Louis de Geofroy explained

François-Henri-Louis de Geofroy (17 October 1822 – 5 October 1899) was a French diplomat who was the French ambassador to China from 1872 to 1875 and the chargé d'affaires in Japan.

Early life

Geofroy was born on 17 October 1822 in Vaucluse, a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. He was a son of Dominique de Geofroy and Marie Louise Henriette Blaze.[1]

Career

In 1860, Geofroy became the first secretary of the French legation in Washington, D.C.,[2] briefly replacing Henri Mercier when he took leave to visit Niagara Falls at the invitation of U.S. Secretary of State William Seward. In May 1862, Geofroy went to Athens returning to Washington in late 1863 as first-class secretary and chargé d'affaires.[3] After the French minister left, "he handled routine business while waiting for Mercier's replacement to arrive in Washington."[4]

Just "a few days before the outbreak of war between France and Prussia, he was appointed envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to China.[4] He served as the French minister to China from 1872 to 1875.[5] After his service in China, he served in Tokyo as chargé d'affaires in Japan as successor to Ange-Guillaume de St Quentin.[6]

In 1880, Goefroy became chairman of the French and American Claims Commission for Civil War Compensation before retiring in 1883. He was made a Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur.[4]

Personal life

Geofroy was married to Catherine Shedden Riggs (1842–1881),[7] a daughter of American banker George Washington Riggs of the Riggs National Bank. Among Catherine's siblings were sister, Cecilia (the wife of British diplomat Sir Henry Howard) and brother T. Lawrason Riggs, a prominent Catholic priest who was the first Catholic chaplain of Yale University.[8] Together, they were the parents of five sons:[9]

His wife died on February 7, 1881, in Washington D.C.[8] Geofroy died on 5 October 1899 in Cannes, France. He was buried alongside his wife at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington.

Descendants

Through his second son, he was a grandfather of Louis François Léopold de Geofroy,[14] Charles de Geofroy, Henry George de Geofroy,[15] Michel Joseph de Geofroy, and Bertrand de Geofroy.[16]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Annuaire de la noblesse de France et des maisons souveraines de l'Europe . 1873 . Bureau de la publication . 16 December 2021 . fr.
  2. Book: Official Congressional Directory . 1861 . . 16 December 2021 . en.
  3. Book: Holzer . Harold . Vogel . Dawn . Lincoln Revisited: New Insights from the Lincoln Forum . 25 August 2009 . . 978-0-8232-4086-9 . 293 . en.
  4. Book: Sainlaude . Stève . France and the American Civil War: A Diplomatic History . 5 February 2019 . . 978-1-4696-4995-5 . 23–24, 213 . 16 December 2021 . en.
  5. Book: Taveirne . Patrick . Han-Mongol Encounters and Missionary Endeavors: A History of Scheut in Ordos (Hetao) 1874-1911 . 2004 . . 978-90-5867-365-7 . 181 . 16 December 2021 . en.
  6. Book: Sims . Richard . French Policy Towards the Bakufu and Meiji Japan 1854-95 . 1998 . Psychology Press . 978-1-873410-61-5 . 103 . 16 December 2021 . en.
  7. News: Katherine Sheddon de Geofroy . 16 December 2021 . The Breckenridge News . 16 February 1881 . 2.
  8. Book: Warfield . Joshua Dorsey . The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland: A Genealogical and Biographical Review from Wills, Deeds and Church Records . 1905 . Kohn & Pollock . 361 . 16 December 2021 . en.
  9. Book: Riggs . John Beverley . The Riggs Family of Maryland: A Genealogical and Historical Record, Including a Study of the Several Families in England . 1939 . Lord Baltimore Press . 978-0-598-60881-9 . 16 December 2021 . en.
  10. News: TIMES . Special to THE NEW YORK . M. ANTOINE DE GEOFROY; Ex-Member of French Diplomatic Corps Dies in Switzerland . 16 December 2021 . . 22 September 1946.
  11. News: Times . Special to The New York . GEORGE DE GEOFROY . 16 December 2021 . . 27 November 1954.
  12. Book: West . Sue Crabtree . The Maury Family Tree: Descendants of Mary Anne Fontaine (1690-1755) and Matthew Maury (1686-1752) and Others . 1971 . 16 December 2021 . en.
  13. Book: Branches & Twigs: Newsletter of Genealogical Society of Vermont . 1984 . The Society . 23 . 16 December 2021 . en.
  14. News: ISABEL FLANNERY BECOMES ENGAGED; Former Student at Vassar and George Washington U. Will Be Wed to Louis de Geofroy . 16 December 2021 . . 9 October 1944.
  15. News: ART OF FRIEDMAN IN MEMORIAL SHOW; Jewish Museum Displays 40 Paintings by U.S. Realist-- de Geofroy Has Exhibition . 16 December 2021 . . 18 February 1950.
  16. News: Times . Special to The Hew York . MRS. MANACH REMARRIED; Former Gladys L--ory Wed to1 Aristodeme J. Cosmetto . 16 December 2021 . . 8 January 1955.