Clement Biddle was born on May 10, 1740, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He was descended from William Biddle, a shoemaker and colonel in Cromwell's army, who came to America in 1681 and by purchase from William Penn established himself as one of the proprietors in West New Jersey. His grandson, John, removed to Philadelphia in 1730 and six years later married Sarah Owen. Five children were born of this marriage, of whom Clement was the second.
While still a boy Clement entered his father's shipping and importing business, and in 1771 his name appears as a partner in the firm. His commercial life was soon interrupted by the approach of the Revolutionary War. With his older brother, Owen, he signed the non-importation agreement of 1765, and for the next ten years was active in the patriotic cause in Philadelphia. In 1775 he helped to raise in Philadelphia a company of volunteers, the "Quaker Blues, " and on July 8, 1776, was appointed by Congress deputy quartermaster-general for the militia of Pennsylvania and New Jersey with the rank of colonel. He took part in the battle of Trenton and was delegated by Washington to receive the swords of the surrendering Hessian officers. He also participated in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. In November 1776 Gen. Greene made him his aide-de-camp, and in July 1777 appointed him commissary-general of forage. In this position he served until June 1780, when he resigned in order to give attention to his business affairs.
In September 1781, at the urgent request of Greene, the supreme executive council of Pennsylvania appointed Biddle quartermaster-general of the state militia with the rank of colonel. After the Revolution Biddle continued in his business as a merchant and importer in Philadelphia and came to hold many positions of honor and trust under both state and federal governments. He was in continual correspondence with Washington, whose factor he was in Philadelphia and with whom he was on terms of friendship. In 1788 he became a justice of the court of common pleas and in 1789 Washington appointed him United States marshal of Pennsylvania, in which office he continued until 1793.
Biddle was a member of the Society of Friends and helped organize the "Quaker Blues. "
Biddle was twice married. His first wife was Mary Richardson, who died in 1773. In 1774 he married Rebekah Cornell, whose father at the time of his death in 1765 was lieutenant-governor and chief justice of Rhode Island. Of this marriage there were born thirteen children, of whom five died before reaching maturity.
