Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/373

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GRAHAM


GRAHAM


chat her mother had died and that her father had lost his property. With three young daughters she went to Edinburgh, where she established a successful school. She appropriated one-tenth of her income to charity and founded the " Penny society " for mutual relief among working people, which grew into the Society for the relief of the destitute sick in Edinburgh. In 17S9 she re- moved with her daughters to America and estab- lished in New York city a school for young ladies, which she conducted successfully for thirteen years. Her daughter Joanna was married in 1795 to Divie Bethune, a native of Ross-shire, Scotland, and of Frencli Huguenot ancestry, and their son, George W. Bethune, became a noted clergyman. In 1796 Mrs. Graham founded at her home the Society for the relief of poor widows and children and she was a promoter of the Or- phan society and of the Magdalen society, and in 181-1 founded the Society for the promotion of in- dustry among the poor. She systematically visited the state prison and hospitals and distrib- uted Bibles and tracts, and her work pointed out the need for the Bible and Tract societies after- ward established. Her daughter, Mrs. Bethune, edited her letters and correspondence in 1838, and of the Life and Writiiiffs of Isabella Graham (1817; lasted., 1838), over 50,000 copies were sold See Rev. J. M. Mason's Memoir of Isabella (rraham (1812) . Slie died in New York city, July 37, 1814.

QRAHAM, James, representative, was born in Lincoln county. N.C., January, 1793; son of Gen. Joseph Graham, a patriot of the war of the Revo- lution. He was graduated at the University of North Carolina in 1814 and became a lawyer in Lincoln county. He removed to Rutherford county from where he was a Whig representative in the house of commons of the state, 1822-29, and a representative in the 23d-27th congi-esses, 1833-13, and in the 29th congress, 1845^7. He died in Rutherfordton, N.C., Sept. 25, 1851.

QRAHAM, James Duncan, soldier, was born in Prince Wdliani county. Va.. April 4, 1799: son of William and Mary (Campbell) Graham, and a brother of Col William Montrose Graham, U.S.A. (1798-1847). He was graduated at the U.S. mili- tary academy in 1817 and was assigned to the artillery as brevet 2d lieutenant. He was pro- moted regularly 2d and 1st lieutenant and captain and in 1829 was brevetted major and assigned to the topographical engineer corps, receiving a full commission as major in 1838. He was astrono- mer of the surveying pitrty that fixed the bound- ary line between the United States and the republic of Te.xas in 1839-10, and on the north- east boundary line between the United States and Canada m 1840-43, and between the United States and the British provinces in the northeast, 1843-17. He was brevetted lieutenant-colonel


" for valuable and highly distinguished services particularly on the boundary line between the United States and the provinces of Canada and New Brunswick. " He resurveyed the Mason and Dixon line and in 1851 was U.S. astronomer in the survey of the boundary line between the United States and Mexico. He discovered the lunar tide of the great lakes, 1858-59, and was subsequently engaged in harbor work along the Atlantic coast. He was promoted colonel of the engineer corps, June 1, 1863, and was elected. a member of various scientific societies. He died in Boston, Mass., Dec. 28, 1865.

QRAHAM, James Lorimer, consul, was bora in New York city, in January, 1835; son of James Lorimer Graham. He was educated partly at Amiens, France, and partly at Rio de Janeiro, Bra- zil. From the latter place he took passage for New Y'ork city on the San Francisco which foundered off Cape Hatteras. He escaped from the vs-reck and proceeded to New York, where he was mar- ried in 1856, and resided until 1802, devoting his time to art and literature. He was a member of the Century association and of the American geographical society. He travelled in Europe, 1862-63; lived in New York city, 1863-66, and again went to Europe. In 1869 he was appointed by President Grant U.S. consul-general to Italy, and when the Italian seat of government was transferred from Florence to Rome, he accepted the consulship at Florence rather than remove from that city. He gave considerable attention to numismatics, and was also a discriminating collector of books, autographs and works of art. He dieil in Florence, Italy, April 30, 1876.

QRAHAM, John, diplomatist, was born in Dumfries, Va . in 1774 He was graduated at Columbia in 1790, settled in Leviis county, Ky., where he was a representative in the state legis- lature and was appointed by President Jefferson secretary of the Territory of Orleans. He then served as secretary of the American legation at Madrid and as chief clerk in the state department under Secretary of State James Madison, 1801-09. In 1818 he was appointed by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, on the commission to Buenos Aires to obtain political information, and he wrote an elaborate report which was jirinted by the state department. In 1817 he was api)ointed by President Monroe minister to the court of Port- ugal, then resident in Rio de Janeiro, S.A. He died in Washington, DC, Aug. 6, 1820.

QRAHAM, John Hodges, naval officer, was born in Vermont, Marcli 9, 1794; son of Jolin Andrew Graham, LL D. (1764-1841;, a well- known criminal lawyer and author of " A De- scription of Vermont" (1797); a volume of Speeches (1812); " Memoir of Tooke; and Proofs '^f his Identity with Junius" (1827); grand-