Aaron Columbus Burr

Aaron Columbus Burr, born Aaron Burr Colombe,[1] (September 15, 1808 – July 27, 1882), was the son of the 3rd U.S. vice president Aaron Burr.[2] He worked as a goldsmith and silversmith, and was engaged in the diamond and jewellery business in New York City.

Aaron Columbus Burr
Born
Aaron Burr Colombe

(1808-09-15)September 15, 1808
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedJuly 27, 1882(1882-07-27) (aged 73)
New York City, New York, U.S.
OccupationGoldsmith
Spouse(s)Mary Coutant
Parent(s)

Early life

Aaron Columbus Burr was born in New York City on September 15, 1808, purportedly the son of Count Verdi de Lesle. Historians Nathan Schachner and Milton Lomask maintain that Aaron Columbus Burr was Aaron Burr's son by a mistress in New York City and was born during Burr's period of living there.[3][4][5] The boy sailed to New York in 1816 under the guardianship of Aaron Burr, who adopted him.

Career

The younger Burr moved to the United States after living in Florida and was adopted by Aaron Burr. He was a goldsmith and silversmith, and engaged in the diamond and jewellery business in New York City. He retired in about 1862.[6]

In August 1860, Burr received a letter from James Grant of British Honduras (known today as Belize), offering land for sale in the Stann Creek District.[7] During the American Civil War, Burr and Anna Ella Carroll lobbied Abraham Lincoln to fund what they proposed to call "the Lincoln Colony" for freedmen. This colony, to be located in British Honduras, would have been similar to colonies established in the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Africa by Great Britain in Sierra Leone and by the American Colonization Society in Liberia.[8] The colonization plan failed, but Burr and Grant successfully founded the American Honduras Company to harvest and export mahogany as a trade product.[3] This tropical hardwood became widely used in fine furniture.[7]

Personal life

Aaron C. Burr was married to Mary Coutant (1788-1851). From her marriage to John Sneden, she was the mother of Mary Ann Sneden, Susan Emily Sneden, and John G Sneden. Together, Aaron and Mary had:

  • Elizabeth C. Burr
  • Eleanora F. Burr (May 30, 1831- Nov. 16, 1831)
  • Aaron Hippolyte Burr, an artist. (Aug. 7, 1828- Aug. 5, 1898) [9]

Burr died in New York City on July 27, 1882. He was buried at Coutant Cemetery in New Rochelle along with his wife at that time, Adelia M. Burr (Jan. 20, 1815- Dec. 15, 1885).

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References
  1. Isenberg, Nancy. Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr, New York, 2007, pp. 396–397
  2. Kinchen, David M. (December 26, 2006). "BOOK REVIEW: 'Dangerous Nation': A Provocative, Revisionist Look at American History – First of Two Volumes". Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  3. Coryell, Janet L. "The Lincoln Colony: Aaron Columbus Burr's Proposed Colonization of British Honduras", Civil War History 43 (March 1997): 5–16
  4. Nathan Schachner, Aaron Burr: A Biography (New York: A. S. Barnes, 1961), p.513. Quote: Schachner described Aaron Columbus Burr as "the product of a New York adventure," conceived presumably during Aaron Burr's exile from the United States between 1808-14.
  5. Milton Lomask, Aaron Burr: The Conspiracy and Years of Exile, 1805-1836 (New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1982), pp. 387-88
  6. "New York Times July 28, 1882, Page 5" (PDF). The New York Times. July 28, 1882.
  7. "Aaron Columbus Burr Papers". library.yale.edu. Yale University Library. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  8. Coryell, Janet L. (1 March 1997). "The Lincoln Colony": Aaron Columbus Burr's Proposed Colonization of British Honduras. pp. 5–16. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  9. "National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution | Catalog of American Portraits | Portrait Search". npgportraits.si.edu. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
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