William Henry Sowden
Encyclopedia
William Henry Sowden was a Democratic
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
.
, Cornwall
. He emigrated to the United States
in 1846 with his father, who settled in Philadelphia, and later went to live with friends in Allentown, Pennsylvania
. He attended the public schools and Allentown Academy.
During the American Civil War
, he served as a corporal in Company D, One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and served from August 13, 1862, to May 19, 1863. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1864, and after graduation from Harvard Law School
in 1865 commenced practice in Allentown. He served as solicitor of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
, in 1868 and district attorney in 1872 through 1874. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Lieutenant Governor
in 1874 and an unsuccessful candidate for election to Congress in 1876. He was a delegate to the 1884 Democratic National Convention
, and served as city solicitor of Allentown in 1886.
Sowden was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-ninth
and Fiftieth
Congresses. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1888. He resumed the practice of law, and served as city solicitor of Allentown from 1900 to 1902. He was a delegate to the 1900 Democratic National Convention
. He was an unsuccessful Republican candidate to the Fifty-ninth
Congress in 1904. He was elected as solicitor
of Lehigh County in 1906, and died in Allentown in 1907. Interment in Union Cemetery.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 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...
.
Biography
William H. Sowden was born in LiskeardLiskeard
Liskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. He emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1846 with his father, who settled in Philadelphia, and later went to live with friends in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
. He attended the public schools and Allentown Academy.
During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he served as a corporal in Company D, One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and served from August 13, 1862, to May 19, 1863. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1864, and after graduation from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1865 commenced practice in Allentown. He served as solicitor of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
-Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year....
, in 1868 and district attorney in 1872 through 1874. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
in 1874 and an unsuccessful candidate for election to Congress in 1876. He was a delegate to the 1884 Democratic National Convention
1884 Democratic National Convention
In 1884, the Democrats gathered in Chicago for their National Convention. The leading candidate for the nomination was New York Governor Grover Cleveland. Cleveland's reputation for good government made him a national figure. The Republican Party nominated James G. Blaine for president in 1884,...
, and served as city solicitor of Allentown in 1886.
Sowden was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-ninth
49th United States Congress
The Forty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1885 to March 4, 1887, during the first two years...
and Fiftieth
50th United States Congress
The Fiftieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1887 to March 4, 1889, during the third and fourth...
Congresses. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1888. He resumed the practice of law, and served as city solicitor of Allentown from 1900 to 1902. He was a delegate to the 1900 Democratic National Convention
1900 Democratic National Convention
The 1900 Democratic National Convention was a United States presidential nominating convention that took place the week of July 4, 1900 at Convention Hall in Kansas City, Missouri....
. He was an unsuccessful Republican candidate to the Fifty-ninth
59th United States Congress
The Fifty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1905 to March 4, 1907, during the fifth and sixth...
Congress in 1904. He was elected as solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
of Lehigh County in 1906, and died in Allentown in 1907. Interment in Union Cemetery.