Robert Coleman
Encyclopedia
Robert Coleman was an Irish
-American
industrialist who rose from a holding clerkship at a prothonotary
's office in Philadelphia
to bookkeeper at Cornwall Iron Furnace
to becoming Pennsylvania
's first millionaire
.
, and arrived in Philadelphia from Ireland in 1764. After serving as a clerk and bookkeeper he went on to acquire a lease on Salford Forge near Norristown
in 1773 and immediately made a sizeable profit by manufacturing cannonballs
and shot at Salford and Elizabeth Furnaces. He then used his profits to purchase a two-thirds share of Elizabeth Furnace, shares of Cornwall and the Upper and Lower Hopewell Forges
(not the similarly named Hopewell Furnace), and ownership of Speedwell Forge
. Soon Coleman was able to construct Colebrook Furnace, purchase the rest of Elizabeth Furnace and acquired 80% ownership of Cornwall Furnace and the ore mines nearby. His business acquisitions and the profits turned from them enabled him to become the first millionaire in the history of Pennsylvania.
. His career in government began when he attended the Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention in 1776. Additionally, he served in the Pennsylvania Legislature
in 1783, attended the Pennsylvania convention to ratify the United States Constitution
in 1787, was chosen as a Presidential elector
in both 1792
and 1796
, and held the position of Associate Judge from 1791 to 1811. In 1795, Coleman achieved his lone military accomplishment when, as Captain of the Lancaster Troop of Light Horse, he led a company of thirty-five cavalry
men to Western Pennsylvania to assist in the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion
.
in 1808. Two of his daughters, Anne Caroline and Sarah, would meet tragic ends.
Anne Caroline began dating future United States President
James Buchanan
in 1818. Buchanan was at the time a lawyer
in Lancaster County
. They soon became engaged, much to Robert Coleman's displeasure. Coleman was apparently unhappy with Buchanan's reputation and checkered history at Dickinson College
in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
. Rumors abounded that Buchanan was marrying Anne Caroline for her money, as well as seeing other women. After one incident of him visiting a friend's wife (this may have been an innocent visit), Ann broke off their engagement and died soon afterward, probably from an overdose of laudanum
. Some historians theorize this may have been a suicide
http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1955/1/1955_1_20.shtml. James Buchanan was so devastated by the broken engagement and suicide that he vowed never to marry and eventually became the only bachelor
President in the history of the United States.
Coleman's other daughter Sarah also committed suicide. She loved William Augustus Muhlenberg who was co-rector
of St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster. Robert Coleman again disapproved of his daughter's relationship. Coleman and Muhlenberg had a bitter dispute about evening worship services. Upon Coleman's death in 1825, Sarah had hoped to be able to finally marry the rector. Coleman's will granted his sons Edward and James the right to approve of Sarah's spouse. Edward also dislike Muhlenberg and would not approve the marriage. Sarah then fled to Philadelphia and committed suicide.
Coleman died in Lancaster at age 76. He was one of the wealthiest and most respected men in Pennsylvania.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
industrialist who rose from a holding clerkship at a prothonotary
Prothonotary
The word prothonotary is recorded in English since 1447, as "principal clerk of a court," from L.L. prothonotarius , from Greek protonotarios "first scribe," originally the chief of the college of recorders of the court of the Byzantine Empire, from Greek protos "first" + Latin notarius ; the -h-...
's office in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
to bookkeeper at Cornwall Iron Furnace
Cornwall Iron Furnace
Cornwall Iron Furnace is a designated National Historic Landmark that is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in Cornwall, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The furnace was a leading Pennsylvania iron producer from 1742 until it was shut down in 1883...
to becoming 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...
's first millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
.
Iron baron
Coleman was born in County DonegalCounty Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, and arrived in Philadelphia from Ireland in 1764. After serving as a clerk and bookkeeper he went on to acquire a lease on Salford Forge near Norristown
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
in 1773 and immediately made a sizeable profit by manufacturing cannonballs
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
and shot at Salford and Elizabeth Furnaces. He then used his profits to purchase a two-thirds share of Elizabeth Furnace, shares of Cornwall and the Upper and Lower Hopewell Forges
Hopewell (on Hammer Creek)
Hopewell is where Peter Grubb, who founded Cornwall, Pennsylvania in 1737, first began his iron making activities about 1739. It is an area about six miles southeast of Cornwall, in Lancaster County...
(not the similarly named Hopewell Furnace), and ownership of Speedwell Forge
Speedwell Forge
Speedwell Forge was built in 1760 in Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It operated continuously until 1854, when it closed as iron production moved west. The following are notes collected while researching the associated ironmaster's mansion for a National Historic Register...
. Soon Coleman was able to construct Colebrook Furnace, purchase the rest of Elizabeth Furnace and acquired 80% ownership of Cornwall Furnace and the ore mines nearby. His business acquisitions and the profits turned from them enabled him to become the first millionaire in the history of Pennsylvania.
Politics
Coleman spent more than three decades as a politician in Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Federalist PartyFederalist 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...
. His career in government began when he attended the Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention in 1776. Additionally, he served in the Pennsylvania Legislature
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
in 1783, attended the Pennsylvania convention to ratify the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
in 1787, was chosen as a Presidential elector
United States Electoral College
The Electoral College consists of the electors appointed by each state who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States. Since 1964, there have been 538 electors in each presidential election...
in both 1792
United States presidential election, 1792
The United States presidential election of 1792 was the second presidential election in the United States, and the first in which each of the original 13 states appointed electors...
and 1796
United States presidential election, 1796
The United States presidential election of 1796 was the first contested American presidential election and the only one in which a president and vice- president were elected from opposing tickets...
, and held the position of Associate Judge from 1791 to 1811. In 1795, Coleman achieved his lone military accomplishment when, as Captain of the Lancaster Troop of Light Horse, he led a company of thirty-five cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
men to Western Pennsylvania to assist in the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
.
Family
Coleman married Anne Old, the daughter of his former employer at Quittapahilla and Speedwell Forges, James Old. Robert and Anne had ten children. His family ultimately settled in LancasterLancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
in 1808. Two of his daughters, Anne Caroline and Sarah, would meet tragic ends.
Anne Caroline began dating future United States President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
in 1818. Buchanan was at the time a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
. They soon became engaged, much to Robert Coleman's displeasure. Coleman was apparently unhappy with Buchanan's reputation and checkered history at Dickinson College
Dickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
. Rumors abounded that Buchanan was marrying Anne Caroline for her money, as well as seeing other women. After one incident of him visiting a friend's wife (this may have been an innocent visit), Ann broke off their engagement and died soon afterward, probably from an overdose of laudanum
Laudanum
Laudanum , also known as Tincture of Opium, is an alcoholic herbal preparation containing approximately 10% powdered opium by weight ....
. Some historians theorize this may have been a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1955/1/1955_1_20.shtml. James Buchanan was so devastated by the broken engagement and suicide that he vowed never to marry and eventually became the only bachelor
Bachelor
A bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married . Unlike his female counterpart, the spinster, a bachelor may have had children...
President in the history of the United States.
Coleman's other daughter Sarah also committed suicide. She loved William Augustus Muhlenberg who was co-rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster. Robert Coleman again disapproved of his daughter's relationship. Coleman and Muhlenberg had a bitter dispute about evening worship services. Upon Coleman's death in 1825, Sarah had hoped to be able to finally marry the rector. Coleman's will granted his sons Edward and James the right to approve of Sarah's spouse. Edward also dislike Muhlenberg and would not approve the marriage. Sarah then fled to Philadelphia and committed suicide.
Coleman died in Lancaster at age 76. He was one of the wealthiest and most respected men in Pennsylvania.