Member Biography

Charles Biddle 

Member
Sessions Office Position District Party
1810-1811       1 Federalist
1811-1812       1 Federalist
1812-1813       1 Federalist
1813-1814       1 Federalist

Biography

12/24/1745 - 04/18/1821


Charles Biddle (Federalist1) Philadelphia City and Philadelphia County 1810-1814

Early Life:

Charles Biddle, born December 24, 1745, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, British Colonial America; son of William and Mary Scull Biddle, mariner merchant’s apprentice, 1759, Beaufort, North Carolina; merchant captain, 1762-1778; served, Revolution; married, Hannah Shepard, 1778, children, Mary Biddle, Nicholas Biddle (died in infancy), William Shepard Biddle, James Biddle, Edward Biddle, Nicholas Biddle, Charles Biddle Jr., Thomas Biddle, John Biddle, Richard Biddle; removed, Reading, Pennsylvania, 1780; continued military service; elected, Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council, 1784; vice president, Pennsylvania Supreme Council, 1785-1787; secretary, Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council, 1787-1791; prothonotary, Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, 1791-1809, elected, Federalist, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1810-1814; founder, Pennsylvania Academy, Fine Arts, 1805; charter member, Society of Cincinnati, 1783; treasurer, Society of Cincinnati, 1811; director, Bank of Philadelphia, 1793-1821; died, April 4, 1821; interment, Christ Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. 

Early Life:
Joined, Captain Joseph Cowperthwait's Pennsylvania Militia Company, Quaker Light Infantry; Served, under his brother, Commodore Nicholas Biddle, aboard the United States Ship Randolph. USS Randolph, 32-gun frigate, Continental Navy; named, Founding Father, Peyton Randolph, president, First Continental Congress. 

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Ex officio trustee, University of the State of Pennsylvania (now, University of Pennsylvania) during his term, Vice-President of Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council; founder, Pennsylvania Academy, Fine Arts, 1805; charter member, Society of Cincinnati, 1783; treasurer, Society of Cincinnati, 1811; Director, Bank of Philadelphia, 1793-1821.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council, 1784.

Vice-President, Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, (equivalent, Lieutenant-Governor) under Presidents John Dickerson, Benjamin Franklin, 1784-1785.

Secretary, Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council, 1787-1791. 

Elected, Federalist, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1st district, Philadelphia City and Philadelphia County, 1810-1814. Son, Nicholas Biddle, elected, 1814.

Legacy:

Son, Nicholas Biddle, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1st district, Philadelphia City, Philadelphia County, 1814-1817; President, Second United States Bank. 

Nicholas Biddle  - Pennsylvania Senate Library (pasen.gov)

Son, James Biddle, Commodore, United States Navy

Son, Edward Biddle, Midshipman, United States Navy. Buried At Sea.

Son, Thomas Biddle, Major, War of 1812, United States Army; hero who died after a duel with a Missouri Congressman over a perceived insult to his brother Nicholas.

Son, John Biddle, Major, United States Army, Mayor of Detroit, Michigan, 1827-1828.

Son, Richard Biddle, Pennsylvania Congressman, United States House of Representatives, 1837-1840.

Nephew, Marks John Biddle, Pennsylvania State Senate, 5thd district, Berks and Schuylkill Counties 1816-1819. Major, Sixth Pennsylvania Regiment, 1st Battalion Pennsylvania Militia, 1794 Marks John Biddle  - Pennsylvania Senate Library (pasen.gov)

Cited:

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

A New Nation Votes (tufts.edu)

Charles Biddle (1745-1821), University of Pennsylvania Archives

Charles Biddle (1745-1821) - Find a Grave Memorial