Major General John Barker (1746April 3, 1818) was twice

mayor of Philadelphia The mayor of Philadelphia is the chief executive of the government of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Philadelphia. The current mayor of Philadelphia is Jim Kenney. History The first mayor of Philadelphia, ...

. He was also a

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

. Barker served in the Revolutionary War and remained active in the military through 1808, when he retired as Major General of the First Brigade, First Division. He served twice as sheriff of Philadelphia, from 1794 to 1797 and 1803 to 1807. He was appointed an alderman of the city of Philadelphia by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Thomas McKean on October 22, 1800. He was elected mayor by the Select and Common Councils on October 20, 1808, and was re-elected in 1809 and again, after an interval of two years, in 1812. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, he served on the city's Committee of Defense. He died in Philadelphia at age 72.

Family

He was the only son of James Barker. He was the father of playwright

James Nelson Barker James Nelson Barker (June 17, 1784 – March 9, 1858) was an American soldier, playwright and politician. He rose to the rank of major in the Army during the War of 1812, wrote ten plays, and was mayor of Philadelphia. Early life Barker was born ...

, who served in the army during the

, rising to the rank of major, and who was also later mayor of Philadelphia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, John 1740s births 1818 deaths Continental Army officers from Pennsylvania Mayors of Philadelphia People from colonial Pennsylvania People from Pennsylvania in the War of 1812 Sheriffs of Philadelphia