Thomas Smith (jurist)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Smith was a politician and jurist from Pennsylvania
. Smith was born near Cruden
, Aberdeenshire
, Scotland
. He attended the University of Edinburgh
, and then migrated to the United States
, where he settled in Bedford, Pennsylvania
on February 9, 1769. He became a deputy surveyor that same year. Smith then studied law, was admitted to the bar, and began practicing as a lawyer in 1772. He became a deputy register of wills and prothonotary in 1773, and a justice of the peace in 1774.
When the Revolutionary War
broke out, Smith served as a deputy colonel of militia. He was a delegate to Pennsylvania's constitutional convention in 1776, and elected as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from 1776 until 1780. Smith was then chosen to be a delegate to the Continental Congress
from 1781 to 1782. He was later a judge of the court of common pleas in 1791, and finally on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
from 1794 until 1809. Smith died in Philadelphia
and was buried in Christ Church Burial Ground
.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Smith was born near Cruden
Cruden
Cruden may refer to:People* Aaron Cruden , rugby player* Alexander Cruden , author* Damian Cruden, theatre director* Kwamé Cruden , footballerOther* Cruden Bay, village in Scotland...
, Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He attended the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, and then migrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he settled in Bedford, Pennsylvania
Bedford, Pennsylvania
Bedford is a borough in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, west of the State Capital, Harrisburg. It is the county seat of Bedford County. Bedford was established in the mid-18th century. Population counts follow: 1890, 2,242; 1900, 2,167; 1910, 2,385. The population was 3,141 at the 2000...
on February 9, 1769. He became a deputy surveyor that same year. Smith then studied law, was admitted to the bar, and began practicing as a lawyer in 1772. He became a deputy register of wills and prothonotary in 1773, and a justice of the peace in 1774.
When the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
broke out, Smith served as a deputy colonel of militia. He was a delegate to Pennsylvania's constitutional convention in 1776, and elected as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
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....
from 1776 until 1780. Smith was then chosen to be a delegate to the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
from 1781 to 1782. He was later a judge of the court of common pleas in 1791, and finally on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
from 1794 until 1809. Smith died in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and was buried in Christ Church Burial Ground
Christ Church Burial Ground
Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an important early-American cemetery. It is the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin and his wife, Deborah. Four other signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried here, Dr. Benjamin Rush, Francis Hopkinson, Joseph Hewes...
.