Francis Julius LeMoyne
F. Julius LeMoyne, M.D.
BornSeptember 4, 1798
DiedOctober 14, 1879 (1879-10-15) (aged 81)
Washington, Pennsylvania, United States
Resting placeLeMoyne Crematory[1]
EducationWashington College
M.D. University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine matriculant and Jefferson Medical College graduate
Occupation(s)Medical Doctor, Philanthropist
TitleDr.
SpouseMadeleine Romaine Bureau
ParentJohn Julius LeMoyne (father)

Francis Julius LeMoyne (September 4, 1798 – October 14, 1879) was a 19th-century American medical doctor and philanthropist from Washington, Pennsylvania. Responsible for creating the first crematory in the United States, he was also an abolitionist, founder of Washington's first public library (known as Citizen's Library), co-founder of the Washington Female Seminary, and an instrumental benefactor to the LeMoyne Normal and Commercial School (now LeMoyne-Owen College), to which he made a $20,000 (~$425,287 in 2023) donation in 1870.[2]

Early life

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LeMoyne was the son of Nancy McCuly and John Julius LeMoyne.

He graduated from Washington College (now Washington & Jefferson College) in 1815[3] and Jefferson Medical College in 1826 but first matriculated in 1821 as member of University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine's Class of 1825.[4]

He became a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society, gave public lectures beside his home and travelled to U.S. slave states to lecture also, and in 1841, 1844, and 1847 ran as a candidate with the Abolition party for the Governor of Pennsylvania.[5] He may have been the Vice Presidential candidate on the Liberty Party ticket of 1840, under James G. Birney; the ticket garnered 4,000 votes nationwide.[6]

Death

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On October 14, 1879 Julius LeMoyne died of Heart Attack at Washington, Pennsylvania, United States at the age 81. His body was cremated at LeMoyne Crematory.

Crematory

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Deducing that decomposing bodies in local cemeteries were contaminating the water supplies and making the citizens sick,[7] Dr. Lemoyne set out to build the first crematory in the United States. The crematory was finished in 1876 on his own land, perched atop a location known locally as Gallow's Hill. The first cremation took place on December 6, 1876. In 1901, after 41 more cremations were performed (with Dr. LeMoyne being the third), the crematory was closed.

Today, the structure can be found in the same location off of South Main Street.

Lemoyne House

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LeMoyne House in Washington, Pennsylvania

The LeMoyne house, built by father John Julius LeMoyne in 1812, was a stop on the Underground Railroad. It was Pennsylvania's first of six National Historic Landmarks of the Underground Railroad to be registered.[8] It still stands today at 49 East Maiden Street, near the campus of Washington & Jefferson College, where it has been converted into a museum. The house also serves as the center of the Washington County Historical Society.[9]

Marriage and Descendants

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LeMoyne married Madeleine Romaine Bureau. Their descendants include:[10]

In episode 2 of season 8 of the genealogy television show Who_Do_You_Think_You_Are, a short biography is presented, and actress Julie Bowen is shown to be a direct descendant.

References

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  1. ^ "LeMoyne Crematory - PHMC Historical Markers". Historical Marker Database. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  2. ^ "History.gif". Archived from the original on 2007-08-26. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  3. ^ "Washington College 1806–1865". U. Grant Miller Library Digital Archives. Washington & Jefferson College. Archived from the original on 2009-07-16. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  4. ^ see archives https://archives.upenn.edu/search/ for Lemoyne to see record on page 10 "University of Pennsylvania Medical Department Matriculants, 1806-1852 SURNAMES BEGINNING WITH L"
  5. ^ "A Biography of Dr. Francis Julius LeMoyne".
  6. ^ "Slavery Days". The Daily Republican. 1893-09-22. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  7. ^ wchspa.org Archived 2009-07-10 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ National Park Service web site
  9. ^ "wchspa.org". Archived from the original on 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  10. ^ Francis J Lemoyne Family in the 1850 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Washington, Washington, Pennsylvania; Roll: M432_834; Page: 356A; Image: 230. Ancestry.com paid subscription site. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009; accessed April 2018.
  11. ^ [1] Census Place: Lake View, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 201; Page: 217A; Enumeration District: 216. 1880 United States Federal Census. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010; accessed April 2018.
  12. ^ [2] Census Place: Baltimore, Maryland; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0668. 1930 United States Federal Census. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002; accessed April 2018.
  13. ^ [3] U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015; accessed April 2018.
  14. ^ [4] Census Place: Montgomery, Maryland; Roll: m-t0627-01554; Page: 53B; Enumeration District: 16-22A. 1940 United States Federal Census. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012; accessed April 2018.
  15. ^ [5] Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Naval and Reserve, U.S., Select Military Registers, 1862-1985. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013; accessed April 2018.
  16. ^ [6] Julie Murray Forrest, Athlete at Girton School, U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1990. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010; accessed April 2018.
  17. ^ [7] Census Place: Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland; Roll: m-t0627-01540; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 4-826. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012; accessed April 2018.
  18. ^ [8] Virginia, Marriage Records, 1936-2014. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015; accessed April 2018.
  19. ^ "George D forrest obit". Chicago Tribune. 1936-01-11. p. 20. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  20. ^ [9] A Dictionary of North American Authors Deceased before 1950. Compiled by W. Stewart Wallace. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1951. (DcNAA) Who Was Who in America. A component volume of Who's Who in American History. Volume 1, 1897-1942. Chicago: A.N. Marquis Co., 1943. (WhAm 1); accessed April 2018.
  21. ^ [10] Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Pennsylvania, USA; Certificate Number: 66950. Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014; accessed April 2018.
  22. ^ [11] Census Place: New Trier, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T624_239; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 1582; FHL microfilm: 1374252. 1910 United States Federal Census. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006; accessed April 2018.
  23. ^ [12] Census Place: Election District 9, Baltimore City (Independent City), Maryland; Page: 23; Enumeration District: 0041. 1900 United States Federal Census. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004; accessed April 2018.
  24. ^ [13] Census Place: Baltimore, Maryland; Roll: m-t0627-01504; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 3-43. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012; accessed April 2018.
  25. ^ Ancestry of Julie Bowen Luetkemeyer. Ancestry.com http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/celeb/bowen.htm Archived 2011-08-10 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  26. ^ [14] Source number: 492.000; Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004; accessed April 2018.
  27. ^ [15] Ancestry.com. West Virginia, Marriages Index, 1785-1971. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011; accessed April 2018.
  28. ^ [16] Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Pennsylvania, USA; Certificate Number: 34241. Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014; accessed April 2018.
  29. ^ [17] Census Place: Upper St Clair, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: m-t0627-03419; Page: 44A; Enumeration District: 2-568. 1940 United States Federal Census. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012; accessed April 2018.
  30. ^ [18] Annie Le Moyne Harding Hood in the Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966; Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Pennsylvania, USA; Certificate Number: 119794. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014; accessed April 2018.
  31. ^ [19] Robert Wade Poindexter in the California, Death Index, 1940-1997. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000; accessed April 2018.
  32. ^ [20] Census Place: Long Beach, Los Angeles, California; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 1150. 1930 United States Federal Census. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002; accessed April 2018.
  33. ^ [21] Romaine LeMoyne Poindexter in the California, Death Index, 1940-1997. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000; accessed April 2018.
  34. ^ Julius Le Moyne in the Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Pennsylvania, USA; Certificate Number: 39905; accessed April 2018 via ancestry.com paid subscription site.
  35. ^ [22] Film Number: 001851830; Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1968. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Accessed April 2018.
  36. ^ [23] Year: 1930; Census Place: Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Page: 19B; Enumeration District: 0221; accessed April 2018.
  37. ^ [24] Certificate Number: 10327; Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Accessed online April 2018.
  38. ^ [25] Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1968. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016; accessed April 2018.
  39. ^ [26] Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Pennsylvania, USA; Certificate Number: 90100. Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014; accessed April 2018.
  40. ^ [27] John Julius Baird in the Pennsylvania, Birth Certificates, 1906-1910. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Box Number: 90. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Accessed April 2018.
  41. ^ [28] Census Place: Ben Avon, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: m-t0627-03397; Page: 18B; Enumeration District: 2-27. 1940 United States Federal Census. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012; accessed April 2018.
  42. ^ Her mother's 1900 U.S. Federal Census listing indicates only four of six children were still alive.
  43. ^ [29] Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1968. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016; accessed April 2018.
  44. ^ [30] Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Pennsylvania, USA; Certificate Number: 124289; accessed April 2018 via Ancestry.com paid subscription site. Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014; accessed April 2018.
  45. ^ [31] Lucretia Lewis LeMoyne in the Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966; Certificate Number: 68185; accessed April 2018 via Ancestry.com paid subscription site. Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
  46. ^ [32] Madeleine LeMoyne in the California, County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1830-1980. California Department of Public Health, accessed April 2018 via ancestry.com paid subscription site.