Member Biography

Jesse Reading Burden 

Member

History of Central High School (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1902)

Sessions Office Position District Party
1827-1828       2 Democrat
1828-1829       2 Democrat
1829-1830       2 Democrat
1830-1831       2 Democrat
1831-1832       2 Democrat
1832-1833       2 Democrat
1833-1834     Speaker 2 Democrat
1834-1835       2 Democrat
1835-1836       2 Democrat
1836-1837       2 Democrat
1837-1838     Speaker 2 Whig

COUNTIES: Philadelphia  


Biography

01/08/1796 - 05/02/1875


Doctor Jesse Reading Burden (D2) Philadelphia County 1827-1837 (Whig2) Philadelphia County 1837-1838

Early Life: 

Doctor Jesse Reading Burden, born January 8, 1796, Southwark, Philadelphia County Pennsylvania; son of Joseph and Anna Maria Burden; University of Pennsylvania, 1816, University of Pennsylvania, medical degree, 1819; enlisted, first medical officer, Fourth United States Infantry, Tampa Bay, Florida, 1823; married Anna Maria Smith; established Southwark medical practice, 1827; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate 1827-1837; elected, Speaker of the Senate, 1833-1834;  elected, Whig, Pennsylvania State Senate 1827-1837; elected, Speaker of the Senate, 1837-1838; delegate, Baltimore Democratic Convention, 1835; State Board of Prison Inspectors, 1835-1855; elected, Whig, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1840; elected, Whig, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1850; died, Sunday May 2, 1875, at home, 238 Pine Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County Pennsylvania; interment, Lafayette Cemetery, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

Early Career:

Supervised, Philadelphia’s yellow fever hospital, 1820; served, Philadelphia Board of Health; enlisted, first medical officer, Fourth United States Infantry, Tampa Bay, Florida, 1823-1824; instrumental in fighting the cholera outbreak, Philadelphia, 1832; director, Philadelphia Bank; president, professor, Materia Medica and Therapeutics, Philadelphia College of Medicine, 1849-1854.

Professional titlesbusiness ownershipboard membershipslocal governmentclub memberships:

Trustee, Jefferson College; Trustee, Pennsylvania State Lunatic Asylum, Harrisburg; Secretary, Pennsylvania Society for the Abolishment of Slavery; member, Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania Lodge No. 2, Ancient York Masons.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 2nd district, Philadelphia County, 1827-1838; elected, Speaker of the Senate, 1833-1834, Whig, Pennsylvania State Senate, 2nd district, Philadelphia County, 1837-1838, elected, Speaker of the Senate, 1837-1838. 

Delegate, Baltimore Democratic Convention, 1835; State Board of Prison Inspectors, 1835-1855.

Elected, Whig, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1840. 

Elected, Whig, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1850.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:

Not available at this time.

Cited:

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members B"Wilkes University Election Statistics ProjectWilkes University.

Jesse R Burden (1797-1875) - Find a Grave Memorial