Gerardus Wynkoop II
Encyclopedia
Gerardus Wynkoop was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from Bucks County
and served as speaker of the House in 1793.
as speaker of the Assembly, Wynkoop was elected speaker. He received forty-five votes and was escorted to the chair by Daniel Clymer. The oath was administered by a Mr. Evans. By December 26, 1786 around noon, Wynkoop resigned as speaker and Mifflin was re-elected.
to the speaker's chair after his election. Peters was the final speaker of the unicameral general assembly.
According to Wynkoop's obituary, he served nineteen years in the Assembly. It also notes that he served as speaker for several of those years. However, he was elected Bucks County Assessor in 1771 and 1773, which puts this claim in dispute. It could be correct if the writer meant to include both the State Assembly and the House of Representatives (Wynkoop lost the election in 1794), assuming Wynkoop won his first election to the Assembly in 1775.
Presidential Elector
Wynkoop chaired a meeting on September 20, 1792 in Lancaster to select candidates for Congressional seats and Presidential electors. The list of electors does not include his name. However, an article dated August 27, 1792 does list his name as a Presidential elector.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....
from Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
and served as speaker of the House in 1793.
Votes
- November 23, 1778 – due to a disputed election in Chester County, whether persons, other than those with an exception by law, who took the oath of allegiance between June 1, 1778 and the last election should be entitled to a vote: nay (17 yea, 31 nay)
- Before October 7, 1786 – creating a committee to draft a bill that would allow the Receiver General of the Land Office to obtain back payments and interest for land purchased before July 4, 1776: nay (25 yea, 32 nay)
- December 28, 1786 – reviving the charter of the Bank of North AmericaBank of North AmericaThe Bank of North America was a private business chartered on December 31, 1781 by the Congress of the Confederation and opened on January 7, 1782, at the prodding of Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris. This was thus the nation's first de facto central bank. It was succeeded in its role as...
: yea (32 yea, 28 nay) - December 28, 1786 – clause to place restrictions on the Bank of North America: nay (28 yea, 33 nay)
- March 6, 1787 – moving the state capital to Harrisburg: nay (33 yea, 19 nay)
- March 28, 1788 – act to amend or explain portions of an act to gradually abolish slavery (the March 28 act was favorable to abolition): yea (40 yea, 16 nay)
- February 19, 1789 – for a committee to create a bill to restore the property of the college/academy/free school of Philadelphia to its trustees: yea (46 yea, 18 nay)
Elections (Bucks County)
Wynkoop won elections as a representative to the Assembly in the following years. Names listed with him are the others from Bucks County who won. (Note: The spelling of the last name of the politician whose first name is Valentine is listed exactly as it is referenced in the original sources. The correct spelling is unknown.)- 1779 (along with Benjamin Fell, William Scott, Arthur Watts, Joseph Savage)
- 1781 (along with James Wilkinson, Thomas Long, James Tate, Charles Kachline)
- 1786 – 975 votes (along with Samuel Foulke – 979, John Chapman – 993, Valentine Opp – 937)
- 1787 (along with John Chapman, Valentine Upp, Samuel Foulk)
- 1788 (along with John Chapman, Valentine Upp, Samuel Foulk)
- 1789 (along with John Chapman, Valentine Opp, James Bryan)
Speaker
On December 22, 1786, at the resignation of Thomas MifflinThomas Mifflin
Thomas Mifflin was an American merchant and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, a member of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly, a Continental Congressman from Pennsylvania, President of the Continental...
as speaker of the Assembly, Wynkoop was elected speaker. He received forty-five votes and was escorted to the chair by Daniel Clymer. The oath was administered by a Mr. Evans. By December 26, 1786 around noon, Wynkoop resigned as speaker and Mifflin was re-elected.
Dissolving the Assembly
Before the Pennsylvania Constitution was adopted in 1790, the state had a unicameral legislature. Wynkoop was a member of that legislature. On Saturday, September 4, 1790, the Assembly made an address to the people of the state of Pennsylvania, indicating the body was resigning from power due to concerns that their authority had ceased at the adoption of the new state Constitution. The speaker of the Assembly, Richard Peters, declined to be seated. Wynkoop was instead seated in the speaker's chair for this address.Miscellaneous notes
Wynkoop, along with Jacob Hiltheimer, escorted Richard PetersRichard Peters (Continental Congress)
Richard Peters sometimes Richard Peters, Jr., to distinguish from his uncle, though this can also mean his son Richard), was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress in 1782 and 1783...
to the speaker's chair after his election. Peters was the final speaker of the unicameral general assembly.
According to Wynkoop's obituary, he served nineteen years in the Assembly. It also notes that he served as speaker for several of those years. However, he was elected Bucks County Assessor in 1771 and 1773, which puts this claim in dispute. It could be correct if the writer meant to include both the State Assembly and the House of Representatives (Wynkoop lost the election in 1794), assuming Wynkoop won his first election to the Assembly in 1775.
Elections (Bucks County)
- 1790 – 1,652 votes (along with John Chapman – 1651, James Bryan – 1636, Ralph Stover – 1593)
- 1791 (along with John Chapman, James Bryan, Ralph Stover)
- 1792 (had to be elected in order to be elected speaker, but election returns not found)
- 1793 (along with John Chapman, Joseph Erwin, Ralph Stover)
- 1794 – came in fifth place with 537 votes, losing the election (top four chosen)
Other political offices/positions
Assessor for Bucks County- 1771
- 1773
Presidential Elector
- Election of 1792
Wynkoop chaired a meeting on September 20, 1792 in Lancaster to select candidates for Congressional seats and Presidential electors. The list of electors does not include his name. However, an article dated August 27, 1792 does list his name as a Presidential elector.