Churchill Caldom Cambreleng (October 24, 1786 – April 30, 1862) was an American businessman and politician from New York. He is notable for his service in the United States House of Representatives from 1821 to 1839, including terms as chairman of several high-profile committees. In addition, he served as U.S. Minister to Russia from 1840 to 1841.

Life

File:C. C. Cambreleng Historical Marker 1.jpg

C. C. Cambreleng was born in Washington, Beaufort County, North Carolina on October 24, 1786, the son of Stephen Cambreleng and Ann (Patten) Cambreleng.{{sfn|Dictionary of North Carolina Biography}} He attended school in New Bern, North Carolina, and moved to New York City in 1802.{{sfn|Dictionary of North Carolina Biography}}

= Early career =

Intending to begin a career as a businessman, Cambreleng worked as a clerk in a mercantile counting room.{{sfn|Biographical Annals|page=66}} In 1806 he moved to Providence, Rhode Island, where he was the chief clerk for a merchant with interests in the Pacific Northwest.{{sfn|Biographical Annals|page=66}} After the death of his employer, Cambreleng intended to pursue a business opportunity in New Orleans, but was unable to remain there because of ongoing combat during the War of 1812.{{sfn|"Political Portraits: Churchill Caldom Cambreleng"|pages=146-147}}

He then returned to New York City, where he was employed by John Jacob Astor.{{sfn|Biographical Annals|page=66}} Cambreleng traveled throughout Europe and Asia while handling commercial opportunities for himself and Astor, and he eventually became wealthy as a result of his business success.{{sfn|Biographical Annals|page=66}}

= Congress =

Cambreleng was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the 17th, and was re-elected as a Crawford Democratic-Republican to the 18th, as a Jacksonian to the 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th, and as a Democrat to the 25th United States Congress, holding office from December 3, 1821 to March 3, 1839.{{sfn|Dictionary of North Carolina Biography}} He was Chairman of the Commerce Committee (20th to 22nd Congresses), Foreign Affairs Committee (23rd Congress) and Ways and Means Committee (24th and 25th Congresses).{{sfn|Biographical Annals|page=66}}

During the 22nd United States Congress, Cambreleng was critical of Louis McLane's report regarding the Second Bank of the United States, writing "The Treasury report is as bad as it can possibly be—a new version of Alexander Hamilton's reports on a National Bank and manufacturers, and totally unsuited to this age of democracy and reform."{{sfn|Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Freedom|p=340}}

= Later career =

Upon its incorporation in 1831, he became the first President of the Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad.{{sfn|Dictionary of North Carolina Biography}}

President Martin Van Buren appointed him United States Minister to Russia in 1840 and he served until 1841.{{sfn|Biographical Annals|page=66}} He was a delegate from Suffolk County to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1846.{{sfn|Dictionary of North Carolina Biography}}

He attended the 1848 Democratic National Convention in Baltimore as a Barnburner but withdrew with his faction, and participated in the nomination of Van Buren as the candidate of the Free Soil Party.{{sfn|Dictionary of North Carolina Biography}} Later he rejoined the Democrats and supported Franklin Pierce for president in 1852.{{sfn|Dictionary of North Carolina Biography}}

Death and burial

Cambreleng died in West Neck, Suffolk County, New York on April 30, 1862.{{sfn|Biographical Annals|page=66}} He was buried at Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, Section 73, Lot 4150.{{sfn|Where They're Buried|page=234}}

Family

In 1835, Cambreleng married Phebe Glover, the daughter of New York City merchant John J. Glover.{{sfn|10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850|page=40}} They remained married until Cambreleng's death, and had no children.{{sfn|The Old Merchants of New York City|page=116}}

References

Sources

=Books=

{{cite book |last=Barrett |first=Walter |date=1865 |title=The Old Merchants of New York City |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ajoQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA116 |location=New York, NY |publisher=Carleton |ref={{sfnRef|The Old Merchants of New York City}}}}
{{cite book |last=Bowman |first=Fred Q. |date=1986 |title=10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yvEpAQAAMAAJ&q=cambreleng+glover+married+phebe |location=Baltimore, MD |publisher=Genealogical Pub. Co. |isbn=978-0-8063-1149-4 |ref={{sfnRef|10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850}}}}
{{cite book |last=Lanman |first=Charles |date=1876 |title=Biographical Annals of the Civil Government of the United States: During Its First Century |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028770356 |page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924028770356/page/n79 66] |location=Washington, DC |publisher=James Anglim |ref={{sfnRef|Biographical Annals}}}}
{{cite book |last=Remini |first=Robert V. |date=1981 |title=Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Freedom, 1822–1832 |location=New York, NY |publisher=Harper & Row Publishers, Inc. |isbn=978-0-8018-5913-7 |author-link=Robert V. Remini |ref={{sfnRef|Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Freedom}}}}
{{cite book |last=Spencer |first=Thomas E. |date=1998 |title=Where They're Buried |url=https://archive.org/details/wheretheyreburie00spen |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/wheretheyreburie00spen/page/234 234] |location=Baltimore, MD |publisher=Clearfield Company |isbn=978-0-8063-4823-0 |ref={{sfnRef|Where They're Buried}}}}

=Internet=

{{cite web |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/cambreleng-churchill |title=Dictionary of North Carolina Biography: Cambreleng, Churchill Caldom |last=Chesnut |first=Paul I. |date=January 1, 1979 |website=ncpedia.org |publisher=State Library of North Carolina |access-date=June 6, 2018 |ref={{sfnRef|Dictionary of North Carolina Biography}}}}

=Magazines=

{{cite magazine |date=August 1839 |title=Political Portraits: Churchill Caldom Cambreleng |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KxQ0AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA147 |magazine=The U.S. Democratic Review |volume=VI |number=XX |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Langtree and O'Sullivan |ref={{sfnRef|"Political Portraits: Churchill Caldom Cambreleng"}}}}

External links

{{Find a Grave|3860}}
[http://waysandmeans.house.gov/Portraits.asp?FormMode=Home&GalleryID=1&PageID=5&PageView=#top House Ways and Means Committee]
[http://www.ncgenweb.us/beaufort/photosbios/cambrelengchurchill.htm Biography] at NC Gen Web

{{US House succession box |

state=New York |

district=2 |

before=Henry Meigs,
Peter H. Wendover |

after=Jacob Tyson |

years=1821–1823
with John J. Morgan 1821–23}}

{{US House succession box |

state=New York |

district=3 |

before=Jeremiah H. Pierson |

after=Moses H. Grinnell,
Edward Curtis,
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years=1823–1839
with Peter Sharpe 1823–25, John J. Morgan 1823–25 and 1834–35, Jeromus Johnson 1825–29, Gulian C. Verplanck 1825–33, Campbell P. White 1829–35, Dudley Selden 1833–34, Cornelius Van Wyck Lawrence 1833–34, Charles G. Ferris 1834–35, Gideon Lee 1835–37, John McKeon 1835–37, Ely Moore 1835–39, Edward Curtis 1837–39, and Ogden Hoffman 1837–39}}