Frederick Fanning Backus (June 15, 1794

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

Litchfield County, Connecticut Litchfield County is a County (United States), county in northwestern Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 185,186. The county was named after Lichfield, in England. Litchfield Count ...

– November 4, 1858 Rochester,

Monroe County, New York Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, located along Lake Ontario's southern shore. As of 2022, the population was 752,035, according to Census Bureau estimates. Its county seat and largest city is Rochester. The county is ...

) was an American physician and politician from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Life

He was the son of Rev.

Azel Backus Azel Backus (October 13, 1765 – December 28, 1816) was an American educator, born in New London County, Connecticut. After having a long preaching career, he was elected as the first President of Hamilton College in New York. He died on Decembe ...

D.D. (1765–1817?), the first President of

Hamilton College Hamilton College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Clinton, Oneida County, New York, Clinton, New York. It was established as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and received its c ...

, and Mellicent (Deming) Backus (1766–1853). He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1813. Then he studied medicine with Dr. Eli Ives in

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

, received a medical degree, and commenced the practice of medicine in Rochester in 1816. In 1818, he married Rebecca A. Fitzhugh (1791–1869), daughter of William Fitzhugh (1761–1839), one of the founders of Rochester, and they had five children. He was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

(8th D.) from 1844 to 1847, sitting in the 67th, 68th, 69th and

70th New York State Legislature The 70th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to December 15, 1847, during the first year of John Young's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provis ...

. He was buried at the

Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester Mount Hope Cemetery is a municipal cemetery in Rochester, New York, United States. Founded in 1838, it is the burial site of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Situated on of land adjacent to the University of Rochester on Mount Hope Aven ...

. His sister Wealtha Ann Backus (1800–1819) was the first wife of Abolitionist

Gerrit Smith Gerrit Smith (March 6, 1797 – December 28, 1874), also spelled Gerritt Smith, was an American social reformer, abolitionist, businessman, public intellectual, and philanthropist. Married to Ann Carroll Fitzhugh, Smith was a candidate for P ...

(1797–1874). Canal Commissioner Henry Fitzhugh (1801–1866) was a brother of Backus's wife Rebecca and of Gerrit Smith's second wife, Ann Carroll Fitzhugh (1805–1879).

Notes

References

''The New York Civil List''
compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 134ff and 138; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
''Documents of the Assembly''
(1860; Vol IV, pg. 176ff, "Biographical Notice of Frederick Fanni Backus M.D.")

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Backus, Frederick F 1794 births 1858 deaths New York (state) Whigs New York (state) state senators People from Bethlehem, Connecticut Politicians from Rochester, New York 19th-century American physicians Burials at Mount Hope Cemetery (Rochester) Physicians from Rochester, New York Yale College alumni 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature