Thomas Irwin
Encyclopedia
Thomas Irwin was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
, and later a United States federal judge
.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, Irwin attended the common schools and Franklin College
, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
. He became editor of the Philadelphia Repository in 1804. He read law to be admitted to the bar in 1808 and commenced practice in Uniontown, Pennsylvania
. He was appointed Indian agent at Natchitoches, Louisiana
, where he also engaged in the practice of law for two years. He returned to Uniontown in 1811 and resumed the practice of law, also serving as a deputy state attorney general of Fayette County, Pennsylvania
from 1812 to 1819. He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from 1824 to 1828.
Irwin was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-first
Congress. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1830
. On April 14, 1831, Irwin received a recess appointment
from President Andrew Jackson
to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
vacated by William Wilkins
. Formally nominated on December 7, 1831, Irwin was confirmed by the United States Senate
on March 21, 1832, and received his commission the same day. He served until January 4, 1859, when he resigned from the bench under threat of impeachment. He lived in retirement until his death, in 1870, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. Interment in Allegheny Cemetery
.
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...
, and later a United States federal judge
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Irwin attended the common schools and Franklin College
Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin & Marshall College is a four-year private co-educational residential national liberal arts college in the Northwest Corridor neighborhood of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States....
, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
. He became editor of the Philadelphia Repository in 1804. He read law to be admitted to the bar in 1808 and commenced practice in Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...
. He was appointed Indian agent at Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
, where he also engaged in the practice of law for two years. He returned to Uniontown in 1811 and resumed the practice of law, also serving as a deputy state attorney general of Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....
from 1812 to 1819. He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
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 1824 to 1828.
Irwin was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-first
21st United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: John C. Calhoun * President pro tempore: Samuel Smith - House of Representatives :* Speaker: Andrew Stevenson -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
Congress. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1830
United States House election, 1830
The U.S. House election, 1830 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1830.The brass style of Congress during the reign of Andrew Jackson caused a number of Americans to become discontent with the government and both of its major parties. Anger over the Tariff of 1828 also...
. On April 14, 1831, Irwin received a recess appointment
Recess appointment
A recess appointment is the appointment, by the President of the United States, of a senior federal official while the U.S. Senate is in recess. The U.S. Constitution requires that the most senior federal officers must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming office, but while the Senate is in...
from President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania sits in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is composed of ten judges as authorized by federal law. The Honorable Judge Gary L. Lancaster is currently Chief Judge of the Western Pennsylvania District...
vacated by William Wilkins
William Wilkins (U.S. politician)
William Wilkins was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During his career, he served in both houses of the Pennsylvania State Legislature, and in all three branches of the United States federal government, including service as a United States federal judge, as...
. Formally nominated on December 7, 1831, Irwin was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on March 21, 1832, and received his commission the same day. He served until January 4, 1859, when he resigned from the bench under threat of impeachment. He lived in retirement until his death, in 1870, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Interment in Allegheny Cemetery
Allegheny Cemetery
Allegheny Cemetery is one of the largest and oldest burial grounds in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.It is a nonsectarian, wooded hillside park located at 4734 Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood and bounded by Bloomfield, Garfield, and Stanton Heights...
.