent Catholic family, members of which emigrated to the ...

, of a distinguished family in

and who became the mayor of

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, ...

His uncle, Col. William Brent (1775-1848), served as in Virginia's Fifth Convention during the American Revolutionary War, as well as several terms in the Virginia House of Delegates representing Stafford County, and later as secretary to President Thomas Jefferson and finally as clerk of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. This William Brent received a private education suitable to his class, graduated from the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III a ...

and married Mary Fenwick.

Virginia planter and politician

Stafford County voters twice elected Brent as one of their (part-time) representatives in the

between 1810 and 1811. In 1820 he owned slaves, and also in 1830.

Diplomacy in Argentina

Brent was named as the United States Chargé d'Affaires for Argentina on June 14, 1844, and presented his credentials on November 15, 1844. Shortly after his arrival in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

, France and England began their five-year blockade of the city. Brent attempted to mediate the conflict, but his efforts were unsuccessful and his own government did not support him.Brent, Chester Horton. ''Descendants of Col. Giles Brent, Capt George Brent and Robert Brent, Gentlemen''. (Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishing Co, 1946)

References

External links

US State Department - Chiefs of Mission for Argentina: William Brent
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brent Jr, Willian 1783 births 1848 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Argentina 19th-century American diplomats Virginia lawyers Members of the Virginia House of Delegates College of William & Mary alumni 19th-century American politicians American slave owners 19th-century American lawyers