Blair McClenachan (1734May 8, 1812) was an Ireland-born American merchant 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, ...

. He served one term 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1797 to 1799. Previously, he served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Biography

McClenachan was born in the Kingdom of Ireland in 1734. He immigrated to the United States at an early age and settled 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 ...

. He was described by Thomas Jefferson as a trader, banker, and shipowner. 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 ...

he was one of the founders of and served with the

First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, also known as the First City Troop, is a unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. It is one of the oldest military units in the United States still in active service and is among the most decora ...

. When the Continental Congress sought to raise money for the army in 1780, McClenachan and Robert Morris were the two highest subscribers to the effort. He was a member of the

Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the earl ...

. From 1790 to 1795, he was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In 1796, he defeated Robert Waln to win election to the

5th United States Congress The 5th 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 at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Penns ...

from

Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district Pennsylvania's second congressional district includes all of Northeast Philadelphia and parts of North Philadelphia east of Broad Street, as well as portions of Philadelphia's River Wards. It has been represented by Democrat Brendan Boyle since 2 ...

. He served only one term. After his service in Congress, his businesses failed and a fraudulent transfer of his assets to his children resulted in McClenachan losing much of his fortune and led to his imprisonment for debt. In 1802, he wrote to President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

, seeking the position of Purveyor of Stores. Jefferson later appointed

Tench Coxe Tench Coxe (May 22, 1755July 17, 1824) was an American political economist and a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress in 1788–1789. He wrote under the pseudonym "A Pennsylvanian," and was known to his political enemies as ...

to fill the position.

Personal life

McClenachan had six children. In 1781, his daughter, Deborah, married Colonel Walter Stewart, later Inspector General of the Continental Army and then Major General of the Pennsylvania Militia. He died May 8, 1812, in Philadelphia; interment was in a vault in St. Paul's Cemetery.

References

Retrieved on 2009-03-08
The Political Graveyard

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McClenachan, Blair 1734 births 1812 deaths Irish emigrants to the United States 18th-century Irish people Continental Army officers from Ireland 19th-century Irish people Politicians from Philadelphia Pennsylvania militiamen in the American Revolution Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Irish emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania