William Lewis (judge)
William Lewis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania | |
| In office July 14, 1791 – January 4, 1792 | |
| Appointed by | George Washington |
| Preceded by | Francis Hopkinson |
| Succeeded by | Richard Peters |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 22, 1752 Edgemont, Province of Pennsylvania, British America |
| Died | August 16, 1819 (aged 67) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Education | read law |
William Lewis (January 22, 1752 – August 16, 1819) was a United States Attorney for the District of Pennsylvania and a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania.
Education and career[]
Born on January 22, 1752, in Edgemont, Province of Pennsylvania, British America,[1] Lewis read law in 1773.[1] He entered private practice in Philadelphia, Province of Pennsylvania (State of Pennsylvania, United States from July 4, 1776) from 1773 to 1787.[1] He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1787 to 1789.[1] He was the United States Attorney for the District of Pennsylvania from 1789 to 1791.[1]
Anti-slavery legislation[]
Lewis was involved in the drafting and passage of An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery in 1780.[2] This legislation was the first legal action towards the abolition of slavery in the United States of America.[2]
Federal judicial service[]
Lewis received a recess appointment from President George Washington on July 14, 1791, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania vacated by Judge Francis Hopkinson.[1] He was nominated to the same position by President Washington on October 31, 1791.[1] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 7, 1791, and received his commission the same day.[1] His service terminated on January 4, 1792, due to his resignation.[1]
Later career and death[]
Following his resignation from the federal bench, Lewis resumed private practice in Philadelphia from 1792 to 1817.[1] He died on August 16, 1819, in Philadelphia.[1]
Other accomplishments and residence[]
Lewis is also known for advising Alexander Hamilton on the first national bank and building the Historic Strawberry Mansion in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park in 1789.[3] At the time the house was known as Summerville.[3] Lewis died peacefully at Summerville, at the age of 68.[3] The house was converted into a historic house museum in 1931.[3]
Further reading[]
- McFarland, Esther Ann - Herr, Mickey William Lewis, Esquire: Enlightened Statesman, Profound Lawyer, and Useful Citizen (2012) Diane Publishing Company ISBN 978-1-4578-3208-6
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k William Lewis at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ Jump up to: a b [1]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Ashmeade, Henry Graham (1884). History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts & Co. pp. 560–561. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
Sources[]
- William Lewis at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- Historic Strawberry Mansion Official Website [2]
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- 1752 births
- 1819 deaths
- Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
- United States Attorneys for the District of Pennsylvania
- Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania
- People from Delaware County, Pennsylvania
- United States federal judges appointed by George Washington
- 18th-century American judges
- United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law