Smedley Darlington
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Smedley Darlington (December 24, 1827 – June 24, 1899) was an American politician who served as a Republican 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 ...
for
Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district is a district in the state of Pennsylvania. It includes almost all of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chester County and the southeastern portion of Berks County, Pennsylvania, Berks County including the ci ...
from 1887 to 1891.


Biography

Darlington was born in
Pocopson Township, Pennsylvania Pocopson Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,582 at the 2010 census. History There are indications that Pocopson Township was once named Kennet Township, with the change happening before ...
on December 24, 1827, the son of son of Richard and Edith (Smedley) Darlington. He attended the common schools and the Friends' Central School 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 ...
. He taught at Friends’ Central School for several years, and while teaching he made stenographic reports of sermons, lectures, and speeches for the newspapers of Philadelphia. He established a school in
Ercildoun, Pennsylvania Ercildoun, population about 100, is an unincorporated community in East Fallowfield Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The hamlet was founded by Quakers and was an early center of the abolitionist movement. In 1985 the enti ...
. First known as Ercildoun Seminary, it was later called Darlington Seminary, and Darlington operated it as an academy for boys during its first three years, then converted it to a school for girls. Darlington Academy remained open for 12 years. He enlisted in the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
as a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
and was subsequently promoted to the rank of
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
in Beaumont’s Independent Company of Cavalry, Pennsylvania Volunteer Emergency Militia. He was discharged with the company on September 24, 1862. He moved to
West Chester, Pennsylvania West Chester is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located in the Delaware Valley, Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,671 at the 2020 census. West ...
, in 1864. After the war, Darlington became active in banking and investment brokering, and owned interests in several financial institutions and corporations. He was an early entrant into the petroleum industry in the 1880s, and maintained an office in
Oil City, Pennsylvania Oil City is the largest city in Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States. Known for its prominence in the initial exploration and development of the petroleum industry, it is located at a bend in the Allegheny River at the mouth of Oil Cre ...
from which he managed his involvement. In 1885, he founded the Chester County Guaranty Trust & Safe Deposit Company, and he served as its president until 1897. Darlington was a delegate to the
1872 Liberal Republican convention An influential group of dissident Republicans split from the party to form the Liberal Republican Party in 1870. At the party's only national convention, held in Cincinnati in 1872, ''New York Tribune'' editor Horace Greeley was nominated for p ...
and the
1896 Republican National Convention The 1896 Republican National Convention was held in a temporary structure south of the St. Louis City Hall in St. Louis, Missouri, from June 16 to June 18, 1896. Former Governor William McKinley of Ohio was nominated for president on the first ...
. In 1886, he was elected as a Republican to the 50th Congress. He was reelected to the 51st Congresses in 1888. Darlington served as a Representative from March 4, 1887 to March 3, 1891 and was not a candidate for renomination in 1890. Darlington died in West Chester on June 24, 1899. His funeral took place at his home, "Faunbrook" on June 26, and he was buried at Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester. In 1851, Darlington married Mary Edwards Baker. They were the parents of 11 children, four of whom died in infancy. Their daughter
Isabel Isabel is a female name of Iberian origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of ''Elizabeth (given name), Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew ''Elisheba''). Arising in the 12th c ...
became the first woman to practice law in Chester County. His daughter Maud became the wife of Thomas S. Butler, who also served in Congress, and the mother of Marine Corps Major General Smedley Darlington Butler. He was the second cousin of Congressmen
Edward Darlington Edward Darlington (September 17, 1795 – November 21, 1884) was a three term member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania from the Anti-Masonic Party. His cousins Isaac Darlington and William Darlington were also both members ...
,
Isaac Darlington Isaac Darlington (December 13, 1781 – April 27, 1839) was an American politician and judge from Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chester County from 18 ...
, and
William Darlington William Darlington (April 28, 1782 – April 23, 1863) was an American physician, botanist, and politician who served as a Democratic-Republican Party, Democratic-Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 2nd cong ...
.


Photos

File:Smedley Darlington House.JPG, Darlington's house in West Chester File:Smedley Darlington Grave in Oaklands Cemetery, West Chester, Pennsylvania.jpg, Darlington's grave at Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester, Pennsylvania


References


Sources


Books

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External links

Retrieved on 2008-02-14
Smedley Darlington
at The Political Graveyard {{DEFAULTSORT:Darlington, Smedley 1827 births 1899 deaths Burials at Oaklands Cemetery Union army officers Pennsylvania Liberal Republicans Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Politicians from Chester County, Pennsylvania People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives