John Robbins (1808April 27, 1880) was a 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 Robbins was born in Bustleton, Pennsylvania, (now a part of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

), near

Lower Dublin Township, Pennsylvania Lower Dublin Township, also known as Dublin Township, is a defunct township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States. The township ceased to exist and was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the passage ...

. He was a student at the Gunmere Academy in

Burlington, New Jersey Burlington is a city in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,743. Burlington was first incorporated on October 24, 1693, and was r ...

. He moved to Philadelphia in 1836 and engaged in the manufacture of steel. He was a member of the board of commissioners of the district of

Kensington, Pennsylvania Kensington, colloquially known locally as “Kenzo,” is a neighborhood in Philadelphia that belongs to or divides Northeast Philadelphia, Lower Northeast and North Philadelphia. As with all neighborhoods in the city, the lack of any official ...

, and served as president several years.

Political career

Robbins was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-first, Thirty-second congresses, representing the fourth district of Pennsylvania from March 4, 1849 to March 3, 1853; and to the Thirty-third Congress representing the third district from March 4, 1853 to March 3, 1855. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in

1854 Events January–March * January 4 – The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the ''Samarang''. * January 6 – The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is perhaps born. * January 9 – The Teut ...

, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the office of the

Mayor of Philadelphia The mayor of Philadelphia is the chief executive of the government of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Philadelphia. The current mayor of Philadelphia is Jim Kenney. History The first mayor of Philadelphia, ...

in 1860. He resumed the steel manufacturing business and held several municipal offices. Again elected to the Forty-fourth Congress, for the fifth district, Robbins served from March 4, 1875, to March 3, 1877; but declined to be a candidate for renomination in

1876 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin. ** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol. * February 2 – The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs i ...

Later life and death

Robbins was a member of the board of education and served as president for many years, as well as president and director of the Kensington National Bank. He died in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, on April 27, 1880 and was

interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is ...

.''Where They're Buried''
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References

External links

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 ...

1808 births 1880 deaths American steel industry businesspeople Politicians from Philadelphia School board members in Pennsylvania Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople {{Pennsylvania-Representative-stub