Crowninshield, Edward Augustus (1817 -1859)

The American family of Crowninshield has been prominent in seafaring, political and military leadership, and the literary world. The founder of the American family emigrated from Kronenschieldt, a village near Leipzig in Germany in the late seventeenthth century, adopting the village's name as the family’s surname. Although the family's roots are Danish and German, most of the more recent lines of the Crowninshield family in Massachusetts are primarily of English stock. Edward Augustus Crowninshield was the son of Benjamin Williams Crowninshield (1772-1851), and Mary Boardman (d. 1840). He was a member of the Boston Atheneum, and was Chairman of the Committee of Fine Art. On his death there were two auctions, one in Boston, the other in London. Catalogue of the valuable private library of the late Edward A. Crowninshield, embracing in the collection a large number of valuable and rare books ... rare works on the early history of America : early voyages and travels ... to be sold by auction ... November 1, 1859, and three following days ... Boston, 1859. Secondly, Catalogue of a collection of singularly interesting, fine and rare books, in which is included the greater portion of the very important library of the late Edward A. Crowninshield, Esq., consigned from Boston, U.S. ... Also, the collection of autographs ... which will be sold by auction ... on Thursday, July 12th, 1860, and 8 following days, etc. by Puttick and Simpson. London, 1860.