Smedley Darlington (December 24, 1827 – June 24, 1899) was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district from 1887 to 1891.
Smedley Darlington | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 6th district | |
| In office March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1891 | |
| Preceded by | James B. Everhart |
| Succeeded by | John B. Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 24, 1827 Pocopson Township, Pennsylvania |
| Died | June 24, 1899 (aged 71) West Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Resting place | Oaklands Cemetery, West Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Mary Edwards Baker (m. 1851) |
| Children | 11 |
| Relatives | Thomas S. Butler (son-in-law) Smedley Butler (grandson) Isabel Darlington (daughter) |
| Occupation | Teacher Businessman |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | Pennsylvania Emergency Militia |
| Years of service | 1862 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit | Beaumont's Independent Company of Cavalry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Biography
editDarlington was born in Pocopson Township, Pennsylvania on December 24, 1827, the son of son of Richard and Edith (Smedley) Darlington.[1] He attended the common schools and the Friends' Central School in Philadelphia.[1] He taught at Friends’ Central School for several years, and while teaching he made stenographic reports of sermons, lectures, and speeches for the newspapers of Philadelphia.[1] He established a school in Ercildoun, Pennsylvania.[1] First known as Ercildoun Seminary, it was later called Darlington Seminary, and Darlington operated it as an academy for boys during its first three years, then converted it to a school for girls.[1] Darlington Academy remained open for 12 years.
He enlisted in the Civil War as a private and was subsequently promoted to the rank of captain in Beaumont’s Independent Company of Cavalry, Pennsylvania Volunteer Emergency Militia.[1] He was discharged with the company on September 24, 1862.[1] He moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1864.[1]
After the war, Darlington became active in banking and investment brokering, and owned interests in several financial institutions and corporations.[1] He was an early entrant into the petroleum industry in the 1880s, and maintained an office in Oil City, Pennsylvania from which he managed his involvement.[1] In 1885, he founded the Chester County Guaranty Trust & Safe Deposit Company, and he served as its president until 1897.[1]
Darlington was a delegate to the 1872 Liberal Republican convention and the 1896 Republican National Convention.[1] In 1886, he was elected as a Republican to the 50th Congress.[1] He was reelected to the 51st Congresses in 1888.[1] Darlington served as a Representative from March 4, 1887 to March 3, 1891 and was not a candidate for renomination in 1890.[1]
Darlington died in West Chester on June 24, 1899.[1] His funeral took place at his home, "Faunbrook" on June 26, and he was buried at Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester.[2]
In 1851, Darlington married Mary Edwards Baker.[1] They were the parents of 11 children, four of whom died in infancy.[1] Their daughter Isabel became the first woman to practice law in Chester County.[3] His daughter Maud became the wife of Thomas S. Butler, who also served in Congress,[1] and the mother of Marine Corps Major General Smedley Darlington Butler.[4] He was the second cousin of Congressmen Edward Darlington, Isaac Darlington, and William Darlington.[5]
Photos
edit-
Darlington's house in West Chester -
Darlington's Grave at Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester, Pennsylvania
References
editSources
editBooks
edit- The National Cyclopædia of American Biography. Vol. XXXII. New York, NY: James T. White & Company. 1945. p. 160 – via HathiTrust.
- CQ Press (2013). Guide to Congress. Vol. 1. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-60426-953-6 – via Google Books.
- Schmidt, Hans (1987). Maverick Marine: General Smedley D. Butler and the Contradictions of American Military History. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-8131-0957-2 – via Google Books.
Newspapers
edit- "Mr. Darlington's Funeral". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, PA. June 27, 1899. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
edit- United States Congress. "Smedley Darlington (id: D000058)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-02-14
- Smedley Darlington at The Political Graveyard
