Francis Kernan

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Francis P. Kernan was born in Wayne, Steuben County, New York, 14 January 1816, son of General William Kernan, who came to America from County Cavan, Ireland, in 1800, and of Rose Anna Stubbs, his wife. He graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in 1836, studied law, and moved to Utica, New York in 1839, where he was admitted to the bar in July 1840 in the office of Joshua A. Spencer, and later became his partner. In 1843 he married Hannah A. Devereux, daughter of Nicholas Devereux, of Utica, with whom he had ten children.

Kernan's political services covered a wide range. He was school commissioner of Utica, manager of the New York State Hospital, official reporter of the Court of Appeals from 1854 to 1857 (his "Reports" were published in four volumes), member of NY Assembly from 1860 to 1862, and regent of the State University of New York from 1870 to his death.

He was elected from the Oneida district to U.S. Congress of the United States in 1862 over Roscoe Conkling, the Republican candidate, and served from 1863 till 1865. In 1864 he was a candidate for re-election, but was defeated by Conkling. He was the Democratic candidate for governor in 1872, but was defeated by General John Adams Dix. During this time period, he, along with Roscoe Conkling and Horatio Seymour, served as the heads of NY state politics, known as the "Utica trio".

Kernan was elected U.S. senator from New York in January 1875, the first Catholic senator from the state, and its first Democratic senator in 24 years. He served from 4 March 1875, to 4 March 1881. In July 1876, at the St. Louis convention, Senator Kernan nominated Samuel J. Tilden for the presidency.

He died at Utica, New York, 7 September 1892.

He numbered among his friends Abraham Lincoln, Horatio Seymour, Samuel J. Tilden, Thomas F. Bayard, and Grover Cleveland. Both as a member of the New York Assembly and as a U.S. Congressman, he was a "War Democrat".