Biography

02/14/1814 - 11/30/1892

Judge Bernard Reilly (D7) Schuylkill County 1862-1864

Early Life:

Judge Bernard Reilly, born February 14, 1814, County Cavan, Ireland; emigrated, Quebec, Canada, 1822; removed, Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, 1823; Schuylkill county, 1841; captain, Schuylkill County Militia, 1844; lieutenant colonel, aide-de-camp, Governor Francis R. Shunk, 1846; railroad builder, contractor; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1852; elected, associate judge, Court of Common Pleas, Schuylkill County, 1856-1861; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1861-1864; appointed, mustering officer, 1863-1864; unsuccessful campaign, United States Congress, 1872; elected, delegate, Democratic National Convention, 1872; children, Colonel Thomas A. Reilly, Captain Bernard Reilly, Helen Kaerchef; died, November 30, 1892, daughters residence, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; interment, no information currently available.

Early Career:

Railroad contractor, building the main line of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. Later, contracted for portions of the old Lehigh railroad to Wilkes-Barre, Catawissa Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, Sunbury and Erie Railway, Schuylkill Valley Railroad, Northern Central Railroad, Lebanon Valley Railroad.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Lieutenant colonel, aide-de-camp, Governor Francis R. Shunk, 1846. 

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1852; not a candidate for reelection, 1853. 

Elected, associate judge, Court of Common Pleas, Schuylkill County, 1856-1861. 

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1862-1864. 

Appointed, Governor Andrew Curtin, mustering officer, 1863, commissioned to receive the soldiers' votes, 1864.

Unsuccessful campaign, United States Congress, 1872. 

Elected, delegate, Democratic National Convention, 1872.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:

Official Website - PA House Archives Official Website (state.pa.us)

Cited:

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members "R"". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University. 

The Pottsville Daily Republican (Pottsville, Pennsylvania) Wednesday, November 30, 1892, page 4.

The Philadelphia Times (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Thursday, December 01, 1892, page 7.

 Miners Journal (Pottsville, Pennsylvania) Thursday, December 01, 1892, page 1.