George Washington Montgomery facts for kids

George Washington Montgomery, also known as Jorge Montgomery, was an American writer, translator, and diplomat. He was born in Alicante, Spain, in 1804. He passed away in Washington D.C. on June 5, 1841.

Early Life and Education

George Washington Montgomery's father was an Irish businessman named John Montgomery. His father had lived in Boston, USA, before settling in Alicante, Spain. In Alicante, his father worked as a U.S. consul. A consul is an official who helps citizens of their own country who are living or traveling abroad.

George spent his childhood in England. He studied subjects like history, literature, and languages, known as Humanities, in Exeter.

Diplomatic Career

Montgomery began his career working at the U.S. embassy in Madrid, Spain. An embassy is the official office of a country's ambassador in another country. He later became a secretary for Carlos Martinez de Irujo y Tacón. Martinez de Irujo was a Spanish minister to the United States from 1796 to 1807. He was married to an American woman named Sarah Maria Theresa McKean. George Montgomery became good friends with Mrs. McKean.

Through the U.S. minister Alexander Hill Everett, Montgomery met the famous American writer Washington Irving. This meeting happened in Madrid in 1826 at a social gathering, or tertulia, hosted by Mrs. Sarah McKean. George and Washington Irving became lifelong friends.

Montgomery held several important diplomatic jobs. He served as the U.S. consul in San Juan de Puerto Rico from 1835 to 1838. Later, he was the U.S. consul in Tampico, Mexico, from 1840 to 1841.

Writer and Translator

George Washington Montgomery was also a talented writer and translator. He adapted some shorter works by his friend Washington Irving into Spanish. These were published in a collection called Tareas de un solitario. He also completed the first Spanish translation of Irving's book, The Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada.

In 1832, Montgomery published his own novel, El bastardo de Castilla. This book was described as a "historical, chivalrous, original novel." It was about the medieval hero Bernardo del Carpio.

In 1839, another of his works was published in New York. This was Narrative of a journey to Guatemala, in Central America, in 1838. It is an interesting travelogue, which is a book about travels, describing his journey through Central America.

Final Resting Place

George Washington Montgomery is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington D.C.. His tomb is located in the Van Ness Mausoleum.

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