Francis James (April 4, 1799 – January 4, 1886) was an American politician from
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
who was an
Anti-Masonic and
Whig member of the
U.S. House of Representatives for
Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district
Pennsylvania's fourth congressional district, effective January 3, 2019, encompasses the majority of Montgomery County and a small sliver of Berks County in southeastern Pennsylvania. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, the Pennsylvania district ...
from 1839 to 1843.
Biography
Francis James was born in
Thornbury Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. He attended the local public schools and Gauses' Academy. He began reading law in 1823 and gained admittance to the bar of
Chester County, Pennsylvania
Chester County (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially known as Chesco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the Delaware Valley region of the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53 ...
in May 1825. He commenced practice in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He married Sarah H. James of
Westtown Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Westtown Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,827 at the 2010 census.
History
County Bridge No. 148 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Geography
According ...
, on September 7, 1826, and had one daughter, Anna M. James. He was elected to the
Pennsylvania State Senate for the
4th district
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
, serving from 1835 to 1836, and again for the 3rd district, serving from 1837 to 1838.
In October 1838, James was elected as an Anti-Mason to the
26th U.S. Congress and in 1840 reelected as a Whig to the
27th Congress
The 27th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. between March 4, ...
. He served from March 4, 1839 to March 3, 1843. During his second term, Representative James chaired the
House Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business. According to J. Smith Futhey and
Gilbert Cope
Gilbert Cope (August 17, 1840 – December 17, 1928) was an American historian and genealogist who authored numerous publications on the history and prominent families of Chester County, Pennsylvania. His magnum opus was the ''History of Chester ...
(1881), while in Congress James "took a strong anti-slavery position and by speech and vote resisted the encroachments of the slave power."
After departing from Congress, he resumed his legal practice in West Chester and served as the borough's chief burgess in 1850. He died in West Chester on January 4, 1886, and is interred at
Oaklands Cemetery
Oaklands Cemetery is a rural cemetery founded in 1854 in West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is located at 1042 Pottstown Pike and is approximately in size.
Description and history
The Oaklands Cemetery was founded in respo ...
.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Francis
1799 births
1886 deaths
19th-century American lawyers
19th-century American politicians
Anti-Masonic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Burials at Oaklands Cemetery
Pennsylvania lawyers
Pennsylvania state senators
Politicians from Chester County, Pennsylvania
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania