Hon. James A. Stranahan and Mary E. Robinson

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Husband Hon. James A. Stranahan ^{1 2 3}

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           Born: 7 Mar 1839 - Philadelphia, PA 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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         Father: Andrew Stranahan (Abt 1789-1869) 2 4
         Mother: Eliza Holliday (Abt 1800-Aft 1896) 2

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       Marriage: 14 May 1865 or 1867 - Mercer Co, PA 2 3

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   Other Spouse: Elizabeth Ewing (      -      ) 2 - 25 Feb 1874 - Hartstown, Crawford Co, PA 2

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Wife Mary E. Robinson ^{2 3}

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 31 Mar 1868 2
         Buried: 

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         Father: William M. Robinson (1814-      ) 2 3 5 6
         Mother: Eliza Laughrey (      -      ) 3 5

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Children

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1 M Charles Stranahan ^{2 3}

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: when a few months old
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Did Not Marry

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General Notes: Husband - Hon. James A. Stranahan

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He was educated in the Mercer Union Schools and Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. His early life was spent on a farm. He was admitted to the Mercer bar in April, 1864, and continued to practice his chosen profession thereafter. He entered the service of his country as first lieutenant of Company B, United States Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served six months, and was detailed as post adjutant at Cumberland, Maryland. He was a member of the State Legislature during the winter of 1883-84. He was a Democrat and a member of the Presbyterian Church.

He received his primary education in the public schools of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When twelve years old he removed with his parents to Mercer County, where he completed his education in the township common schools, Mercer Union School and Westminster College, at New Wilmington, and was graduated at the latter institution. He began the study of law with Hon. John Trunkey, late justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and was admitted to the Mercer County bar in 1864, where he practiced until 1891, when he was appointed deputy attorney general by Governor Pattison, and filled this office for four years. While acting as deputy attorney general that department, from 1891 to 1895, was engaged in the settlement of complicated legal questions arising under the revenue laws of the Commonwealth, and he had to contend with the leading lawyers of the state, who were counsel for the corporations. After his retirement from active practice at the Dauphin County bar he was consulted in many prominent cases. The most noted was the mandamus proceedings against the secretary of the Commonwealth to test the constitutionality of the act of Assembly of 1895, as applied to the question of limited voting\emdash whether a voter could be restricted to voting for six judges when seven were to be elected to the Superior Court. Although the decision was adverse to him in the court below he carried the case to the Supreme Court and had the decision of the lower court reversed, and thus established the principal of limited voting under the Constitution in Pennsylvania.
From 1851 to 1864 he was engaged in work on his father's farm, attending school in the winter months. In 1864 he enlisted as a private in company H, Second battalion, six months' Pennsylvania volunteers, and was mustered in as second lieutenant, and occupied the position of post adjutant at Cumberland, Maryland, during his term of service under Maj. Herman Kretz, now superintendent of the mint at Philadelphia, who was provost marshal at Cumberland at that time. He was mustered out at the expiration of his term of service, and finally discharged at Pittsburgh. He returned to Mercer and resumed the study of law. He was elected to the Legislature in 1873, and represented Mercer County one term. He was chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee in 1894. In political views he was a Democrat, and an active and influential worker in the party.
He and his wife were members of the Second Presbyterian church of Mercer. Mr. Stranahan conducted a general law practice in Harrisburg.

1 Editor, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 698.

2 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Company, Publishers, 1896), Pg 439.

3 O. S. Marshall, The Marshall Family (Kittanning, PA: Steam Press of Reichert Bros., 1884), Pg 25.

4 Editor, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 897.

5 Editor, History of Indiana County, Pennsylvania (Newark, OH: J. A. Caldwell, 1880), Pg 433.

6 Editor, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 538.