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House Speaker Biographies

Photo credit:

"TOD, John, (1779-1830)," Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.  www.bioguide.congress.gov


Photo credit:

"TOD, John, (1779-1830)," Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.  www.bioguide.congress.gov

 

John Tod

Born: September 24, 1780, Hartford, Hartford County, CT.  Died: March 27, 1830, Bedford, Bedford County, PA.  Member of the House: Bedford County, 1808-1813.  Affiliation: Democrat.

John Tod was born on September 24, 1780 in Hartford County, Connecticut. He attended Yale College and was admitted to the Hartford County, Connecticut, bar in 1800.  He relocated to Maryland briefly where he taught at Charlotte Hall School in Aquasco, Maryland.  Tod soon moved again, this time to Bedford County, Pennsylvania.  He was admitted to the Bedford County bar in August of 1802 and later was admitted to the Somerset County bar on May 9, 1805.  Tod established a law practice in city of Bedford.   From 1806-1807, Tod worked as a clerk for the commissioners of Bedford County.  Tod married the former Mary Read Hanna in 1810, and the couple had 5 children: Julia Ann (Briggs), Rachel (Gilmore), Isabella (Kerr), Mary, and Henrietta.

Tod was elected to represent Bedford County as a Democratic-Republican for the 1808-1809 session.  He was re-elected for 4 more consecutive sessions, serving until 1813.  On December 3, 1811, he was elected the 47th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House. Tod was re-elected Speaker on December 1, 1812.   As Speaker, Tod oversaw the passage of Act 52 of 1812, which created Lebanon County.

After his House Service, Tod was elected to the Pennsylvania Senate from 1813-1817.  He was elected Speaker of the Senate on December 6, 1814, and again on December 5, 1815.  He resigned his seat in the Senate on December 20, 1816, due to taking a leave of absence to attend to private business.  Tod was elected to the Seventeenth and Eighteenth United States Congresses, and served from March 4, 1821 until 1824, when he resigned.  During his time in Congress, he served as chairman on the Committee on Manufactures.  On June, 8 1824, Tod was appointed to presiding judge for the Sixteenth Judicial District of the Court of Common Pleas.  He served in that position until his May 25, 1827, appointment as associate judge of the State Supreme Court.  Tod held the positon until his death.

John Tod died on March 27, 1830 in Bedford, Pennsylvania.  He is interred at the Bedford Cemetery in the city of Bedford, Bedford County, Pennsylvania.