History of Summit, (Union County) New Jersey United States of America

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Biographies:

John Kintzing Kane, surgeon, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 18, 1833; son of the Hon. John Kintzing and Jane Duval (Leiper) Kane. He was a student at the University of Pennsylvania in the class of 1853, attending, 1850-52; was graduated at the Jefferson Medical college, M. D., 1855, and was surgeon of the Arctic expedition sent for the relief of his brother, Dr. Elisha Kent Kane, U.S.N., 1856. He settled in the practice of his profession at Wilmington, Del., where he was married to Mabel, daughter of the Hon. James Ashton Bayard. He was acting surgeon, U.S.A., in hospitals at Cairo, Ill., and Chester, Pa., 1861-65; state commissioner to the Continental exposition, 1876; and physician to the Pennsylvania Railroad company at Wilmington, Del. He died at Summit, N.J., March 22, 1886.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

William Burnet Kinney, diplomatist, was born at Speedwell, Morris county, N.J., Sept. 4, 1799; son of Col. Abraham and Hannah (Burnet) Kinney; and a descendant on his mother's side of the Bishop of Salisbury. His father was a Revolutionary officer and a quartermaster-general in the war of 1812. He was educated at the College of New Jersey; studied law under Joseph C. Hornblower, but abandoned law and in 1821 founded the Newark Daily Advertiser, and was its editor almost continually until 1851. He was a delegate to the Whig national convention at Baltimore in 1854, where he was influential in obtaining the nomination of Theodore Freling-huysen for Vice-President on the ticket with Henry Clay. He was appointed U.S. minister to the court of Victor Emanuel, at Turin, Sardinia, by President Taylor in 1851, and took art active interest in the movement for the unification of Italy. His services rendered Great Britain at the same time were acknowledged by a despatch from Lord Palmerston. He inquired into the object of the visit of Kossuth, the Hungarian exile, to America, and finding that it was to enlist the sympathies of the United States in a way that might engender foreign complications, he communicated with Secretary of State Daniel Webster, and notified the commander of the U.S. frigate detached from the Mediterranean squadron (which was under his jurisdiction) to carry the Hungarian liberator to America, of the fact. At the close of his term in 1854 he took up his residence in Florence, Italy, collecting data for a history of the Medici family which he had begun during his official term. He returned to the United States in 1865 and lived in retirement. He received the honorary degree of' A.M. from the College of New Jersey in 1836, and was a trustee of the college, 1840-50, when he resigned. He was an original member of the New Jersey Historical society. He was twice manned?first to Mary Chandler; and secondly, in 1841, to Elizabeth Clementine, daughter of David L. Dodge, of New York city, and widow of Edmund B. Stedman, of Hartford, Conn. His second wife (born in New York city, Dec. 18, 1810, died at Summit, N.J., Nov. 19, 1889) is the author of: Felicita, a Metrical Romance (1855); Poems (1867); Bianca Capello, a tragedy (1875). Mr. Kinney died in New York city, Oct. 21, 1880.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor