William Findlay | |
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| United States Senator fromPennsylvania | |
| In office December 10, 1821 – March 3, 1827 | |
| Preceded by | Jonathan Roberts |
| Succeeded by | Isaac D. Barnard |
| 4thGovernor of Pennsylvania | |
| In office December 16, 1817 – December 19, 1820 | |
| Preceded by | Simon Snyder |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Hiester |
| 7thTreasurer of Pennsylvania | |
| In office 1807–1817 | |
| Governor | Thomas McKean Simon Snyder |
| Preceded by | Isaac Weaver, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | R. M. Crain |
| Member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives | |
| In office 1804–1807 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1768-06-20)June 20, 1768 |
| Died | November 12, 1846(1846-11-12) (aged 78) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican Party |
| Spouse | Nancy Irwin (?-July 27, 1824; her death) |
| Profession | Politician and public official |
| Signature |  |
William Findlay (June 20, 1768 – November 12, 1846) was an American farmer, lawyer, and politician. A member of theDemocratic-Republican Party, he served as the fourthgovernor of Pennsylvania from 1817 to 1820,[1] and as aUnited States senator from 1821 to 1827. He was one of three Findlay brothers born and raised inMercersburg, Pennsylvania, on their family farm.
All became politicians, serving at national, state and local levels in Pennsylvania and Ohio in the early federal years. He soldFindlay Farm in 1823; it was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1982.
William Findlay was born inMercersburg in theProvince of Pennsylvania on June 20, 1768, to Samuel Findlay and Jane (née Smith). He was the second of three sons, with older brotherJohn Findlay and younger brotherJames Findlay.[2] All three men became active in politics, serving at national, state and local levels.
Their grandfather Samuel Findlay (1711–1739) was the immigrant ancestor: he was born inCounty Londonderry inUlster in 1711, and immigrated to theProvince of Pennsylvania as a young man in 1730. He married there and he and his wife settled in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. He died there in 1739.[3]
After receiving a common-school education, William Findlay became a farmer. He became active in politics as aJeffersonian Democrat. He served as brigade inspector in the state militia, and studied law with an established firm (reading the law as an apprentice.) He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice inFranklintown, Pennsylvania.
Findlay was elected and served in thePennsylvania House of Representatives in 1797 and 1804–1807. He served asstate treasurer from 1807 to 1817.
In1817, Findlay was nominated for the post of governor in the state's first open convention. He waselected governor and served until 1820. According to thePennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, in 1817 he emancipated the one slave he held and stated, "The principles of slavery are repugnant to those of justice." He also asked state legislators to pass laws to severely punishslave catchers who attempted to capture Africans in Pennsylvania and enslave them.[4]
He was the first governor to lead the state fromHarrisburg, newly designated as the capital. He directed many of the functions of state government from his private home while the new capitol building was under construction.
He was defeated for re-election in1820 byJoseph Hiester.
In 1821, Findlay waselected by the state legislature as a Democratic Republican (laterJacksonian Democrat) to theUnited States Senate. He was filling the vacancy in the term commencing March 4, 1821, because the legislature had failed to select a candidate on time. He served from December 10, 1821, to March 3, 1827. He was not a candidate for re-election in1826. In the U.S. Senate, he served as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture (19th Congress).
Later, he was appointed as the fifth treasurer of theU.S. Mint. He served for more than a decade, from 1827 to 1841. He resigned due to illness.
He had sold theFindlay Farm in 1823 to Benjamin Jordan and Edward Crouch.[5] It was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1982, significant in part because of the political careers of the three brothers.
He died inHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, and his remains were interred atHarrisburg Cemetery.
He was the brother of United States CongressmanJohn and United States Congressman and Cincinnati mayorJames Findlay.
William Findlay married Nancy Irwin (1763–1824), who became Pennsylvania's First Lady from 1817 to 1820. They had two children, Jane Findlay Shunk (1792–1878) and John King Findlay. Nancy Irwin Findlay died on July 27, 1824, and is buried in Harrisburg Cemetery.
William Findlay's son, John King Findlay (born near Mercersburg, May 12, 1803; died inSpring Lake, New Jersey, September 13, 1885), was a noted jurist. He graduated from theUnited States Military Academy in 1824 and was assigned to the 1st Artillery of theU.S. Army. He was the assistant professor of chemistry, mineralogy, and geology at West Point from August 29 until November 4, 1824, of geography, history, and ethics until April 17, 1825, and was on topographical duty until May 13, 1828, when he resigned. In 1831, he was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar. He was recorder ofLancaster in 1841–1845, judge of the Philadelphia District Court 1845–1851, and president of the 3rd Judicial District of Pennsylvania in 1857–1862. After this he practiced law inPhiladelphia. John King Findlay was a captain of militia 1840–1845 and 1852–1856. He published an enlarged edition of Archbold'sLaw of Nisi Prius (2 vols., Philadelphia, 1852).
William Findlay's daughter, Jane Findlay, marriedFrancis R. Shunk, the 10th Governor of Pennsylvania. She held the position of First Lady of Pennsylvania from 1845 to 1848.
Findlay Township in Western Pennsylvania and Findlay Commons on the campus ofPenn State University are both named for Governor Findlay.
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Democratic-Republican nominee forGovernor of Pennsylvania 1817,1820 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Treasurer of Pennsylvania 1807–1817 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Pennsylvania December 16, 1817 – December 19, 1820 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from Pennsylvania December 10, 1821 – March 4, 1827 Served alongside:Walter Lowrie,William Marks | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 3 | ||
| Notes | † Never officially seated | |
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