James Gerry Jr. (August 14, 1796 – July 19, 1873) was an American politician and physician 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 1839 to 1843, representing the 11th 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

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

in the

26th United States Congress The 26th 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, 1839 ...

and the

27th United States Congress The 27th 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. between March 4, 1 ...

Early life and education

Gerry was born near

Rising Sun, Maryland Rising Sun is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,781 at the 2010 census. History The town which became known as Rising Sun was located in the disputed “Nottingham Lots” along the border between colonial Pen ...

on August 14, 1796 to James Gerry Sr. and Florah (Low) Gerry. He graduated from

West Nottingham Academy West Nottingham Academy is an independent co-ed school serves both boarding and day students in grades 9-12. It was founded in 1744 by the Presbyterian preacher Samuel Finley, who later became President of The College of New Jersey (now Princeto ...

and studied medicine at the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

before commencing practice in

Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania Shrewsbury is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was three thousand eight hundred and forty-eight at the time of the 2020 census. Shrewsbury is considered a borough and also has a bordering township. Neighbor ...

in 1824.

Career

Gerry was elected as a

to both the

and the

. He served from March 4, 1839 to March 3, 1843, representing the 11th congressional district of

. Following his tenure in Congress, Gerry resumed practicing medicine until his retirement in 1870.

Death

Gerry married Sarah Salome Hoffman in 1830. Gerry died at the age of 76 in

on July 19, 1873. He was interred in Lutheran Cemetery, located in Shrewbsury.

References

External links

Official page
at 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 ...

''
Profile
from GovTrack
James Gerry
at

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 ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerry, James 1796 births 1873 deaths 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American physicians 19th-century Lutherans Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Physicians from Pennsylvania Lutherans from Pennsylvania American people of Scottish descent University of Maryland School of Medicine alumni West Nottingham Academy alumni Politicians from York County, Pennsylvania Burials in Pennsylvania