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The Political Graveyard: A Database of American History
Brown-Breckinridge family of Lexington, Kentucky

Note: This is just one of 1,164 family groupings listed on The Political Graveyard web site. These families each have three or more politician members, all linked together by blood, marriage or adoption.

This specific family group is a subset of the much larger Four Thousand Related Politicians group. An individual may be listed with more than one subset.

These groupings — even the names of the groupings, and the areas of main activity — are the result of a computer algorithm working with the data I have, not the choices of any historian or genealogist.

  John Brown (1757-1837) — of Frankfort, Franklin County, Ky. Born in Staunton, Va., September 12, 1757. Served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War; lawyer; member of Virginia state senate, 1784-88; Delegate to Continental Congress from Virginia, 1787-88; U.S. Representative from Virginia, 1789-92 (at-large 1789-91, 2nd District 1791-92); U.S. Senator from Kentucky, 1792-1805. Scotch-Irish ancestry. Member, Freemasons. Slaveowner. Died in Lexington, Fayette County, Ky., August 29, 1837 (age 79 years, 351 days). Interment at Frankfort Cemetery, Frankfort, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of Rev. John Brown and Margaret (Preston) Brown; brother of James Brown; married, February 21, 1799, to Margaretta Mason; father of Mason Brown; grandfather of Benjamin Gratz Brown; granduncle of Emily Todd Helm; cousin *** of John Breckinridge, James Breckinridge and Francis Smith Preston.
  Political families: Brown-Breckinridge family of Lexington, Kentucky; Breckinridge-Preston-Cabell-Floyd family of Virginia (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  John Breckinridge (1760-1806) — of Kentucky. Born near Staunton, Augusta County, Va., December 2, 1760. Democrat. Served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War; lawyer; U.S. Attorney for Kentucky, 1793-94; Kentucky state attorney general, 1793-97; member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1798-1801; Speaker of the Kentucky State House of Representatives, 1799-1801; delegate to Kentucky state constitutional convention, 1799; U.S. Senator from Kentucky, 1801-05; U.S. Attorney General, 1805-06; died in office 1806. Presbyterian. Slaveowner. Died, from a stomach infection, in near Lexington, Fayette County, Ky., December 14, 1806 (age 46 years, 12 days). Original interment at a private or family graveyard, Fayette County, Ky.; reinterment at Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of Robert Breckenridge and Letitia 'Lettice' (Preston) Breckenridge; half-brother of Robert Breckinridge; brother of James Breckinridge; married, June 28, 1785, to Mary Hopkins Cabell; father of Letitia Preston Breckinridge (who married Peter Buell Porter and Alfred William Grayson), Joseph Cabell Breckinridge and Robert Jefferson Breckinridge; nephew of William Preston; uncle of James Douglas Breckinridge; grandfather of John Cabell Breckinridge (who married Mary Cyrene Burch), Mary Cabell Breckinridge (who married Peter Augustus Porter (1827-1864)), Robert Jefferson Breckinridge Jr. and William Campbell Preston Breckinridge; great-grandfather of Clifton Rodes Breckinridge, Peter Augustus Porter (1853-1925), Levin Irving Handy, Desha Breckinridge and Henry Skillman Breckinridge; second great-grandfather of John Bayne Breckinridge; cousin *** of John Brown and James Brown; first cousin of Francis Smith Preston and James Patton Preston; first cousin once removed of William Campbell Preston, James McDowell, John Buchanan Floyd, John Smith Preston and George Rogers Clark Floyd.
  Political families: Harrison-Randolph-Marshall-Cabell family of Virginia; Breckinridge-Preston-Cabell-Floyd family of Virginia; Kellogg-Adams-Seymour-Chapin family of Connecticut and New York; Monroe-Grayson-Roosevelt-Breckinridge family of Virginia and Kentucky (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  Breckinridge County, Ky. is named for him.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  James Breckinridge (1763-1833) — of Virginia. Born near Fincastle, Botetourt County, Va., March 7, 1763. Served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War; member of Virginia state house of delegates, 1789-1802, 1806-08, 1819-21, 1823-24; U.S. Representative from Virginia, 1809-17 (4th District 1809-11, 5th District 1811-13, 4th District 1813-15, 5th District 1815-17); general in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812. Slaveowner. Died in Botetourt County, Va., May 13, 1833 (age 70 years, 67 days). Interment a private or family graveyard, Botetourt County, Va.
  Relatives: Half-brother of Robert Breckinridge; brother of John Breckinridge; second great-granduncle of John Bayne Breckinridge; cousin *** of John Brown, Francis Smith Preston and James Brown.
  Political families: Brown-Breckinridge family of Lexington, Kentucky; Breckinridge-Preston-Cabell-Floyd family of Virginia; Walker-Helm-Lincoln-Brown family of Kentucky (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Francis Smith Preston (1765-1836) — also known as Francis Preston — of Virginia. Born in Greenfield, Botetourt County, Va., August 2, 1765. Democrat. Lawyer; member of Virginia state senate, 1788-89, 1816-20; U.S. Representative from Virginia 5th District, 1793-97; member of Virginia state house of delegates, 1812-14; general in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812. Slaveowner. Died in Columbia, Richland County, S.C., May 26, 1836 (age 70 years, 298 days). Interment at Aspenvale Cemetery, Seven Mile Ford, Va.
  Relatives: Son of William Preston (1729-1783) and Susanna (Smith) Preston; brother of James Patton Preston and Letitia Preston (who married John Floyd); married, January 10, 1793, to Sarah Buchanan Campbell (daughter of William Campbell; niece of Patrick Henry); father of William Campbell Preston, John Smith Preston and Margaret Buchanan Frances Preston (who married Wade Hampton III); uncle of James McDowell, William Ballard Preston, John Buchanan Floyd, George Rogers Clark Floyd and William Preston (1816-1887); grandfather of Robert Jefferson Breckinridge Jr. and William Campbell Preston Breckinridge; great-grandfather of Levin Irving Handy, Desha Breckinridge and Henry Skillman Breckinridge; cousin *** of John Brown, James Breckinridge and James Brown; first cousin of John Breckinridge; first cousin once removed of Joseph Cabell Breckinridge; first cousin twice removed of John Cabell Breckinridge and Peter Augustus Porter (1827-1864); first cousin thrice removed of Clifton Rodes Breckinridge and Peter Augustus Porter (1853-1925); second cousin once removed of James Douglas Breckinridge.
  Political families: Breckinridge-Preston-Cabell-Floyd family of Virginia; Kellogg-Adams-Seymour-Chapin family of Connecticut and New York (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Find-A-Grave memorial
  James Brown (1766-1835) — of Kentucky; New Orleans, Orleans Parish, La. Born near Staunton, Augusta County, Va., September 11, 1766. Lawyer; U.S. Attorney for Kentucky, 1791; secretary of state of Kentucky, 1792-96; secretary of Orleans Territory, 1804; U.S. Attorney for Louisiana, 1805-08; U.S. Senator from Louisiana, 1813-17, 1819-23; resigned 1823; U.S. Minister to France, 1823-29. Slaveowner. Died in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., April 7, 1835 (age 68 years, 208 days). Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia, Pa.
  Relatives: Son of Rev. John Brown and Margaret (Preston) Brown; brother of John Brown; married to Ann Hart; cousin *** of John Breckinridge, James Breckinridge and Francis Smith Preston.
  Political families: Brown-Breckinridge family of Lexington, Kentucky; Breckinridge-Preston-Cabell-Floyd family of Virginia; Kellogg-Adams-Seymour-Chapin family of Connecticut and New York (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — U.S. State Dept career summary — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Jesse Bledsoe (1776-1836) — of Kentucky. Born in Culpeper County, Va., April 6, 1776. Democrat. Secretary of state of Kentucky, 1808-12; member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1812; U.S. Senator from Kentucky, 1813-14; member of Kentucky state senate, 1817-20; candidate for Presidential Elector for Kentucky; state court judge in Kentucky, 1822. Disciples of Christ. Slaveowner. Died near Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, Tex., June 25, 1836 (age 60 years, 80 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Father of Judith Ann Bledsoe (who married Mason Brown); uncle of Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor; grandfather of Benjamin Gratz Brown.
  Political families: Brown-Breckinridge family of Lexington, Kentucky; Walker-Helm-Lincoln-Brown family of Kentucky (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor (1793-1874) — also known as Robert E. B. Baylor — Born in Lincoln County, Ky., May 10, 1793. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812; member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1819-20; member of Alabama state house of representatives, 1824; U.S. Representative from Alabama 2nd District, 1829-31; judge of Texas Republic, 1841-45; delegate to Texas state constitutional convention, 1845; district judge in Texas, 1845-60. Baptist. Member, Freemasons. One of the founders, in 1845, of Baylor University, and of Baylor Female College (now the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor). Slaveowner. Died in Gay Hill, Washington County, Tex., January 6, 1874 (age 80 years, 241 days). Original interment at Old Baylor University Campus, Independence, Tex.; reinterment in 1886 at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Campus, Belton, Tex.
  Relatives: Nephew of Jesse Bledsoe.
  Political family: Brown-Breckinridge family of Lexington, Kentucky (subset of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  Baylor University, Waco, Texas, is named for him.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Mason Brown (1799-1867) — of Maysville, Mason County, Ky.; Frankfort, Franklin County, Ky. Born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., November 10, 1799. Democrat. Lawyer; circuit judge in Kentucky, 1839-49; secretary of state of Kentucky, 1855-59; Kentucky state treasurer, 1865-67. Died in Frankfort, Franklin County, Ky., January 27, 1867 (age 67 years, 78 days). Interment at Frankfort Cemetery, Frankfort, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of John Brown and Margaretta (Mason) Brown; married, March 10, 1825, to Judith Ann Bledsoe (daughter of Jesse Bledsoe); married, December 8, 1835, to Mary Yoder; father of Benjamin Gratz Brown; nephew of John Mitchell Mason; first cousin once removed of Emily Todd Helm.
  Political families: Brown-Breckinridge family of Lexington, Kentucky; Breckinridge-Preston-Cabell-Floyd family of Virginia; Walker-Helm-Lincoln-Brown family of Kentucky (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Benjamin Gratz Brown (1826-1885) — also known as B. Gratz Brown; "Boozy Gratz" — of St. Louis, Mo. Born in Lexington, Fayette County, Ky., May 28, 1826. Lawyer; member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1852-58; delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1860; colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War; U.S. Senator from Missouri, 1863-67; Governor of Missouri, 1871-73; Democratic candidate for Vice President of the United States, 1872. Died in Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Mo., December 13, 1885 (age 59 years, 199 days). Interment at Oak Hill Cemetery, Kirkwood, Mo.
  Relatives: Son of Mason Brown and Judith Ann (Bledsoe) Brown; married 1858 to Mary Hanson Gunn; grandson of John Brown and Jesse Bledsoe; second cousin of Emily Todd Helm.
  Political families: Brown-Breckinridge family of Lexington, Kentucky; Walker-Helm-Lincoln-Brown family of Kentucky (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — National Governors Association biography — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Find-A-Grave memorial
Emily T. Helm Emily Todd Helm (1836-1930) — also known as Emily T. Helm; Emilie Pariet Todd — of Elizabethtown, Hardin County, Ky. Born in Lexington, Fayette County, Ky., November 11, 1836. Her husband was offered a position as paymaster of the Union Army, but chose to become a Confederate general, and was killed at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863; she was granted safe passage to come to the White House and stay with President Abraham Lincoln and his family, despite harsh criticism in the Northern press for harboring a Confederate; postmaster at Elizabethtown, Ky., 1883-96. Female. Member, United Daughters of the Confederacy. Died in Lexington, Fayette County, Ky., February 20, 1930 (age 93 years, 101 days). Interment at Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Ky.
  Relatives: Daughter of Robert Smith Todd and Elizabeth (Humphreys) Todd; half-sister of Elizabeth Parker Todd (who married Ninian Wirt Edwards) and Mary Ann Todd (who married Abraham Lincoln); sister of Elodie Breck Todd (who married Nathaniel Henry Rhodes Dawson); married 1856 to Benjamin Hardin Helm (son of John Larue Helm); aunt of Robert Todd Lincoln and Martha Dee Todd; grandniece of John Brown; first cousin once removed of Mason Brown; first cousin twice removed of Arthur Rumney Ringwalt; second cousin of Benjamin Gratz Brown.
  Political families: Lincoln-Lee family; Walker-Helm-Lincoln-Brown family of Kentucky; Edwards-Cook family (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Image source: The Lehrman Institute
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