Jacob Sommer (14 February 1758 – February 1827) was an officer in the American Revolution, a Pennsylvania State Senator, and an Associate Judge who lived in Moreland Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The neighborhood of

Somerton Somerton may refer to: Places Australia *Somerton, New South Wales *Somerton Park, South Australia, a seaside Adelaide suburb **Somerton Man, unsolved case of an unidentified man found dead in 1948 on the Somerton Park beach *Somerton, Victoria Un ...

in northeast Philadelphia was named for him.

Early life

Born in Philadelphia, Jacob Sommer was the son of Johannes (John) and Anna Eva Sommer. The Sommer family emigrated from Freistett, Baden, Germany, arriving in Philadelphia in 1752. John Sommer, Jacob's father, purchased property in the Manor of Moreland in 1761 where he was later recorded as a town supervisor in 1773 and a tax collector in 1775.

Prisoner of war

During the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolu ...

, toward the end of the

Philadelphia campaign The Philadelphia campaign (1777–1778) was a British effort in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress. British General William Howe, after failing to draw ...

, the

Battle of Crooked Billet The Battle of Crooked Billet was a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on May 1, 1778 near the Crooked Billet Tavern (present-day Hatboro, Pennsylvania). In the skirmish action, British forces under the ...

occurred in

Hatboro, Pennsylvania Hatboro (known locally as the Boro) is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,238 at the 2020 census. History The town of Hatboro is located on land purchased from William Penn by the family of Nichola ...

, about six miles distant from a village in

Moreland The City of Merri-bek is a local government area in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. It comprises the inner northern suburbs between 4 and 11 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD. The Merri-bek local government area covers , and in June 2018, ...

called Smithfield. The battle occurred on May 1, 1778, the same date that Ensign Jacob Sommers of the Pennsylvania militia was taken prisoner at his home. /fold3.com Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War accessed 5 September 2015; citing NARA microfilm publication M881, roll 0840. Ensign Jacob Sommer was held prisoner on Long Island for four years until his release in 1782.

Political career

The political career of Jacob Sommer of Moreland included running for the following elected offices, all for representation in Philadelphia County: Jacob Sommer was commissioned as an associate judge for the District Court of Philadelphia from 1811 to 1821. He continued to be known as a judge in subsequent years because in 1824, Judge Jacob Sommer was a member of the correspondence committee to elect

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame a ...

for U.S. President.

Personal life

The marital life of Jacob Sommer is unknown. He died in February, 1827 at the age of 69, and was buried at the cemetery of St. Michael's and Zion German Lutheran Church in Philadelphia. His will mentioned only one child, Dr. John Sommer of Philadelphia.Philadelphia County (Pennsylvania), Register of Wills, ''Wills, 1682-1916'', vol 9, will 22; citing FHL microfilm 21,735.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sommer, Jacob 1758 births 1827 deaths Pennsylvania state senators Pennsylvania militiamen in the American Revolution