John Freedley (May 22, 1793 – December 8, 1851) was an American politician, lawyer, and businessman who served in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
from 1847 to 1851, representing the
5th congressional district of
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, ...
as a member of the
Whig Party.
Early life and education
John Freedley was born in
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality with home rule status and the county seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 7 ...
on May 22, 1793 to Henry Freedley and Catharine Isett. He attended public schools and
Norristown Academy Norristown Academy was a private preparatory academy established in 1805 in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Many prominent people have been educated there, including Major General Winfield Scott Hancock, Governor David Rittenhouse Porter, James Madison ...
. Freedley studied law.
Freedley served as an assistant to his father, who operated a brickyard.
Career
Freedley was
admitted to the bar in 1820; he commenced practice in Norristown. He also operated a marble
quarry, which he sold in 1844.
Freedley served in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
from 1847 to 1851, representing the
5th congressional district of
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, ...
as a member of the
Whig Party. He served in the
30th United States Congress
The 30th 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. from March 4, 1847, ...
and the
31st United States Congress
The 31st 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. from March 4, 1849, ...
. During his time in office, Freedley served on the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions.
Freedley's time in office began on March 4, 1847 and concluded on March 3, 1851. He was preceded by
Jacob S. Yost and succeeded by
John McNair.
Following his tenure in Congress, Freedley opened a
soapstone quarry along the
Schuylkill River in
Whitemarsh Township, which he operated until his death.
Death
Freedley died at the age of 58 in Norristown on December 8, 1851. He was interred at
Montgomery Cemetery, located in
West Norriton Township.
References
External links
Official pageat the ''
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
The ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress'' (Bioguide) is a biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress and its predecessor, the Continental Congress. Also included are Delegates from ...
''
Profilefrom
GovTrackJohn Freedleyat
The Political Graveyard
The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations of ...
John Freedleyat
Find a Grave
Find a Grave is a website that allows the public to search and add to an online database of cemetery records. It is owned by Ancestry.com. Its stated mission is "to help people from all over the world work together to find, record and present fin ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freedley, John
1793 births
1851 deaths
19th-century American politicians
19th-century American lawyers
19th-century American businesspeople
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania lawyers
Businesspeople from Pennsylvania
People from Norristown, Pennsylvania
Burials in Pennsylvania