Charles B. Penrose

Charles B. Penrose (October 6, 1798-April 6, 1857) was a Pennsylvania attorney and politician. He served in the Pennsylvania Senate and as Solicitor of the United States Treasury.

Biography

Charles Bingham Penrose was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 6, 1798. He studied law and attained admission to the bar in 1821, afterwards establishing a practice in Carlisle.[1]

A member of the Whig party who was identified as an Antimason, in 1833 Penrose was elected to the Pennsylvania Senate. He was reelected to a second term and served as Speaker of the Senate in 1838 and 1841.[2][3]

In 1841 Penrose was appointed Solicitor of the Treasury in the William Henry Harrison administration.[4]

After leaving the Solicitor's position at the close of the John Tyler administration in 1845 Penrose relocated to Philadelphia, where he continued to practice law.[5]

In 1856 Penrose was again elected to the Pennsylvania Senate, this time as a Republican, and he served until his death.[6]

During his second tenure in the State Senate, Penrose was accused of using bribes to arrange the election of Simon Cameron to the United States Senate, but nothing was proved and he was not charged with wrongdoing.[7]

Penrose died of pneumonia in Harrisburg on April 6, 1857.[8]

Charles B. Penrose was the grandfather of U.S. Senator Boies Penrose.[9][10]

References

  1. ^ Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cumberland, York, and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania, published by Heritage Society of Pennsylvania, 1986, page 100
  2. ^ Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, published by Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Volume 23, 1899, page 144
  3. ^ Smull's legislative hand book and manual of the state of Pennsylvania, published by E.K. Meyers, Harrisburg, 1888, page 263
  4. ^ Colonial families of the United States of America, by edited by George Norbury Mackenzie, Volume 6, 1917, page 375
  5. ^ History of the Penrose family of Philadelphia, by Josiah Granville Leach and George Hoffman Penrose, 1903, pages 83 to 86
  6. ^ Men of Mark of Cumberland Valley, Pa., 1776-1876, by Alfred Nevin, 1876, page 323
  7. ^ Boies Penrose, Symbol of an Era, by Robert Douglas Bowden, 1971, page 82
  8. ^ History of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, published by Cumberland County Historical Society, 1982, page 169
  9. ^ Pennsylvania Politics Today and Yesterday: The Tolerable Accommodation, by Paul B. Beers, 1980, page 52
  10. ^ Boies Penrose entry, Encyclopaedia of Contemporary Biography of Pennsylvania, Volume 3, 1898, page 79
Legal offices
Preceded by
Matthew Birchard		 Solicitor of the United States Treasury
1841-1845		 Succeeded by
Seth Barton