Thomas Baldwin Peddie (February 11, 1808 – February 16, 1889) was an American Republican politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1877 to 1879. Earlier he was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1864 to 1865 and the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, from 1866 to 1869.

Birth

He was born on February 11, 1808, in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father was a Baptist exhorter, working at trunk-making during the week and preaching on Sundays. The elder Peddie died in 1832, leaving his wife and six children in moderate financial circumstances and whose support then depended mainly upon Thomas. Seeing little chance in Scotland of earning a living for so many dependent ones, and hearing of America as the land of opportunity, he emigrated in 1833; after studying the advantages offered by several towns, he concluded to make Newark, New Jersey, his home. For two years he worked at the bench in a saddlery establishment and then, in a basement on Broad Street in Newark, began to manufacture trunks, not having, as he said, enough money to pay for the iron on his first trunk. When he died, his factory and warehouses covered nearly a block, his employees were numbered in the hundreds, and his name stood at the head of this branch of industry in the United States.

Public affairs

In addition to his public service described earlier, Peddie helped to found the

Essex National Bank Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, a ...

and was its vice president; he founded the

Security Savings Bank The Security Savings Bank, also known as the Appleyard Building, is a historic building in Ashland, Wisconsin, United States. In 1974, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque Styl ...

and was its only president; he was president of the

Board of Trade The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for International Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...

; manager of various city institutions; and director of insurance companies and charitable organizations. The money for the

Newark First Baptist Church Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-th ...

was given by Peddie. H. J. Latham wrote:

He said to me, Now, don't mention my name in this service, but pass me by. After the service was over, we walked down Broad Street together, and he said to me, I don't think that you or any of the others quite understand me in this gift. How so? I asked. He replied, Think of it, I came to this city a poor young man. See where I am now! Look at my happy home! Think how many friends I have. Everything I've touched has seemed to prosper. Now, I believe that all this prosperity has come to me from God, and I owe all my religious convictions to the fellowship I have enjoyed all these years in the First Baptist Church. Then pausing and turning abruptly to me he said with great emphasis, I am building this church simply to express my gratitude to God.

U.S. Patent

"This invention has for its object to improve the construction of trunks, valises, portmanteaus, pellesiers, traveling bags, etc., so as to adapt them to receive and carry a portfolio in such a way that while carrying it safely, it may be conveniently removed when required for use." (1870).

Death

He died in

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

on February 16, 1889, and is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Newark.

Legacy

The

Peddie School The Peddie School is a college preparatory school in Hightstown, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is a non-denominational, coeducational boarding school located on a campus, and serves students in the ninth through twelfth gr ...

in Hightstown, where he was a generous benefactor, and the Peddie Memorial Baptist Church in Newark are named after him.

References

External links

Thomas Baldwin Peddie
at The Political Graveyard * {{DEFAULTSORT:Peddie, Thomas Baldwin Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Burials at Mount Pleasant Cemetery (Newark, New Jersey) Mayors of Newark, New Jersey Scottish emigrants to the United States 1808 births 1889 deaths Politicians from Edinburgh Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey 19th-century American politicians