William Wilkins (December 20, 1779 – June 23, 1865) was an American judge and politician 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, ...

who served as a Jacksonian member of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

from 1831 to 1834 and as a Democratic member of 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 ...

for

Pennsylvania's 21st congressional district Pennsylvania's twenty-first congressional district was a congressional district in northwestern Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Nor ...

from 1843 to 1844. He served as a member of both houses of the

Pennsylvania General Assembly The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania ...

, a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...

of the

United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (in case citations, W.D. Pa.) is a federal trial court that sits in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is composed of ten judges as authorized by federal ...

, United States Minister to Russia and the 19th

United States Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the President of the United States, U.S. president's United States Cabinet, Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's Presidency of George Washington, administration. A similar position, called either "Se ...

Early life and education

Wilkins was born on December 20, 1779, 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, ...

, to Captain John Wilkins, a captain in the American Revolution, and Catherine Rowan. Wilkins attended the Pittsburgh Academy, the forerunner of the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

. He

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in 1801 and graduated from

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = J ...

in 1802. He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, Pennsylvania from 1801 to 1806. He was "second" in a duel in 1806 which resulted in the death of a Mr. Bates. It was the last recorded duel in Pennsylvania before the Pennsylvania General Assembly outlawed the practice. Bates was very popular and Wilkins left Pennsylvania due to the duel to live with his brother Charles Wilkins in Lexington, Kentucky. He continued private practice in Lexington,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

from 1806 to 1807. He resumed private practice in Pittsburgh from 1808 to 1815. He assisted in organizing the Pittsburgh Manufacturing Company in 1810. He was the first President of the Bank of Pittsburgh. He was President of the

Pittsburgh City Council The Pittsburgh City Council serves as the legislative body in the City of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city ...

from 1816 to 1819. He was a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

from 1819 to 1820. He was President Judge of the

Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas In Pennsylvania, the courts of common pleas are the trial courts of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania (the state court system). The courts of common pleas are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state. The name derives fro ...

for the Fifth Judicial District from 1820 to 1824. In the 1820s, Wilkins and

George M. Dallas George Mifflin Dallas (July 10, 1792 – December 31, 1864) was an American politician and diplomat who served as mayor of Philadelphia from 1828 to 1829, the 11th vice president of the United States from 1845 to 1849, and U.S. Minister to the ...

were leaders in the Family Party faction of the Democratic Party. The faction was named Family Party since Wilkins, Dallas and several other key leaders were all related by marriage. The Family Party had political strength and were able to place the defeated governor William Findlay as a U.S. Senator in 1821.

Federal judicial service

Wilkins was nominated by President

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

on May 10, 1824, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge

Jonathan Hoge Walker Jonathan Hoge Walker (July 20, 1754 – March 23, 1824) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Education and career Born on July 20, 1754, near Hogestown, Silver Spring ...

. He was confirmed by the

on May 12, 1824, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on April 14, 1831, due to his resignation.

Congressional races during his judicial tenure

Wilkins was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1826 to the

20th United States Congress The 20th 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, 1827, ...

. He was elected as a Jacksonian Democrat to the

21st United States Congress The 21st 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, 1829, ...

, but resigned before qualifying, never taking his seat.

United States Senate and diplomatic service

Wilkins was elected as a

Jacksonian Democrat Jacksonian democracy was a 19th-century political philosophy in the United States that expanded suffrage to most white men over the age of 21, and restructured a number of federal institutions. Originating with the seventh U.S. president, Andr ...

to the

from Pennsylvania and served from March 4, 1831, to June 30, 1834, when he resigned. He was Chairman of the

United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...

from the

22nd United States Congress The 22nd 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, 1831 ...

and Chairman of the

United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for overseeing and funding foreign aid pr ...

for the

23rd United States Congress The 23rd 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, 1833, ...

. Following his departure from Congress, Wilkins served as United States Minister to Russia for the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

from 1834 to 1836. He resumed private practice in Pittsburgh from 1836 to 1843. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election to 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 ...

in 1840.

United States House service

Wilkins was elected as a Democrat from

to the

of the

28th United States Congress The 28th 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, 1843 ...

and served from December 4, 1843, to February 14, 1844, when he resigned. He was Chairman of the

United States House Committee on the Judiciary The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, a ...

for the 28th United States Congress.

Later career

Wilkins was appointed as the 19th

by President

John Tyler John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president dire ...

, serving from 1844 to 1845. Wilkins was aboard the USS Princeton when one of its guns exploded in 1843 near

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

. The explosion killed two members of John Tyler's cabinet. Wilkins had expressed disapproval of the firing and had moved away from the gun moments before the explosion. He resumed private practice in Pittsburgh starting in 1845. He was a member of the

Pennsylvania State Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...

for the 22nd district from 1857 to 1858. He again resumed private practice in Pittsburgh from 1858 to 1865. He was a major general of the Pennsylvania Home Guards in 1862.

Death

Wilkins died on June 23, 1865, in Homewood, now a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, and was interred in

Homewood Cemetery Homewood Cemetery is a historic urban cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Point Breeze and is bordered by Frick Park, the neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, and the smaller Smithfield Cemetery. It was established i ...

Family

Wilkins married Catherine Holmes however she died in 1816 and he was remarried to Mathilda Dallas. Wilkins' brother John Wilkins Jr. served as a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. His sister, Nancy, married

Ebenezer Denny Ebenezer Denny (March 11, 1761July 21, 1822) was a soldier during the American Revolutionary War whose journal is one of the most frequently quoted accounts of the surrender of the British at the siege of Yorktown. Denny later served as the first M ...

, the first mayor of Pittsburgh. His nephew,

Harmar Denny Harmar Denny (May 13, 1794 – January 29, 1852) was an American businessman and Anti-Masonic Party (United States), Anti-Masonic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Biography Harmar Denny was born in Pittsburgh, Penns ...

, was a U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania. His nephew,

Ross Wilkins Ross Wilkins (February 19, 1799 – May 17, 1872) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Education and care ...

, was a notable jurist in

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

Legacy

Wilkins is the namesake of

Wilkins Township Wilkins Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,357 at the 2010 census. It is served by Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district, the 43rd District of the Pennsylvania State Senate, and the ...

, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

References

Sources

External links

* * * , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkins, William 1779 births 1865 deaths People from Carlisle, Pennsylvania American people of Welsh descent United States Secretaries of War Tyler administration cabinet members Jacksonian United States senators from Pennsylvania Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Democratic Party United States senators from Pennsylvania 1832 United States vice-presidential candidates Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators Pittsburgh City Council members Ambassadors of the United States to Russia 19th-century American diplomats Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania United States federal judges appointed by James Monroe United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Judges of the Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas 19th-century American judges American bankers Pennsylvania lawyers Dickinson College alumni University of Pittsburgh alumni Burials at Homewood Cemetery