Eligius Fromentin

Eligius Fromentin (1767 – October 6, 1822) was a French priest who became an American politician. He served as secretary of Louisiana's territorial legislature, and at the constitutional convention that led to its admission to the Union. He was a US senator from 1813 to 1819 and a federal judge in West Florida from 1821 to 1822.

Eligius Fromentin
United States Judge for West Florida
In office May 18, 1821 – June 4, 1822
Preceded by	None (position created)
Succeeded by	Henry Marie Brackenridge
Judge of the New Orleans Criminal Court
In office April 1821 – May 1821
Preceded by	William O. Winston
Succeeded by	Fielding Turner
United States Senator from Louisiana
In office March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1819
Preceded by	Allan B. Magruder
Succeeded by	James Brown
Personal details
Born	1767 France
Died	October 6, 1822 (aged 54–55) New Orleans, Louisiana, US
Resting place	Saint Louis Cemetery Number 1, New Orleans, Louisiana, US
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse	Elizabeth Polk
Occupation	Attorney

Early life

Fromentin was born and raised in France, where he completed his education and became a Jesuit Roman Catholic priest.^[1] Fromentin fled the country during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror in the early 1790s and settled in the United States.^[2] Fromentin lived first in Pennsylvania, where he became a naturalized US citizen and later in Maryland, where he was a schoolteacher and priest.^[2][3]

By the early 1800s, Fromentin decided to leave the church and moved to Louisiana, which was being purchased by the United States.^[2] He settled in New Orleans in 1803, studied law, and attained admission to the bar.^[2]

Political career

Fromentin was clerk of the territorial house of representatives from 1807 to 1811.^[2] He was a delegate to the constitutional convention that developed Louisiana's state constitution when it joined the Union in 1812.^[2] From 1812 to 1813, he was secretary of the Louisiana State Senate.^[2] In 1813, he was elected to the United States Senate and he served one term, March 4, 1813, to March 3, 1919.^[1] Fromentin was likely the first former priest to serve in Congress. In 1814, he was elected to the American Antiquarian Society.^[4]

Burial record for Eligius Fromentin. Despite the spelling of the first name, the date of burial makes it clear this record is for Eligius Fromentin.

After leaving the senate, Fromentin returned to Louisiana, where he practiced law and was appointed a judge of the New Orleans criminal court in 1821.^[1] He soon left this position to become a federal judge for West Florida after being appointed by James Monroe.^[5]

As a judge, Fromentin engaged in a prolonged feud conflict with Andrew Jackson, the Territorial Governor, with Jackson arresting José María Callava, the former Spanish Governor, whom he accused of attempting to flee to Cuba with Spanish documents related to West Florida.^[6] Fromentin issued a habeas corpus writ for Callava, which Jackson refused to honor.^[7]

After resigning his judgeship in June 1822, Fromentin returned to New Orleans to practice law.^[1] He became ill during a Yellow Fever epidemic later that year, and he died in New Orleans on October 6, 1822.^[1] He was married to Elizabeth Polk of Maryland, with whom he had no children.^[8] She died of Yellow Fever the day before Fromentin.^[9] The Fromentins were buried at Saint Louis Cemetery Number 1 in New Orleans.^[10]

Support for slavery

Fromentin was a supporter of slavery.^[11][12] In addition to owning slaves himself,^[13] his political activity included arguing against an effort to annex Louisiana Territory to Indiana Territory on the grounds that slavery was banned in Indiana, and so might become banned in Louisiana.^[14]

See also

• List of United States senators born outside the United States

References

1. Fortier, Alcee, ed. (1914). Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged In Cyclopedic Form. Vol. I. New Orleans, LA: century Historical Association. p. 457 – via Google Books.
2. Joint Committee On Printing, United States Congress (1961). Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1961. Washington, DC: US Government Publishing Agency. p. 917 – via Google Books.
3. "Pennsylvania Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1945, Entry for Eligius Fromentin". Ancestry.com. Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com, LLC. July 3, 1798. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
4. American Antiquarian Society Members Directory
5. DeBolt, Dean. "How Andrew Jackson set up a 'good government' for Pensacola and Florida". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
6. Sumner, William Graham (1887). Andrew Jackson as a Public Man. Boston, MA: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. pp. 70–72 – via Google Books.
7. Crider, Jonathan B (May 2017). Printing Politics: The Emergence Of Political Parties In Florida, 1821-1861 (PDF). pp. 26–28. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
8. Garrett, W. R., ed. (July 1898). "Pedigree of the Pollok Or Polk Family". The American Historical Magazine. Nashville, TN: Peabody Normal College. pp. 231–232 – via Google Books.
9. Dann, John C., ed. (Spring–Summer 1987). "By de villainy we live". The American Magazine and Historical Chronicle. Ann Arbor, MI: Clements Library Association, University of Michigan. pp. 54–55 – via Google Books.
10. "Burial record, Eligius Fromentin". NOLA Catholic Cemeteries.org. New Orleans, LA: New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
11. Aslakson, Kenneth (2017). Immigrant Lawyers and Slavery in Territorial New Orleans. pp. 39, 62–63. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
12. McDermott, John Francis (Winter 1956). Nine Unpublished Letters of Henry Marie Brackenridge. p. 274. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
13. Weil, Julie Zauzmer; Blanco, Adrián; Dominguez, Leo (January 10, 2022). "More than 1,800 congressmen once enslaved Black people. This is who they were, and how they shaped the nation". The Washington Post. Washington, DC.
14. Reda, John (2016). From Furs to Farms: The Transformation of the Mississippi Valley, 1762–1825. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University Press. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-6090-9193-4 – via Google Books.

External links

• United States Congress. "Eligius Fromentin (id: F000389)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

U.S. Senate
Preceded by Allan B. Magruder	U.S. senator (Class 3) from Louisiana 1813–1819 Served alongside: James Brown, William C.C. Claiborne, Henry Johnson	Succeeded by James Brown