Henry Black (Representative)
Encyclopedia
Henry Black was a Whig
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
.
of Somerset, Pennsylvania
. He engaged in agricultural pursuits.
from 1816 to 1818. He was elected as a Democrat in 1816. He was a justice of the peace
and appointed by the Governor of Pennsylvania as an associate judge of Somerset County, Pennsylvania
, from 1820 to 1840.
for President and Richard Rush
for Vice President). He was also on the Whig Electoral Ticket for the 24th district in the Election of 1840.
Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles Ogle
. The election was held on Tuesday, June 8, 1841. The vote for Black was approximately 2,703 with the opposition (party not named) getting 1,320 votes (Black receiving a majority of 1,383 more votes). The Daily Atlas lists the opposition candidate's name as "Pilson". (However, the same newspaper listed a "Mr. Philson of Somerset" as the opponent in the special election to replace Black after his death.)
. Cenotaph
at Congressional Cemetery
in Washington, D.C.
On Thursday, December 9, 1841, his colleague Representative Joseph Lawrence
took to the House floor to announce Black's death and provide a eulogy. Lawrence stated that Black was well liked by anyone who came into contact with him. Lawrence indicated that Black was his childhood friend. Lawrence also stated that Black had been in good health the day before his death. Lawrence then submitted a resolution that crape should be worn in honor of Black's death. The resolution was adopted.
According to the Philadelphia U.S. Gazette (reprinted in the Easton Gazette), he was virtuous and well liked.
Jeremiah S. Black
and his grandson was Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Chauncey Forward Black
.
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Early life
Henry Black was born near the boroughBorough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Somerset, Pennsylvania
Somerset, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,762 people, 3,035 households, and 1,717 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,466.0 people per square mile . There were 3,313 housing units at an average density of 1,208.2 per square mile...
. He engaged in agricultural pursuits.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
He served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of RepresentativesPennsylvania 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 1816 to 1818. He was elected as a Democrat in 1816. He was a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and appointed by the Governor of Pennsylvania as an associate judge of Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Somerset County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 77,742. Somerset County was created on April 17, 1795, from part of Bedford County and named for Somerset, United Kingdom. Its county seat is Somerset. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania,...
, from 1820 to 1840.
Electoral Tickets
Black was on the People's Ticket (electoral ticket) for the Election of 1828, in the 13th district (John Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
for President and Richard Rush
Richard Rush
Richard Rush was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the second son of Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and Julia Rush. He entered the College of New Jersey at the age of 14, and graduated in 1797 as the youngest member of his class...
for Vice President). He was also on the Whig Electoral Ticket for the 24th district in the Election of 1840.
United States House of Representatives
Black was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-seventh27th United States Congress
The Twenty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1841 to March 3, 1843, during the one-month...
Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles Ogle
Charles Ogle (politician)
Charles Ogle was an Anti-Masonic and Whig member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.Charles Ogle was born in Somerset, Pennsylvania. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1822 and commenced practice in Somerset...
. The election was held on Tuesday, June 8, 1841. The vote for Black was approximately 2,703 with the opposition (party not named) getting 1,320 votes (Black receiving a majority of 1,383 more votes). The Daily Atlas lists the opposition candidate's name as "Pilson". (However, the same newspaper listed a "Mr. Philson of Somerset" as the opponent in the special election to replace Black after his death.)
Death
Black served in the House of Representatives until his death at his residence in Somerset in 1841. The cause of death was apoplexy.Memorials
Interment in the family cemetery in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, PennsylvaniaStonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Stonycreek Township is a township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,221 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. Cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
at Congressional Cemetery
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the final resting place of thousands of individuals who helped form the nation and the city of Washington in the early 19th century. Many members of...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
On Thursday, December 9, 1841, his colleague Representative Joseph Lawrence
Joseph Lawrence (Pennsylvania)
Joseph Lawrence was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.-Early life:Joseph Lawrence was born near Hunterstown, Pennsylvania. He moved with his widowed mother to a farm in Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1789, and attended the common schools...
took to the House floor to announce Black's death and provide a eulogy. Lawrence stated that Black was well liked by anyone who came into contact with him. Lawrence indicated that Black was his childhood friend. Lawrence also stated that Black had been in good health the day before his death. Lawrence then submitted a resolution that crape should be worn in honor of Black's death. The resolution was adopted.
According to the Philadelphia U.S. Gazette (reprinted in the Easton Gazette), he was virtuous and well liked.
Descendants
His son was Attorney GeneralUnited States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
Jeremiah S. Black
Jeremiah S. Black
Jeremiah Sullivan Black was an American statesman and lawyer. He was the son of Representative Henry Black, and the father of writer and Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania Chauncey Forward Black....
and his grandson was Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Chauncey Forward Black
Chauncey Forward Black
Chauncey Forward Black was the Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania from 1883 to 1887. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania in 1886....
.