Matthias J. Pennypacker (September 10, 1819 – August 31, 1899) was an American politician from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. He served as a member of the

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. It ...

, representing

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States ** Chester County Council, boy scout council in Pennsylvania. * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire ...

in 1855.

Early life

Matthias J. Pennypacker was born on September 10, 1819, at Pennypacker's Mill in

Schuylkill Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania Schuylkill Township is a Township (Pennsylvania), township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It contains the village of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Valley Forge. The population was 8,516 at the 2010 ...

, to Sarah (née Anderson) and

Matthias Pennypacker Matthias Pennypacker (August 15, 1786 – April 4, 1852) was an American politician from Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chester County from 1827 to 18 ...

. His father was a farmer and miller and operated a sawmill. His father also served in the

and was a member of the constitutional convention. His ancestors changed their surname from Pfannebecker to Pennypacker after immigrating to America. Pennypacker studied at the school of Joshua Hoopes in West Chester. He studied medicine and graduated from the

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine The Perelman School of Medicine (commonly known as Penn Med) is the medical school of the University of Pennsylvania, a Private university, private, Ivy League research university located in Philadelphia. Founded in 1765, the Perelman School of M ...

in 1841.

Career

After graduating, Pennypacker practiced medicine in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

for a time before moving back to

and practicing medicine there. He then worked as an assistant superintendent and manager of the Phoenixville Iron Works for two years. In 1849, he became a superintendent at Durham Iron Works in Durham Township in

Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

. He worked there for one year before resigning due to poor health. He then returned to Chester County and purchased a farm and worked the land. He owned a farm and a grist mill. Pennypacker was a Republican. He served as a member of the

, representing Chester County in 1855.

Personal life

Pennypacker married Annie R. Walker, daughter of William Walker, of Tredyffrin Township on April 27, 1848. They had five sons and four daughters, including William H., Matthias A., Sarah, Mary Athalia, Isaac A. and Annie W. His wife died in 1868. In 1878, he married Kate A. Cook, daughter of Tillinghast J. Cook, of

Parkersburg, West Virginia Parkersburg is a city in Wood County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. Located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Little Kanawha River, Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's List of municipalities in West Virginia ...

. They had one son, James C. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in

Phoenixville Phoenixville is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia at the junction of French Creek (Schuylkill River tributary), French Creek an ...

. His nephew was Pennsylvania Governor

Samuel W. Pennypacker Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker (April 9, 1843 – September 2, 1916) was an American judge and politician who served as the 23rd governor of Pennsylvania from 1903 to 1907. A judge assigned to Pennsylvania's Court of Common Pleas system prior to his ...

. Pennypacker died on August 31, 1899, at his home in Schuylkill Township. He was buried at Morris Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pennypacker, Matthias J. 1819 births 1899 deaths Politicians from Chester County, Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 19th-century American farmers 19th-century American physicians 19th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly