Thomas Hartley
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Thomas Hartley (September 7, 1748December 21, 1800) was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician from
York, Pennsylvania York (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Yarrick''), known as the White Rose City (after the symbol of the House of York), is the county seat of York County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the south-central region of the state. The populatio ...
.


Early life and education

Hartley was born in Colebrookdale Township in the Province of Pennsylvania. At 18 years of age, he moved to
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, where he studied law under Samuel Johnson and was admitted to practice law in
York County, Pennsylvania York County ( Pennsylvania Dutch: Yarrick Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 456,438. Its county seat is York. The county was created on August 19, 1749, from part of Lancaster ...
and the courts in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
in 1769. He owned slaves.


Career

In 1774, Hartley was appointed first lieutenant of a company of soldiers in York and the following summer was appointed lieutenant colonel of the First Battalion of York County Associators. In the fall of 1775, he served on an expedition to Canada and upon return was chosen as lieutenant-colonel of the Seventh Pennsylvania Regiment. He served as a member of the 1775 provincial convention at Philadelphia and commanded a 1778 Indian expedition. During the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
Hartley was second in command of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment in the Continental Army. Beginning in January 1777, he raised and commanded
Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment Hartley's Additional Continental Regiment was an American infantry unit of the Continental Army that served for two years during the American Revolutionary War. The regiment was authorized in January 1777 and Colonel Thomas Hartley was appoint ...
and commanded it as
colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
during the major battles of the
Philadelphia campaign The Philadelphia campaign (1777–1778) was a British effort in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress. British General William Howe, after failing to dra ...
, including
Brandywine Brandywine may refer to: Food and drink *Brandy, a spirit produced by distilling wine *Brandywine tomato, a variety of heirloom tomato Geographic locations Canada * Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, British Columbia * Brandywine Mountain, British ...
, Paoli, and
Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to: Places Australia * Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region United States * Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County * Ge ...
. In 1778 the unit guarded the Pennsylvania frontier and, on September 24, 1778, mounted a two-week foray against hostile Indians, including the destruction of Queen Esther's Town on September 27. The regiment merged with other units in January 1779 to become the "new"
11th Pennsylvania Regiment The 11th Pennsylvania Regiment or Old Eleventh was authorized on 16 September 1776 for service with the Continental Army. On 25 October, Richard Humpton was named colonel. In December 1776, the regiment was assigned to George Washington's main ...
and went with the
Sullivan Expedition The 1779 Sullivan Expedition (also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, the Sullivan Campaign, and the Sullivan-Clinton Genocide) was a United States military campaign during the American Revolutionary War, lasting from June to October 1779 ...
that summer. However, Harley was elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly in October 1778 and resigned from his military in February 1779. Hartley served in the Pennsylvania legislature in 1779 and returned to practice law in York. Hartley was a member of the Pennsylvania convention that ratified the federal constitution in 1787. He then represented
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, ...
in the
U.S. House 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 1789 until his death in 1800. On February 5, 1791, Hartley became the first Pennsylvanian to join the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States when he took the oath in New York, where the court was then located. Hartley frequently attended social and official functions of President Washington and the First Lady. On July 2, 1791, Hartley greeted President Washington on the President's journey through York and hosted tea for the President at his house. Hartley was among the original members of the Society of the Cincinnati and a trustee of Dickinson College. On April 28, 1800, he was appointed by Governor McKean as Major General of the Fifth Division of the state militia. Hartley was also a land prospector and purchased land in present-day
Union County, Pennsylvania Union County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,681. Its county seat is Lewisburg. The county was created on March 22, 1813, from part of Northumberland County. Its name is an allusio ...
, which was previously part of Northumberland County. He helped lay out a town, now Hartleton, Pennsylvania, and adjoining Hartley Township was named for him.


Death

Hartley died December 21, 1800 in
York, Pennsylvania York (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Yarrick''), known as the White Rose City (after the symbol of the House of York), is the county seat of York County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the south-central region of the state. The populatio ...
, shortly before the end of his sixth term in Congress, and was buried in St. John’s churchyard in York.


See also

* List of United States Congress members who died in office (1790–1899)


References


External links


Find A Grave Memorial
- includes a portrait from the York County (Pa.) Heritage Society dating from 1927 and thus not in the public domain. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hartley, Thomas 1748 births 1800 deaths Politicians from Reading, Pennsylvania People of colonial Pennsylvania Pro-Administration Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Deans of the United States House of Representatives Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives American slave owners Politicians from York, Pennsylvania Continental Army officers from Pennsylvania Burials in Pennsylvania