History of Prattsburg, (Steuben County) New York United States of America

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John Morgan Francis, journalist and diplomat, was born in Prattsburg, N.Y., March 6, 1823; son of Richard and Mary (Stewart) Francis. His father was a midshipman in the British navy, whose admiration for America was so great that he resigned his commission, emigrated from Wales to the United States about 1795 and first settled near Utica, N.Y., and became an American citizen, moving later to Steuben county and locating at Plattsburg. Joseph Stewart, his grandfather on the maternal side, served in the American army from the beginning to the end of the Revolution, and was present at the execution of Major Artdr?, the spy, near West Point, in 1780. John M. Francis was the twelfth of thirteen children, and in 1838, when in his fifteenth year, he entered the office of the Ontario Messenger at Canandaigua, N.Y., where he served until 1843. Later he became assistant editor of the Wayne county Sentinel of Palmyra; of the Rochester Daily Advertiser, and in 1846 of the Troy Northern Budget, a Democratic paper of which he became joint proprietor and sole editor. He supported the candidacy of Taylor and Fillmore in 1848, and in 1849 joined Henry O'Reilly, proprietor of the Advertiser, Rochester, N.Y., in his telegraph enterprises. He was next employed as editorial writer on the Troy Post and on the Daily Whig. He founded the Troy Daily Times, June 25, 1851, and for forty-six years continued as its editor-in-chief and senior proprietor, making it one of the leading Republican journals of the state, with a circulation as large as that of any newspaper in the state outside of New York city. In 1867-68 he was a member of the state constitutional convention. In 1871 President Grant appointed him U.S. minister resident to Greece, and he remained at Athens for three years, when he resigned, Nov. 17, 1873, and made a tour of the world with his wife. In 1881 he was selected by President Garfield for U.S. minister resident to Belgium, but before the name Was presented to congress the President was killed. In 1882 he was appointed by President Arthur, U.S. minister resident to Portugal, and in 1884 was promoted envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Austria-Hungary. He resigned and returned to America in 1885, on the accession of President Cleveland, and resumed his editorial labors on the Troy Daily Times. In 1893 he was one of fifteen prominent citizens nominated by the Republican state convention for delegates-at-large to the constitutional convention provided by law to be held the following year, all of whom were elected, Mr. Francis receiving the largest vote cast for a delegate-at-large. He took a very active part in the proceedings of the convention, which was in session in the capitol at Albany throughout the entire summet of 1894, and he was influential in shaping many of the sections of the revised constitution which was submitted to the people and adopted by a largo vote in the November election of that year. He was chairman of the committee on bill of rights, and the second member of the committees on cities and civil service. The arduous labors of Mr. Francis in the constitutional convention undoubtedly led to the breaking down of his health and the illness which terminated fatally. For many years prior to his death his son, Charles S., had been associated with him in conducting the Troy Times, holding an equal partnership, the firm name being J. M. Francis & Son. During that period Charles S. Francis had the active management of the Times, and became sole editor and proprietor upon his father's death, which occurred at his residence in Troy, N.Y., June 18, 1897.

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

History of Prattsburg, (Steuben County) New York

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