Moses Hampton (October 16, 1803 – June 27, 1878) was a Whig member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

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 ...

Biography

Moses Hampton was born in

Beaver, Pennsylvania Beaver is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is located near the confluence of the Beaver and Ohio rivers, approximately northwest of Pittsburgh. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,438. ...

. He moved with his parents to

Trumbull County, Ohio Trumbull County is a County (United States), county in the far northeast portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 201,977. Its county seat and largest city is Warren, Ohio, Warren, ...

. He pursued

classical studies Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek and Roman literature and their original languages ...

and graduated from Washington College (now known as

Washington and Jefferson College Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. The college traces its origin to three Presbyterian missionaries in the 1780s: John McMillan, Thaddeus Dod, and ...

) in

Washington, Pennsylvania Washington, also known as Little Washington to distinguish it from the District of Columbia, is a city in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 13,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...

, in 1827. He studied law in

Uniontown, Pennsylvania Uniontown is the largest city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 9,984 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, southeast of Pittsburgh. History southeast of ...

, was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1829 and commenced practice in

Somerset, Pennsylvania Somerset ( ) is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 6,046 at the 2020 census. The borough is surrounded by Somerset Township and is located off the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-70 an ...

. He moved to

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, in 1838 and continued the practice of law, founding the

law firm A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise consumer, clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and Obligation, respon ...

which would ultimately become

Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC is an American law firm and lobbying group based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The firm has more than 450 lawyers in offices in 15 U.S. cities. As of 2022, Buchanan Ingersoll is the third-largest law firm in Pittsbur ...

. Hampton was elected as a Whig to the Thirtieth and Thirty-first Congresses. He was not a candidate for renomination in

1850 Events January–March * January 29 – Henry Clay introduces the Compromise of 1850 to the United States Congress. * January 31 – The University of Rochester is founded in Rochester, New York. * January – Sacramento, Ca ...

. He served as president judge of the

Allegheny County Allegheny County ( ) is a county in Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's second-most populous county, after Philadelphia County. Its county seat and most populous city is Pit ...

, District Court from 1853 to 1879. He died at his home, "Hampton Place," adjoining the village of

Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania Wilkinsburg is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough has a population of 14,349 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Wilkinsburg is part of the Greater Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh ...

. Interment in

Allegheny Cemetery Allegheny Cemetery is one of the largest and oldest burial grounds in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is a historic rural cemetery. The non-sectarian, wooded hillside park is located at 4734 Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood, and b ...

. He is the namesake of

Hampton Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Hampton Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,470 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. History The first settlers of present-day Hampton Township in no ...

Sources

The Political Graveyard

External links

Notes

1803 births 1878 deaths Washington & Jefferson College alumni Pennsylvania lawyers Pennsylvania state court judges Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century people from Pennsylvania Burials at Allegheny Cemetery 19th-century Pennsylvania state court judges 19th-century American lawyers People associated with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives {{Pennsylvania-state-judge-stub