Member Biography

John Connelly 

Seal
Sessions Office Position District Party
1809-1810       1 Federalist

Biography

1755 - 02/03/1827


Colonel John Connelly (Federalist1) Philadelphia City and Philadelphia County 1809-1810

Early Life:

Colonel John Connelly born Christmas Day, December 25, 1755, Captain, 8th Company, Pennsylvania Artillery, Revolutionary War, 1780-1795; Major, 8th Company, Pennsylvania Artillery Battalion, 1800, re-commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel, Colonel through 1808; appointed, Prison Inspector 1794-1799; unsuccessful campaign, Select Council, Philadelphia City, Pennsylvania 1796; unsuccessful campaign, Select Council, Philadelphia City, Pennsylvania 1801, 1802, 1804; elected, Federalist, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1st district, 1809-1810, unsuccessful reelection, 1810; unsuccessful campaign, Common Council, Philadelphia City, Pennsylvania, 1810; elected, Democratic Republican, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Philadelphia City, 1812-1814, member, Philadelphia Committee of Public Defense, 1813; member, War Committee of Correspondence, 1814; unsuccessful campaigns, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Philadelphia City, 1814, 1816; unsuccessful campaign, director, Second Bank, United States, 1816; unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1st district, 1817; member, Committee of Correspondence, 1818; unsuccessful campaign, United States House of Representatives, 1st district Pennsylvania, 1818; unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1st district, 1819; candidate, Presidential Elector, casting support for William H. Crawford, 1824; appointed, commissioned, Governor Simon Snyder, auctioneer for Philadelphia; married, Ann Little, 1780, two children; died, February 3, 1827, residence, 208 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; interment, Old Pine Street Presbyterian Churchyard, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Politics: 

Unsuccessful campaign, Select Council, Philadelphia City, Pennsylvania 1796. 

Unsuccessful campaign, Select Council, Philadelphia City, Pennsylvania 1801, 1802, 1804.

Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1st district, Philadelphia City and Philadelphia Counties, succeeded, Michael Bright, resigned his seat prior to the beginning of the session. To balance the number of individuals whose terms ended in any given year, all the members elected in 1808 and due for reelection in 1812 drew lots dividing the group between 1810, 1811 and 1812; 1809-1810, unsuccessful reelection, 1810.

Unsuccessful campaign, Common Council, Philadelphia City, Pennsylvania, 1810.

Elected, Democratic Republican, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Philadelphia City, 1812-1814. 

Member, Philadelphia Committee of Public Defense, 1813.

Member, War Committee of Correspondence, 1814.

Unsuccessful campaigns, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Philadelphia City, 1814, 1816.

Unsuccessful campaign, Director, Second Bank, United States, 1816.

Unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1st district, 1817.

Member, Committee of Correspondence, 1818.

Unsuccessful campaign, United States House of Representatives, 1st district Pennsylvania, 1818.

Unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1st district, 1819.

Candidate, Presidential Elector, casting support for William H. Crawford, 1824. 

Appointed, commissioned, Governor Simon Snyder, auctioneer for Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives Biography:

Not currently available. 

Legacy:

Inventor influenced the formation of the first railroad corporation in Pennsylvania; Philadelphia and Columbia, a predecessor to the Pennsylvania Railroad. Nine incorporators: John Connelly (president), Michael Baker, Horace Binney, Stephen Girard and Samuel Humphreys, of Philadelphia; Emmor Bradley, of Chester County; Amos Ellmaker, of Lancaster City; and John Barbour and William Wright, of the borough of Columbia, 1823. 

Cited:

Cox, Harold "Senate Members "C"Wilkes University Election Statistics ProjectWilkes University.

Cox, Harold. Senate1790-1869 (wilkes.edu). Wilkes University Election Statistics ProjectWilkes University.

A New Nation Votes (tufts.edu)

Capt John Connally (1755-1827) - Find a Grave Memorial