Richard Peters, Jr.
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Richard Peters, Jr. (June 22, 1744– August 22, 1828) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress in 1782 and 1783. For many years he was the judge of the United States district court for Pennsylvania.
Richard was the son of William Peters (1702-1786), who came from Liverpool, England to Philadelphia in 1739. He was named for his uncle, Richard Peters (1704-1776), rector of Christ Church in Philadelphia. Richard was born on his father's newly acquired country estate, named Belmont, then just outside of Philadelphia. William was a large landowner with rental properties both America and England, had a successful law practice in Philadelphia, and was a judge in the court of common pleas.
Young Richard was educated at home and then attended the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania). He graduated in 1761, and then read law. He was admitted to the bar in 1763 and built a successful practice in Philadelphia. He also held a number of government posts under the colonial government, such as Admiralty Register.
Unlike many of Philadelphia's lawyers as the Revolution became imminent, Peters sided with the Whig or American cause. A week after the Continental Congress created the Continental Army, they hired him as the Secretary to their Board of War. Later his position title was changed to Commissioner of the Board of War. He held this post with honor throughout the active phase of the Revolutionary War. When he resigned in 1781 Congress passed a declaration to thank him for "long and faithful service".
The next year he was back with the Congress, this time as a delegate for Pennsylvania. He served in the Congress until 1783.
In 1785 he visited England. With the war over, he was seeking a continuance or reconciliation for the Anglican Church in America. His meetings with John Moore, Archbishop of Canterbury, ultimately bore fruit. The English hierarchy agreed to a formal separation. In 1786 Parliament passed the Act for the Consecration of Bishops Abroad, and on February 14, 1787 the church consecrated bishops from Philadelphia and New York in what became the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
In 1786 he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he served for 1787 until 1790. He was the Speaker of the House from 1788 onward. In 1791 he entered the state senate, but served only a year. President Washington appointed him to be the judge of the United States District Court. When an additional court was created in 1815, he continued as judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which post he held post until his death. An interesting fact was that his court held its sessions in Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
He published Admiralty Decisions in the United States District Court of Pennsylvania (two volumes, 1807).[1]
Peters died at home in 1828 and is buried in St. Peter's Churchyard Cemetery in Philadelphia. His home, known as "Belmont Mansion", still stands and is open as a museum. It is located at 2000 Belmont Mansion Drive in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park.
