James Hamilton (Pennsylvania)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Hamilton (Accomac County(?), Virginia, c. 1710-August 14, 1783, New York, New York), son of the well-known Philadelphia lawyer Andrew Hamilton, was a prominent lawyer and governmental figure in Colonial Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.

Hamilton was educated in Philadelphia and England before becoming a practicing lawyer in 1731. When in 1733 his father resigned as prothonotary of the supreme court of Pennsylvania, he was appointed to the office.

He was elected to the provincial assembly in 1745 and was re-elected five times.

He served as mayor of Philadelphia for one year from October 1745.

Hamilton became a member of the provincial council in 1746, and was commissioned by the sons of William Penn as lieutenant-governor, as which he served until 1754, then again from 1759 to 1763, then briefly also in 1771 and 1773.

Hamilton was active in founding several institutions in Philadelphia, serving as president of the board of trustees of the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania) and as the head of the American Philosophical Society.