Family tree Smith/Bais » (Dr.) Edward Despard Gazzam (1803-1878)

Personal data (Dr.) Edward Despard Gazzam 

• He was born on May 4, 1803 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania.
• He died on February 19, 1878 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was 74 years old.
• A child of William Gazzam and Ann Parker

Household of (Dr.) Edward Despard Gazzam

He is married to Elizabeth Antoinette de Beelen.

They got married on March 24, 1835 at Pennsylvania (probably), he was 31 years old.

Child(ren):

1. Audley William (Col.) Gazzam  1836-1884 
2. Emma Louise Gazzam  1837-1887 
3. Joseph Murphy (Hon.) Gazzam  1842-1927 

Notes about (Dr.) Edward Despard Gazzam

Notes




These notes found on-line, at Pennsylvania State University
(http://libraries.pus.edu/do/digitalbookshelf/29893541/29839541.part_11.pdf)
This section titled..."Makers of Philadelphia".

Notes on William Gazzam, and Joseph M. Gazzam,  collected also, can be found
in the note section of their pages  in this genealogy file.

Notes on Edward D. (Dr.) Gazzam are as follows, noted here this day...3/26/07/ln

"William Gazzam's fourth son, Edward D. Gazzam, above mentioned, was an
eminent physician, lawyer, and an important factor in Pennsylvania politics,
assisting with Salmon P. Chase and others in founding the "Free Soil Party" at
the memorable "Buffalo Convention" in 1848, becoming the first candidate for
Governor of Pennsylvania, and, notwithstanding defeat, being again selected as
the candidate for the State Senate in 1855.  Again unsuccessful, he was,
nevertheless, elected to that office in the following year by the Union Republican
Party by a majority of about one thousand.  Dr. Gazzam died in 1872."

Additional Information:




Edward Despard ; born at Pittsburg in 1803 ; died at Philadelphia, February 19, 1878.*
*See biographical sketch ; posted below...

EDWARD DESPARD GAZZAM. The fourth son of William and Ann Gazzam, who was
born at Pittsburg in 1803, was, for a month or two, called Albert Gallatin, in honor of the
great philanthropist, statesman and author of that name. But the boy's father met, it
seems, with a grievous disappointment in one of his favorite great men, and so one day,
after pondering the matter over, he said : —

" Wife, Albert Gallatin is not dead yet ; he may change before he leaves this world.
Suppose we call this boy Edward Despard ?"* So the boy was named for the Irish patriot.

He was given a liberal education. When he became nearly of age he commenced the
study of law under the preceptorship of the Hon. Richard Biddle, whose law partner he
afterward became. He was admitted to the Bar of Allegheny County in 1826. After
practicing for two years he was compelled to abandon this profession on account of ill-
health. Later he commenced the study of medicine, and in due time graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Gazzam was a man of the rarest intellectual attainments, and always took a keen
interest in the development of the Republic, having inherited all his father's great love of
freedom. He thus naturally drifted into Pennsylvania politics, in which he became an
important factor, and a nomination for Congress was conferred upon him early in his
political career. In the contest that followed he was defeated by a single vote. Reared in
the Democratic faith, like many of the same school he was bitterly opposed to the
extension of slavery. On this account he severed his connection with Democracy, and in
1848, together with Sahnon P. Chase (afterward Chief Justice of the United States) and
others, assisted in founding the Free Soil Party in the memorable Buffalo Convention. In
the same year he became the Free Soil candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania, his
opponents being William F. Johnson, Whig (who was elected), and Morris Longstreth,
Democrat.

In 1855 Dr. Gazzam was the Free Soil candidate for State Senator from Pittsburg, He was
defeated in this contest, but the next year he was again put forward, this time as the
candidate of the Union Republican Party. Being elected, by about one thousand majority
over the combined votes of his two opponents, he thus became the first Repub- lican
Senator from Allegheny County. In 1857 he was prominently mentioned as Republican
candidate for Governor, and had a large number of counties instructed for him, but
withdrew from the contest before the Convention met.

Dr. Gazzam was also Postmaster at Pittsburg at one time. When Lafayette visited this
country, in 1824, Dr. Gazzam was selected to make the welcoming speech in behalf of
the people of Western Pennsylvania, at Pittsburg. In the performance of this duty he
acquired considerable distinction on account of his youth and the excellence of his
address.

Upon the breaking out of the Civil War Dr. Gazzam and Dr. McCook, of Pittsburg, were
the first persons who took steps toward preventing Secretary of War Floyd from remov-
ing the guns, ammunition and other property of the United States from the Allegheny
Arsenal. They telegraphed, on behalf of the Committee of Safety, to Washington
regarding the removal, and in response received the following : —

Ordnance Office, Washington, D. C, May 3, 1861.

E. D. Gazzam, Chainnan, Pittsburg, Pa.: Sir : — Your telegram of May 1 to the Secretary
of War about powder now held by the Committee is received and sent to this office. If
any of the powder is needed by the commanding officer of Allegheny Arsenal, and is, in
his judgment, of suitable quality for the United States service, it may be delivered to him.
The Committee must use their discretion about the residue, throwing every proper guard
around the disposition to be made of it.

Respectfully, Your Obedient Servant, James W. Ripley, Lt.-Col. U. S. A,

The powder referred to was seized by the Committee of Safety when about to be shipped
to a point within the jurisdiction of the Southern States, from which the importance of the
step taken can be readily discerned.

On March 24, 1835, Dr. Gazzam married Elizabeth Antoinette deBeelen.* Three children
were born to them : —

Audley William, Emma Louise, and Joseph Murphy.

In 1867 Dr. Gazzam retired from active life and removed to Philadelphia, where he died
January 19, 1878, and was buried in Allegheny Cemetery, where the remains of his wife
also repose. *See deBeelen family.

Additional Information:




Found on Find A Grave.com, and noted gratefully here this day...
9/9/11

/ln


Listed under Edward D. Gazzam, with no dat of birth...just the year he died.  No
photo of the headstone.



Birth:

unknown


Death:

1878




Burial:

Allegheny Cemetery

Pittsburgh

Allegheny County

Pennsylvania, USA

Plot: Section 16, Lot 185, Grave 1




Created by: rkh

Record added: Aug 27, 2011

Find A Grave Memorial# 75597775

Wedding Announcement:




Pittsburgh Gazette, 28 Mar 1835

Married on Saturday the 21st, by the Rev. John O'Reilly, Edward D. Gazzam, M. D., of
Mobile, Alabama, to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Anthony Beelen, Esq., of Pittsburgh.

Linda_Newbroughadded this on 31 Jan 2012

rachelkacprzykharveyoriginally submitted this to Tree by Rachel Kacprzyk Harvey on

28 Jan 2012

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Timeline (Dr.) Edward Despard Gazzam

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