Joseph Hemphill
Joseph Hemphill | |
---|---|
Joel Barlow Sutherland | |
Succeeded by | John G. Watmough |
Constituency | 3rd district |
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives | |
In office 1797-1800 1805 1831-1832 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Thornbury Township, Province of Pennsylvania, British America | January 7, 1770
Died | May 29, 1842 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | (aged 72)
Resting place | Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Political party | Federalist Jacksonian Federalist Jacksonian |
Spouse |
Margaret Coleman (m. 1806) |
Relatives | Alexander Hemphill |
Joseph Hemphill (January 7, 1770 – May 29, 1842) was an American politician who served as a
He also served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1797 to 1800, in 1805 and from 1831 to 1832.
Early life and education
Hemphill was born on January 7, 1770, to Joseph and Ann (Wills) Hemphill in Thornbury Township in the Province of Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia in 1791. He studied law under Thomas Ross, was admitted to the bar in 1793 and began to practice law in West Chester, Pennsylvania.[1]
Political career
Hemphill served as a member of the
Hemphill introduced a bill in 1824 which called for the usage of military personnel to conduct surveys and estimate costs for construction of roads and canals.[4]
He was an anti-slavery advocate and gave a speech to Congress against slavery, especially in Missouri. He declared slavery to be "the forcible oppression of otherwise powerless people".[5]
During the Congressional debate about the Indian Removal Act, Hemphill was split between his support for President Andrew Jackson and his Quaker constituency's opposition to the law.[6] He proposed delaying implementation of the act in order to conduct surveys of the land the Native Americans were to be moved to, but his proposal was voted down.[7]
Business career
In 1831, Hemphill's son, Alexander, entered into a business partnership with William Ellis Tucker for his porcelain factory in Philadelphia. Tucker died in 1832 and the firm was joined by Joseph and his brother Thomas. The factory continued production under the Hemphill name until it closed in 1838.[8]
Personal life
He purchased the Historic Strawberry Mansion in Fairmount Park from Judge William Lewis in 1821 and used it as his summer home.[9] He added the Greek Revival wings to the structure and was known to entertain John C. Calhoun from South Carolina and the Marquis de Lafayette from France.[10]
In September, 1806, he married Margaret Coleman, daughter of the wealthy industrialist Robert Coleman from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.[1]
He died in Philadelphia on May 28, 1842, and was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery.[11]
A descendant, Alexander Hemphill, served as City Controller for Philadelphia from 1958 to 1968.[12]
Bibliography
- Mr. Hemphill's speech in the House of Representatives, on the 14th of January, 1823, on the following bill: To procure the necessary surveys, plans and estimates, on the subject of roads and canals., Washington, D.C., D. Rapine, 1823
- Mr. Hemphill's speech on the bill to construct a national road from Buffalo, passing by the seat of the general government, to New Orleans. Delivered in the House of Representatives, U.S. 23d March, 1830., Washington, D.C., Wm. Greer printer, 1830
References
- ^ ISBN 9780788443879. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- ^ a b "The Political Graveyard: Helman to Hendershott". www.politicalgraveyard.com. The Political Graveyard. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ Ashmeade, Henry Graham (1884). History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts & Co. pp. 703–704. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-275-98603-2. Retrieved March 24, 2022.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ISBN 0-313-33105-7. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-59884-017-9. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ISBN 0-8018-5912-3. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
- ISBN 0-684-10031-2.
- ^ "Judge Joseph Hemphill". www.historicstrawberrymansion.org. Historic Strawberry Mansion. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- ^ "Strawberry Mansion". www.hmdb.org. The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ "Hemphill, Joseph 1770-1842". www.bioguide.congress.gov. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- ^ "Alexander Hemphill, 64; served as City Controller". www.newspapers.com. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
External links
- Media related to Joseph Hemphill at Wikimedia Commons