James McSherry (July 29, 1776 – February 3, 1849), was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as 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

U.S. 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 ...

for Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district from 1821 to 1823.CongBio
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Early life and education

McSherry was born in Littlestown, Pennsylvania, to Irish immigrant Patrick McSherry and was educated at the Lancaster Academy.

Military service

He fought in the War of 1812 in the defense of

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

Business career

He was a founder of the Littlestown Railroad and the Gettysburg National Bank.

Political career

He served in 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 ...

(1807–1812). He served as 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

11th district 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...

from 1813 to 1817 and was the first Roman Catholic state senator in Pennsylvania. He was a delegate to the Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention in 1837 and 1838. In 1821, he was elected by the

party to the Seventeenth United States Congress (1821–1823). Defeated in his re-election bid, he returned to the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives (1824–1830; 1834 and 1835).

Death and legacy

He died on February 3, 1849, and is interred at the Saint Aloysius Cemetery in Littlestown, Pennsylvania. His son,

James McSherry Jr. James McSherry Jr. (July 29, 1819 – July 13, 1869) was an American lawyer and writer. Early life James McSherry Jr. was born on July 29, 1819, in Libertytown, Maryland, to Ann Ridgely (née Sappington) and James McSherry (Pennsylvania politici ...

was a lawyer and writer best known for his "History of Maryland". His grandson, James McSherry became chief judge of the supreme court U.S. State of Maryland Court of Appeals. The town of McSherrystown, Pennsylvania, is named in honor of his family.

Sources

The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:McSherry, James 1776 births 1849 deaths 19th-century American politicians Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Pennsylvania state senators People from Littlestown, Pennsylvania People from Pennsylvania in the War of 1812