Beverly Chew

[1] He was a descendant of John Chew, a successful merchant, who arrived in Jamestown in 1622 on the ship Charitie; and was granted 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) of land in Charles River (now York) County, Virginia.

He was an active participant in land speculation in Louisiana and Texas as well as the slave trade,[3] and purported to be a smuggler.

During the War of 1812, Chew served as a volunteer rifleman under Gen. Andrew Jackson in Beale's Rifles during the Gulf Campaign and the Battle of New Orleans.

[4] In late 1816, following the resignation of Peter L. B. Duplessis, Chew was appointed Customs Collector for the Port of New Orleans, a prized position due to its location on the Mississippi River.

Together, they were the parents of six children, three of whom married into the Kennedy family of Louisiana:[8] During the Marquis de Lafayette's 1824 visit to the United States, Chew hosted the eminent French statesman and soldier at his home.