John Smilie (1741 - 1812)

  • 1741 - Born in Newtownards, County Down, Ireland
  • 1762 - Arrived, Delaware, United States, after a hellish 15-week voyage aboard an overbooked ship, the "Sally," in which 64 passengers and crew died of thirst or starvation
  • 1762 - Settled in Drumore Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
  • 1766 - Married Jane Porter Smilie
  • 1776 - Lancaster County Committee of Safety
  • 1776 - Member, Provincial Conference of County Committees, Philadelphia (ordered the first state constitution)
  • 1778-1780 - Elected, Constitutionalist, Pennsylvania State Assembly, Lancaster County
  • Sergeant, Revolutionary War
  • 1780 - Moved, Tyrone Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
  • 1783 - Elected, Councilor, Pennsylvania Council of Censors from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
  • 1784 (February) - Tyrone Township became a part of Fayette County, Pennsylvania
  • 1784-1786 - Elected, Constitutionalist, Pennsylvania State Assembly, Fayette County
  • 1786-1789 - Elected, Constitutionalist, Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council (Benjamin Franklin was the president of the Supreme Executive Council)
  • 1787 - Elected, Pennsylvania Ratifying Convention of the Federal Constitution (opposed the Federal Constitution because it lacked a Bill of Rights)
  • 1790 - Delegate, Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention
  • 1790 - Elected, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate (resigned 1793)
  • 1793-1795 - Elected, Anti-Administration candidate, Third Congress, United States House of Representatives
  • 1795-1798 - Elected, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives
  • 1796 - Elected Presidential Elector, Pennsylvania Electoral College
  • 1799-1812 - Elected, Republican, United States House of Representatives, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Nineth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Congresses had been reelected, Thirteenth Congress, but died, before the close of the Twelfth Congress (John was a member of Congress during the administrations of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison)
  • 1811 (March) - Appointed, Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee
  • 1812 (December 30) - Died, typhus, Washington, District of Columbia; interment, Congressional Cemetery, Washington, District of Columbia

Legacy:

  • Fought for a Bill of Rights
  • Strong abolitionist

Spouse: Jane Porter

Son: Robert Porter Smilie

Daughter: Mary Smilie

Daughter: Jane Smilie

Find a Grave

Wikipedia

Congressional Biography

Pennsylvania Senate Library

National Archives Records