Philemon Beecher
Encyclopedia
Philemon Beecher was an attorney and legislator
who was a member of the United States House of Representatives
from Ohio
.
Philemon Beecher was born in Oxford, Connecticut
, the son of Abraham Beecher and Desire Tolles. Philemon Beecher received a classical education, read law and was admitted to the bar.
Philemon Beecher moved to Lancaster, Ohio
, in 1801 and continued the practice of law, being admitted to the bar while Ohio was still the Northwest Territory. He was the leading lawyer of the Lancaster bar for twenty-five years. It was in his office that the great lawyer and political figure Thomas Ewing
studied law. Beecher was often a barrister
at the court house in Marietta, Ohio
.
Beecher was a member of Scioto Lodge No 2 and senior Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Ohio of Free and Accepted Masons
. Philemon Beecher made the acquaintance of Susan Gillespie, a daughter of Neil Gillespie of Brownsville, Pennsylvania
, when she came to Lancaster on a visit to her sister, Mrs. Hugh Boyle. Philemon Beecher and Susan Gillespie were married in Pennsylvania
in 1803 or 1804.
Originally a Federalist
, Beecher was elected a member of the Ohio House of Representatives
in 1803 and again in the three sessions from 1805 to 1807, serving as speaker
in 1807. His swarthy complexion earned him the sobriquet of the "Black Knight."
In 1805, he opposed a Resolution
commending the United States government for the Louisiana Purchase
, but the Resolution passed by one vote. Beecher was a witness on behalf of Fairfield County, Ohio
Common Pleas Judge William W. Irvin
at the latter’s impeachment
trial in 1806. Irvin was married to the sister of Beecher’s future wife. Irvin went on to follow Beecher in the Ohio legislature, in Congress, and was later on the Ohio Supreme Court.
Philemon Beecher was unsuccessful as candidate for United States Senator in 1807 against Edward Tiffin
. That year he also failed to win a place on the bench as judge of the Ohio Supreme Court. Philemon Beecher was appointed a major general
in the Ohio militia
.
The Lancaster, Ohio
Bank was chartered in 1816 with Beecher as president for one year. He continued as a director of the bank for many years.
Philemon Beecher was elected as a Federalist
from Ohio's 5th congressional district
to the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Congresses. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1820.
Described in later years as an old-line Whig
, in 1822, Philemon Beecher was elected as an Adams-Clay Republican from the new Ohio 9th district
to the Eighteenth Congress, and an Adams candidate to the Nineteenth and Twentieth Congresses. In the 1824 battle between Andrew Jackson
and John Quincy Adams
for Ohio’s electoral
votes, he voted for Adams.
In 1826, Philemon Beecher participated as a managing member of The Colonization Society in Lancaster, an organization promoting repatriation
to Africa
as an alternative to slavery
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1828 when he was defeated by his brother-in-law, William W. Irvin.
Philemon Beecher returned to Lancaster and continued the practice of law until his death there, aged 63. He and his wife are interred in Elmwood Cemetery.
Legislator
A legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people...
who was a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Philemon Beecher was born in Oxford, Connecticut
Oxford, Connecticut
Oxford is a town located in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,272 at the 2010 Census. There are several areas in Oxford: Quaker Farms, Riverside and Oxford Center. Oxford belongs to the Naugatuck Valley Economic Development Region and the Central...
, the son of Abraham Beecher and Desire Tolles. Philemon Beecher received a classical education, read law and was admitted to the bar.
Philemon Beecher moved to Lancaster, Ohio
Lancaster, Ohio
Lancaster is a city in Fairfield County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,780. It is located near the Hocking River, approximately southeast of Columbus, Ohio. It is the county seat of Fairfield County...
, in 1801 and continued the practice of law, being admitted to the bar while Ohio was still the Northwest Territory. He was the leading lawyer of the Lancaster bar for twenty-five years. It was in his office that the great lawyer and political figure Thomas Ewing
Thomas Ewing
Thomas Ewing, Sr. was a National Republican and Whig politician from Ohio. He served in the U.S. Senate as well as serving as the Secretary of the Treasury and the first Secretary of the Interior.-Biography:...
studied law. Beecher was often a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
at the court house in Marietta, Ohio
Marietta, Ohio
Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Ohio, United States. During 1788, pioneers to the Ohio Country established Marietta as the first permanent American settlement of the new United States in the Northwest Territory. Marietta is located in southeastern Ohio at the mouth...
.
Beecher was a member of Scioto Lodge No 2 and senior Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Ohio of Free and Accepted Masons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. Philemon Beecher made the acquaintance of Susan Gillespie, a daughter of Neil Gillespie of Brownsville, Pennsylvania
Brownsville, Pennsylvania
Brownsville is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, officially founded in 1785 located 35 miles south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River...
, when she came to Lancaster on a visit to her sister, Mrs. Hugh Boyle. Philemon Beecher and Susan Gillespie were married in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in 1803 or 1804.
Originally a Federalist
Federalist Party (United States)
The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801...
, Beecher was elected a member of the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
in 1803 and again in the three sessions from 1805 to 1807, serving as speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
in 1807. His swarthy complexion earned him the sobriquet of the "Black Knight."
In 1805, he opposed a Resolution
Resolution (law)
A resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body. The substance of the resolution can be anything that can normally be proposed as a motion. For long or important motions, though, it is often better to have them written out so that discussion is easier or so that it can be...
commending the United States government for the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
, but the Resolution passed by one vote. Beecher was a witness on behalf of Fairfield County, Ohio
Fairfield County, Ohio
Fairfield County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 146,156. Its county seat is Lancaster. Its name is a reference to the Fairfield area of the original Lancaster....
Common Pleas Judge William W. Irvin
William W. Irvin
William W. Irvin also spelled Irwin was a lawyer, farmer, politician, and U.S. Representative from Ohio....
at the latter’s 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....
trial in 1806. Irvin was married to the sister of Beecher’s future wife. Irvin went on to follow Beecher in the Ohio legislature, in Congress, and was later on the Ohio Supreme Court.
Philemon Beecher was unsuccessful as candidate for United States Senator in 1807 against Edward Tiffin
Edward Tiffin
Edward Tiffin was a Democratic-Republican politician from Ohio, and first Governor of the state.-Biography:Sources indicate that he was born in Carlisle; however he may have been born in or near Workington — also in the then county of Cumberland, England...
. That year he also failed to win a place on the bench as judge of the Ohio Supreme Court. Philemon Beecher was appointed a major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in the Ohio militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
.
The Lancaster, Ohio
Lancaster, Ohio
Lancaster is a city in Fairfield County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,780. It is located near the Hocking River, approximately southeast of Columbus, Ohio. It is the county seat of Fairfield County...
Bank was chartered in 1816 with Beecher as president for one year. He continued as a director of the bank for many years.
Philemon Beecher was elected as a Federalist
Federalist
The term federalist describes several political beliefs around the world. Also, it may refer to the concept of federalism or the type of government called a federation...
from Ohio's 5th congressional district
Ohio's 5th congressional district
Ohio's 5th congressional district is in northwestern and north central Ohio and borders Michigan and Indiana. The district is currently represented by Republican Bob Latta. Currently, all of Crawford, Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Huron, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, and Wood...
to the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Congresses. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1820.
Described in later years as an old-line Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
, in 1822, Philemon Beecher was elected as an Adams-Clay Republican from the new Ohio 9th district
Ohio's 9th congressional district
Ohio's 9th congressional district has been represented by Representative Marcia C. Kaptur since 1983.This district is in the northern part of the state, bordering Michigan and Ontario, Canada , and includes the counties of Erie, Lorain, Lucas, and Ottawa.-List of largest municipalities:All or part...
to the Eighteenth Congress, and an Adams candidate to the Nineteenth and Twentieth Congresses. In the 1824 battle between Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
for Ohio’s electoral
Electoral college
An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way...
votes, he voted for Adams.
In 1826, Philemon Beecher participated as a managing member of The Colonization Society in Lancaster, an organization promoting repatriation
Repatriation
Repatriation is the process of returning a person back to one's place of origin or citizenship. This includes the process of returning refugees or soldiers to their place of origin following a war...
to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
as an alternative to slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1828 when he was defeated by his brother-in-law, William W. Irvin.
Philemon Beecher returned to Lancaster and continued the practice of law until his death there, aged 63. He and his wife are interred in Elmwood Cemetery.