Eligius Fromentin

Eligius Fromentin (* around 1767 in France , †  October 6, 1822 in New Orleans , Louisiana , USA ) was a Roman Catholic priest and US Senator for the state of Louisiana.

biography

Early life

Eligius Fromentin is considered to be the only senator in US history who is neither known in the exact year of birth nor the place of birth. However, it is confirmed that he was born in France and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest after completing his studies. He received his first and only parish in Étampes . Fromentin was probably even born in Étampes. During the French Revolution Fromentin fled France, emigrated to the USA, settled first in Pennsylvania and later in Maryland , where he found employment as a religion teacher at a school. Today we do not know the reason why Fromentin left the Church. Anyway, he began law study and was moved to Louisiana.

Political career

After opening his own law firm in New Orleans, he began his career in politics in 1807 when he was appointed clerk for the House of Representatives in the Orleans Territory . Five years later, in 1812, Fromentin became secretary of the Louisiana Constitutional Convention; after that he worked as secretary of the state senate until 1813 . On March 4, 1813, he succeeded Allan B. Magruder as Senator and represented the state of Louisiana for six years, until March 3, 1819, as a member of the Democratic Republican Party in Congress . In 1821 Fromentin was appointed chief judge at the criminal district court; in May of the same year he should take up the same position in the state of Florida . However, he renounced the appointment and returned to his law firm in New Orleans, where he died a year later, on October 6, 1822.

Web links

• Eligius Fromentin in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)