Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/220

 DE KAY

DE KOVEN

America. In lS-7 he eutereel the naval service of the Argentine Kepublic and served as a com- mander of the brig General Bruudtzen in the war with Brazil. He won by his distinguished service promotion to the ranks of captain and commo- dore, lie was a friend of Bolivar the liberator. After the conclusion of the war he took Mr. Eckford to Constantinople in a frigate which the latter had built for the Sultan, and remained thei\3 until the deiith of Eckford in 1832. In l'^-3.J he was married to Janet, daughter of Joseph Ilo Inian Drake, and made his home in New York city, removing later to Wasliington, D.C. Daring the famine of 1847 in Ireland, Commodore de Kay petitioned congress to send to that country a United States vessel laden with food. His request was granted and he was placed in command of the frigate ^lacedoaia used for that purpose. See Fitz-Greene Halleck's "Life of Commodore George C. de Kay " (1847). Of his sons, Joseph Rodman Drake de Kay (1836-1886) was brevetted lieutenant-colonel for bravery dur- ing the civil war; George Coleman de Kay, born in 1842, served as a lieutenant of artillery- and was killed in the service, July 27, 1862, and Sid- ney de Kay served in the infantry. While a commodore on furlougli in the navy of the Ar- gentine Republic, George Coleman de Kay died in Wasliington, D.C, Jan. 31, 1849.

DE KAY, James Ellsworth, naturalist, was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1792; son of Capt. George and Katherine (Coleman) de Kay. who resided in Portugal, 177.5-179.5. He lost both par- ents while a boy. and after acquiring a good edu- cation in the United States lie was graduated in medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Scot- land. He returned to the United States and practised his profession in New Y^ork city, where he married a daughter of Henry Eckford, the naval architect. In 1831 he went to Constanti- nople with his father-in-law, who was at that time establishing a navy yard there. In New York during the cholera j'ear (1832) he volun- teered as physician. He afterward made Ids home at Oyster Bay, Long Island, N.Y'., where he devoted himself to natural history. He helped to found the Lj-ceum of natural historj-, which subsequently became the National acad- emy of sciences. In 1836 he was placed in charge of the botanical and zoological departments of the New York state geological survey, and to liim are due the five volumes on zoology published by the state. He wrote: Travehin Turkey (1833). He died in Oyster Bay, L.L, N.Y., Nov. 21, 18-51.

DE KAY, Sidney, soldier, was born in New Y'ork city, March 7, 1845; son of Com. George Cole- man and Janet (Drake) de Kay; and grandson of George de Kay and of Joseph Rodman Drake. He entered the Sheffield scientific school at

Yale, but though below the legal age for en- tering the army, he ran awa}- from college in 1861 and enlisted in the 71st N.Y. volunteers. He served as aide on the statf s of Gen. B. F. But- ler and Gen. Charles Devens. He received the brevet of captain for gallantry at Fort Fisher and afterward the brevet of major for bravery shown during the war. He was later military secretary on the staff of Gov. John A. Dix. After the civil war he took part in the Cretan war, taking sides with the Greeks against the Turks, and was severely wounded. Returning to New York he t<x)k a partial course in law at Columbia college and was employed as assistant in the U.S. district attornej-'s office. He prac- tised law in New York city until his death. He was married to Minna, daughter of Alfred W. Craven, C.E. He died in New Brighton, Staten Island. N.Y., Aug. 31, isyO.

DE KOVEN, Henry, clergyman, was born in Middletown. Conn., Jan. 24, 1819; son of Henry Louis and Margaret (Lebor) de Koven; grandson of John de Koven of Connecticut and a descend- ant of Captain de Koven of the English army who came to America in the 18th century and was married to the granddaughter of Gov. John "Winthrop of Connecticut. He studied at "\Ves- leyan university but left college dming his senior year, 183.5. He travelled extensively in Europe and then continued his studies at Wesleyan university a part of the year 1839-40. He was instructor in modern languages in Wesleyan xmiversity, 1842—43. He then studied theology under the Rev. Dr. Samuel F. Jarvis of the Protestant Episcopal church, and was ordained a deacon in 1843, serving as rector of St. Stephen's churcli, East Haddam, Conn. He was elevated to the priesthood in 1844, was assistant rector of Christ church. New York city, 184.5-48, rector of St. Paul's church, Red Hook, N.Y'., and subse- quently of Christ church in the lower village with a mission at Claremont. He traA'clled in Europe, 1856—58, and 1874-81. and was professor of liomiletics in Berkeley' divinity school. Middle- town, Conn., 1862-68, also serving as rector of Christ cliurch, Middle Haddam, Conn. He was married in 18.52 to Charlotte Le Roy of New York city, and their son, Henry Le Roy, was graduated at Oxford university in 1879. Henry de Koven received the degree of A.M. from Wes- leyan in 1842 and that of D.D. from Trinity college in 1863 and from the University at Lenox- ville. Canada, in 1S7I.

DE KOVEN, James, educator, was born in Middletown, Conn., Sept. 19, 1831; .son of Henry Louis and Margaret (Lebor) de Koven. He was- graduated from Columbia college in 18.51, and from the General theological seminary in 18.54. After his ordination he became rector of an