James Henderson Imlay was a United States Representative from New Jersey. Born in Imlaystown

Imlaystown, New Jersey

Imlaystown is a small historic community and unincorporated area located within Upper Freehold Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It is located in zip code 08526. The village is easily accessible from Exit 11 off Interstate 195.-History:...

, he pursued classical studies and graduated from Princeton College in 1786, where he was also a tutor. He studied law, was admitted to the bar

Bar (law)

Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...

 in 1791, and practiced; he was a major in the Monmouth County

Monmouth County, New Jersey

Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...

 Militia and served in the Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

. He was a counselor in 1796, and was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly

New Jersey General Assembly

The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...

 from 1793 to 1796, serving as speaker in the latter year.

Imlay was elected as a Federalist to the Fifth and Sixth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1797 to March 3, 1801. While in the House, he was one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1798 to conduct the impeachment

Impeachment

Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....

 proceedings against U.S. Senator William Blount

William Blount

William Blount, was a United States statesman. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention for North Carolina, the first and only governor of the Southwest Territory, and Democratic-Republican Senator from Tennessee . He played a major role in establishing the state of Tennessee. He was the...

 of Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

.

In 1804 and 1805, Imlay was postmaster

Postmaster

A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...

 of Allentown, New Jersey

Allentown, New Jersey

Allentown is a Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 1,828.Allentown was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 29, 1889, from portions of Upper Freehold Township, based on the...

, and resumed the practice of law there; he died in Allentown in 1823. Interment was in the Presbyterian Church Cemetery.