William Lewis Dewart (June 21, 1821 – April 19, 1888) was a
Democratic
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 ...
member of the
U.S. House of Representatives from
Pennsylvania.
Biography
William L. Dewart (son of
Lewis Dewart) was born in
Sunbury, Pennsylvania. He attended the common schools of Sunbury and
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
. He was graduated from Dickinson Preparatory School in
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...
, and from
Princeton College in 1839. He studied law, was admitted to the
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, bar in 1843, and commenced practice in Sunbury. He served as chief burgess of Sunbury in 1845 and 1846, and as president of the school board. He was a delegate to the
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...
s in
1852
Events
January–March
* January 14 – President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic.
* January 15 – Nine men representing various Jewish charitable organizations come tog ...
,
1856
Events
January–March
* January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California.
* January 23 – American paddle steamer SS ''Pacific'' leaves Liverpool (England) for a transatlantic voyag ...
,
1860
Events
January–March
* January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France.
* January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...
, and
1884
Events
January–March
* January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London.
* January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London.
* January 18 – Dr. William Price atte ...
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election 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 ...
.
Dewart was elected as a Democrat to the
Thirty-fifth Congress. He served as chairman of the
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in
1858
Events
January–March
* January –
**Benito Juárez (1806–1872) becomes Liberal President of Mexico. At the same time, conservatives install Félix María Zuloaga (1813–1898) as president.
**William I of Prussia becomes regent f ...
. He resumed the practice of law in Sunbury and died there in 1888. Interment in the family vault in Sunbury Cemetery.
His granddaughter
Betty Brice (born Rosetta Dewart Brice, 1888-1935) was an actress in silent films.
Sources
The Political Graveyard
1821 births
1888 deaths
Pennsylvania lawyers
Politicians from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
People from Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
19th-century American politicians
19th-century American lawyers
{{Pennsylvania-Representative-stub