George Ege (March 9, 1748December 14, 1829) was a United States Congressman, elected to the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
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, Mary ...
.
Biography
He was born in
Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region
United States
* Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County
* G ...
in the
Province of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn after receiving a land grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania ("Penn's Woods") refers to Wi ...
, near Philadelphia, to Anna Catherine (Holz) and George-Michael Ege, who had immigrated from
Germany in 1738. George's father participated in the
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the s ...
, subsequently had health problems, and died in 1759, when George was just 11 years old. After his father's death, George and his two brothers, Jacob Ege (b. 1745) and Michael Ege (b. 1753), were sent to live and study with their mother's wealthy brother-in-law, Henry William Stiegel, a noted glass-maker who had mansions in Manheim, PA and at Elizabeth Furnace, PA, as well as several other outside business interests, including an iron operation he called “Charming Forge” in the
Womelsdorf area of
Berks County
Berks County ( Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading.
The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware River ...
, PA. Under "Baron" Stiegel's tutelage, George and his brothers learned about how to run iron operations.
In 1774, George Ege succeeded the Baron as owner of Charming Forge and also built a mansion on the property, adjacent to the stream used by the iron mill; this mansion was also called "Charming Forge," and it is still occupied today. George prospered with the forge, added additional forges and properties, and became one of the wealthiest citizens of Berks County. He owned slaves as well.
In 1783, he was elected to the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts.
It ...
. He was appointed one of the first associate judges of Berks County under the
Pennsylvania Constitution
The Constitution of Pennsylvania is the supreme law within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All acts of the General Assembly, the governor, and each governmental agency are subordinate to it. Since 1776, Pennsylvania's Constitution has undergone ...
in 1790, and served from 1791 until 1818, when he resigned. He resumed his extensive business interests, and was elected as a
Federalist
The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''.
History Europe federation
In Europe, proponents of d ...
to the
Fourth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of
Daniel Hiester. He was reelected to the
Fifth Congress and served from December 8, 1796, until October 1797, when he resigned. He resumed his business interests, and built and operated
Schuylkill County Forge, near
Port Clinton in 1804. He died at his residence, "Charming Forge," in
Marion Township; interment was in Zion's Church Cemetery, Womelsdorf.
[Montgomery, Morton, ''History of Berks County Pennsylvania in the Revolution,'' (1894: Chas Haage, Printer, Reading, PA), pp 225–227]
References
;Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ege, George
1748 births
1829 deaths
Politicians from Philadelphia
People of colonial Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Dutch people
Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pennsylvania state court judges
American slave owners
Burials in Pennsylvania