John Galbraith (August 2, 1794 – June 15, 1860) was a three term Jacksonian and Democratic member of the

U.S. 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

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, ...

Early life and career

John Galbraith was born in

Huntingdon, Pennsylvania Huntingdon is a borough in (and the county seat of) Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located along the Juniata River, approximately east of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Altoona and west of Harris ...

. He moved with his parents in 1796 to Allegheny Township, in

Huntingdon County Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by John, King of England, King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cr ...

, and subsequently, in 1802, to Centre Township, in Butler County. He attended the common schools and served an apprenticeship at the printer's trade. He taught school, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1817 and commenced practice in

Butler, Pennsylvania Butler is a city and the county seat of Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located north of Pittsburgh and is part of the Greater Pittsburgh region. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 13,502. History Butler was na ...

. He moved to

Franklin, Pennsylvania Franklin is a city and the county seat of Venango County, Pennsylvania. The population was 6,097 in the 2020 census. Franklin is part of the Oil City, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. Franklin is known for its three-day autumn festival in O ...

, in 1822 and continued the practice of his profession.

Political career

He was a member of 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 ...

from 1829 to 1832. Galbraith was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Congresses. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in

1836 Events January–March * January 1 – Queen Maria II of Portugal marries Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. * January 5 – Davy Crockett arrives in Texas. * January 12 ** , with Charles Darwin on board, r ...

. He moved to

Erie, Pennsylvania Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...

, in 1837, and resumed the practice of law. He was again elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-sixth Congress. He was not a candidate for renomination in

1840 Events January–March * January 3 – One of the predecessor papers of the ''Herald Sun'' of Melbourne, Australia, ''The Port Phillip Herald'', is founded. * January 10 – Uniform Penny Post is introduced in the United Kingdom. * Janua ...

Later career and death

He again engaged in the practice of law, and was elected president judge of the sixth judicial district in 1851 and served until his death in Erie in 1860. He is buried in

Erie Cemetery Erie Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is situated on of land bordered on the east by Chestnut Street, the west by Cherry Street, the north by 19th Street, and the south by 26th Street. History The cemete ...

References

The Political Graveyard
1794 births 1860 deaths People from Huntingdon, Pennsylvania Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Pennsylvania lawyers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Politicians from Erie, Pennsylvania Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century American politicians Burials in Pennsylvania {{Pennsylvania-Representative-stub