Husband John Galbraith, Jr. 1 2 3 4
AKA: John Galbreath 5
Born: 2 Aug 1794 - Huntingdon Co, PA 4 6
Christened:
Died: 15 Jun 1860 - Erie, Erie Co, PA 2 4 6
Buried: - Erie Cemetery, Erie, Erie Co, PA
Father: John Galbraith (Abt 1748- ) 1 6 7 8 9
Mother: Annie White ( - ) 7
Marriage: May 1822 4
Wife Amy Ayres 2 4 6
Born:
Christened:
Died: 2 Mar 1868 - Philadelphia, PA 2 4
Buried:
Father: Rev. Robert Ayres (1761-1845) 10
Mother:
Children
1 M William Ayres Galbraith 2 6 11
Born: 9 May 1823 - Franklin, Venango Co, PA 2 6 11
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Fanny Davenport (1826-1893) 2 12 13
Marr: 25 May 1846 2 13
2 F Elizabeth Ann Galbraith 2 4
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: William S. Lane ( - ) 2 4
General Notes: Husband - John Galbraith, Jr.
He was largely educated by his father. He studied law in Butler, Pennsylvania, and there established the first newspaper in the county called the Butler Palladium and Republican Star. He sold out to Morris and John Bredin and then went to Venango County, and established a paper, but ultimately removed to Erie, became Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and was twice sent to Congress. A female slave brought in by the family was liberated by the emancipation act of that early period, and upon the death of his brother, Alexander, John, Jr. took her to Erie and provided for her until her death.
His father moved to Butler County, Pennsylvania, about the beginning of the 1800s where the son grew to early manhood on a farm. Long before he was of age he was in charge of a school and in due time served an apprenticeship to the printing business in the same office in Butler where James Thompson, afterward chief justice, was employed. Tiring of the printing business he turned his attention to the law, and after a course of study in the office of General William Ayres, of Butler, was admitted to the bar when about twenty-four years of age. Early in 1819 he became a resident of Franklin and was admitted to the practice of his profession at Franklin, February 23, 1819, where his fine legal attainments soon won him a conspicuous place among the leading attorneys of the Venango bar. Possessing the elements of the successful politician he rose rapidly in popular esteem, and in 1828 was elected a member of the state legislature and reelected three times in succession. In 1832 he was elected on the Democratic ticket to the congress of the United States and re-elected in 1834, in the deliberations of which body he took an active part both as member of important committees and on the floor as a speaker. In 1837 he moved to Erie, and the following year was again elected to congress from this district. In November, 1851, he was elected president judge of the district embracing Erie, Crawford, and Mercer counties, running as a Democratic candidate in a district which usually gave about one thousand one hundred Whig majority. His death occurred before the expiration of his term.
As a lawyer Judge Galbraith possessed fine legal attainments, was thoroughly versed in the principles of jurisprudence, and early took rank among the successful jurists of western Pennsylvania. Careful in the preparation of all legal papers, clear headed in the management of cases, in his statements of propositions, and addresses to juries, he was inclined to be somewhat lengthy but always explicit. He was one of the foremost men in promoting the various public enterprises that gave the first strong impulse to Erie county, the pioneer in building a railroad from Erie to the Ohio line, besides being a leading spirit in various other important internal improvements in the western part of the state. [HVC 1890, 171]
Judge Galbraith was one of the foremost men in promoting the various public enterprises that gave the first strong impulse to Erie county. He was the pioneer in projecting the railroad from Erie to the Ohio State line, and aided greatly in reviving the long dormant proposed railroad from Erie to Sunbury, now the Philadelphia & Erie railroad. One of his favorite ideas, the establishment of a prison for youthful offenders exclusively, has been adopted by the State in the institution at Huntingdon, and elsewhere. [HAC 1914, 663]
The Venango Democrat, although marked by greater permanency than its contemporaries, experienced frequent changes in ownership and management. It was not issued with any degree of regularity until 1828, when a new series was begun. About that time it was acquired by John Galbraith and published in his interest by different persons, eventually absorbing the Herald and reaching a condition of comparative prosperity. Among those who published the Democrat in the interest of Mr. Galbraith were Sylvester W. Randall, John Warden Hunter, and Jonathan Ayres. Randall lived near the outlet lock, and boarded the apprentices in his office, among whom were John S. McCalmont, of Washington city, afterward president judge of Venango County, and William A. Galbraith, afterward president judge of Erie County. Hunter was a young man from Mercer County; he succeeded Randall in 1835 and was followed in 1836 by Ayres, a connection of Galbraith's from Butler, who afterward practiced law at Franklin a short time and then removed to New Castle. Randall was also a lawyer, and located at Joliet, Illinois, after relinquishing the printing business. There he rose rapidly in his profession and became judge. In view of the contemplated removal of Galbraith from Franklin, a number of leading Democrats, prominent among whom was Doctor George R. Espy, consummated the purchase of the paper in the summer of 1836.
"GALBRAITH, John, a Representative from Pennsylvania; born in Huntingdon, Pa., on August 2, 1794; moved with his parents in 1796 to Allegheny Township, Huntingdon County, Pa., and subsequently, in 1802, to Centre Township, Butler County; attended the common schools; served an apprenticeship at the printer's trade; taught school; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1817 and commenced practice in Butler, Pa.; moved to Franklin, Venango County, Pa., in 1822 and continued the practice of his profession; member of the State house of representatives 1829-1832; elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Congresses (March 4, 1833-March 3, 1837); unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1836; moved to Erie, Pa., in 1837; resumed the practice of law; elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-sixth Congress (March 4, 1839-March 3, 1841); was not a candidate for renomination in 1840; again engaged in the practice of law; elected president judge of the sixth judicial district in 1851 and served until his death in Erie, Pa., and June 15, 1860; interment in Erie Cemetery. "
FROM BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF UNITED STATES CONGRESS