Francis M. Dimond was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician and the 23rd Governor of Rhode Island.

He was born in Bristol, Rhode Island

Bristol, Rhode Island

Bristol is a town in and the historic county seat of Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,954 at the 2010 census. Bristol, a deepwater seaport, is named after Bristol, England....

 on June 6, 1796. During his youth, he traveled to the Caribbean and served for several years (1832-1835) as the United States consul at Port-au-Prince.

Later, Dimond became a United States Consul to Mexico. The knowledge he acquired there proved invaluable during the war with Mexico. During the war with Mexico, he was called to Washington to provide information that would help in the attack on Vera Cruz. After the battle, the United States Army occupied the area. At the tame, Dimond served as an official interpreter for General Winfield Scott. He also became a collector of the Port of Vera Cruz.

When he returned to Rhode Island, he promoted the Southern Pacific Railway and presided over its construction. He was elected lieutenant governor of Rhode Island in 1853. He became the governor of Rhode Island when Philip Allen resigned to become a Senator. He held the governor's office from July 20, 1853 to May 2, 1854. He was unsuccessful in his re-election bid. He died on April 12, 1859. Dimond was buried in the Juniper Hill Cemetery

Juniper Hill Cemetery

Juniper Hill Cemetery is a historic cemetery at 24 Sherry Avenue in Bristol, Rhode Island.The original were purchased from Levi DeWolf. The cemetery was added in 1998 as site #98000632 to the National Register of Historic Places.-Notable burials:...

Sources

• Sobel, Robert and John Raimo. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978. Greenwood Press, 1988. ISBN 0-313-28093-2