Background
When on 28 December 1733 his father resigned as prothonotary of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Hamilton was appointed to the office.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
James Hamilton
Edit ProfileEducation
Hamilton was educated in Philadelphia and England before becoming a practicing lawyer in 1731.
Career
In May 1734 James"s father Andrew Hamilton sold him the town site of Lancaster, Pennsylvania for 5 shillings. Later that month, on 21 May, the younger Hamilton secured a patent from the Penn family for his grant on the Lancaster land. After the death of his father on 4 August 1741, James Hamilton inherited his 150-acre estate known as Bush Hill north of the city.
Elected to the provincial assembly in 1745, Hamilton was re-elected five times.
He served as mayor of Philadelphia for one year from October 1745. He was commissioned by the sons of William Penn as lieutenant-governor, as which he served until 1754, then again from 1759 to 1763, then briefly also in 1771 and 1773.
On 13 September 1761, Hamilton and William Allen conveyed Lot northern 1 and the other pieces of property obtained by Andrew Hamilton and Allen to Isaac Norris II and the other trustees in charge of purchasing property for the Philadelphia state house.
The conveyance of this land completed the area of the Yard: property that contained the state house and the public spaces surrounding lieutenant
Hamilton was active in founding several institutions in Philadelphia, serving as president of the board of trustees of the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania) and as the head of the American Philosophical Society. During the period that the federal capital was located in Philadelphia, William Hamilton was on an extended stay in England. He rented Bush Hill to the government for the vice-president to use as his residence.
During the Yellow fever epidemic of 1793, outbuildings at the estate were adapted for use as a fever hospital for several months.
Membership
American Philosophical Society]
Hamilton became a member of the provincial council in 1746.
