James Irvine (August 4, 1735 – April 28, 1819) was a

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, ...

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

of the

Colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

, Revolutionary, and Post-Revolutionary periods. He was an officer of the Continental Army, a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and Vice-President of Pennsylvania (a position comparable to Lieutenant Governor).

Early life

James Irvine was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, Province of Pennsylvania, the son of George Irvine and Mary Rush. George Irvine had immigrated to the

Colonies In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...

from

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Military career

As a young man Irvine worked as a

hatter Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter. Historically, milliners, typically women shopkeepers, produced or imported an inventory of g ...

, but in 1760 he enrolled in Samuel Atlee's provincial Pennsylvania unit and served 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 ...

. He spent most of his time along Pennsylvania's northern frontier. In 1763 he was promoted to captain. The following year, during

Pontiac's Rebellion Pontiac's War (also known as Pontiac's Conspiracy or Pontiac's Rebellion) was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of Native Americans dissatisfied with British rule in the Great Lakes region following the French and Indian War (1754–176 ...

, he served with

Henry Bouquet Henry Bouquet (born Henri Louis Bouquet; 1719 – 2 September 1765) was a Swiss mercenary who rose to prominence in British service during the French and Indian War and Pontiac's War. He is best known for his victory over a Native American ...

's expedition into the Ohio Country. In the fall of 1775 Irvine was commissioned a lieutenant colonel in the 1st Pennsylvania Battalion of the Continental Army. He served in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, and was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

in Pennsylvania's 9th Regiment in late 1776; he was then given command of the 2nd Regiment. Irvine resigned, believing that he should have been promoted to

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

. However, a few months later he was commissioned a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the Pennsylvania militia. After returning to the battlefield Irvine was captured by the British in a skirmish at Chestnut Hill, near Philadelphia, on December 5, 1777. He suffered neck injuries and lost three of the fingers on his left hand in the fight. He was held prisoner by the British for nearly four years, first in New York and then in

Flushing Flushing may refer to: Places * Flushing, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom * Flushing, Queens, New York City ** Flushing Bay, a bay off the north shore of Queens ** Flushing Chinatown (法拉盛華埠), a community in Queens ** Flushin ...

. He was released June 1, 1781. He was active in planning the defense of Philadelphia against suspected British attack. After the war, he held the rank of major general in the Pennsylvania militia from 1782 to 1793.

Political career

Irvine served on the

Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was the collective directorial executive branch of the Pennsylvanian state government between 1777 and 1790. It was headed by a president and a vice president (analogous to a gov ...

, from 1782 to 1785, representing the City of Philadelphia. His party affiliation was Constitutionalist. On November 6, 1784 he defeated John Neville in the election for the Vice-Presidency of Pennsylvania, a position analogous to the modern office of Lieutenant Governor. He resigned the office on October 10, 1785 and was succeeded by Charles Biddle. No reason for his resignation appears in the Minutes of the Executive Council. Irvine served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly during the 1785–1786 term. In 1786 the Constitutionalist party lost much of its support and Irvine's political career suffered. He did, however, serve in the

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

from 1795 to 1799. As Vice-President Irvine served as an ''ex officio'' member of the Board of Trustees of the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

, and continued as an elected

Trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to ...

after leaving office, serving until 1791. He was also an original Trustee of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and was considered to be a firm supporter of education.

Death

James Irvine died in Philadelphia on April 28, 1819, following a long illness.

References

University of Pennsylvania
biography o

accessed April 21, 2007.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Irvine, James American Revolutionary War prisoners of war held by Great Britain Lieutenant Governors of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania state senators Politicians from Philadelphia Pennsylvania militiamen in the American Revolution Continental Army officers from Pennsylvania Militia generals in the American Revolution Dickinson College People of Pennsylvania of Pontiac's War People of Pennsylvania in the French and Indian War American people of Irish descent Milliners 1735 births 1819 deaths People of colonial Pennsylvania Burials at Christ Church, Philadelphia