John Witherspoon Breckinridge
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Harriett Dudley
John Witherspoon Breckinridge | |
|---|---|
| District Attorney of Merced County, California | |
| In office c. 1890–1892 | |
| Member of the California State Assembly | |
| In office 1884–1888 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 22, 1850 |
| Died | May 9, 1892 (aged 41) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Louise Tevis
(m. 1877; div. 1881)Harriett Dudley |
| Parent(s) | John C. Breckinridge Mary Cyrene Burch Breckinridge |
| Relatives | Breckinridge family |
| Alma mater | Washington and Lee University |
| Occupation | Lawyer, politician |
John Witherspoon "Owen" Breckinridge (December 22, 1850 – May 9, 1892) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the California State Assembly.
Breckinridge was born on December 22, 1850, in Lexington, Kentucky, in the prominent Breckinridge family.[1] He was the fourth child of John Cabell Breckinridge (1821–1875), who served as U.S. vice president under James Buchanan, and Mary Cyrene (née Burch) Breckinridge (1826–1907). Among his siblings were Joseph Cabell Breckinridge, Clifton Rodes Breckinridge,[2] Frances Viley (née Breckenridge) Steele, and Mary Desha (née Breckinridge) Maltby.[3] He was named after his great-great-grandfather, John Witherspoon, who signed the Declaration of Independence.[3]
Known as "Owen" in appreciation of the heavy vote his father received in Owen County,[4] he attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.[5]
Career
Around 1877, Breckinridge moved to California eventually settling in Merced in the northern San Joaquin Valley section of the Central Valley.[6] Breckinridge was a member of California State Assembly from 1884 to 1885.[7] He also served as District Attorney of Merced County, California, until his death in 1892. In his obituary, it was said:[7]
"Mr. Breckinridge was one of the most talented men in California gifted with all that goes to make up a brilliant lawyer and gentleman. Although still a young man, he had climbed high in his profession and was known in many cities and towns of California as a lawyer of unquestioned ability and of unquestioned integrity in business matters."[8]
