Henry Latimer (senator)

Henry Latimer (* April 24, 1752 in Newport, Delaware; † 19 December 1819 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ) was an American politician ( Federalist Party), who represented the State of Delaware in both chambers of Congress.

Origin and early life

Henry Latimer's father James was a wealthy businessman and sat himself from 1778 to 1779 in the Parliament of Delaware. Later he took part in the National Assembly, which ratified the Constitution of the United States on December 7, 1787. Also, Henry's older brother George was a member of parliament from 1779 to 1782 in Delaware; later he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

After completing medical studies Henry Latimer attended from 1773 onwards, first the College of Philadelphia, before he moved to Scotland in 1775 and finished his education at the College of Edinburgh. He returned to America, where it was in the turmoil of the Revolutionary War. As a member of the Flying Hospital he belonged to a mobile medical unit in the service of the Continental Army. He also took part in the Battle of Brandywine.

Political career

On April 8, 1784 Latimer was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress. However, he did not participate in its meetings in Annapolis and was replaced by another politician. As before, his father and brother he then moved into the House of Representatives from Delaware, where he served from 1787 to 1791. During the past year, he served as President of the Parliament. In 1792 he went to in the election for U.S. House of Representatives against John Patten of the Democratic- Republican Party and subject to that with a difference of 30 votes. Latimer challenged the result, however, and got right, and he could take his seat in Congress on February 14 in 1794. At the next election in the same year he met again on Patten, who this time asserted itself with a bigger majority.

Even before the original end of his term in March 1795 Latimer was elected by Parliament Delaware for U.S. Senator, after which he resigned his seat on February 7 this year and moved to the Senate. There he took the above long remained vacant for over a year Place of George Read. Initially he finished his term of office, Latimer succeeded the re-election; However, he resigned on February 28, 1801 back from this office. He was no longer politically active in consequence, but practiced many other tasks: He was director of the Bank of Delaware, President of the Agricultural Society in New Castle County Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Newark College.

Latimer died in 1819 in Philadelphia and was buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery of Wilmington. When this cemetery of the Wilmington Institute Library had to give way, his remains were reburied on the Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery.