Biography

1800 - 08/09/1871

Judge Benjamin Champneys, Sr. (D6) Lancaster and York Counties, 1843 (D7) Lancaster and Lebanon Counties 1844-1845 (R16) Lancaster County 1864 (R17) Lancaster County 1865-1866

Early Life:

Judge Benjamin Champneys, Sr., born January 1800, Bridgeton, Cumberland County, New Jersey; son of Benjamin Champneys; Princeton College; read law, New Jersey; moved, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; admitted, Lancaster Bar, 1818; attorney, 1818-1864; Deputy District Attorney for Mayor’s Court, Lancaster, 1824-1830; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Representatives, 1825-1826; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Representatives, 1828-1829; Appointed, Deputy, Attorney General of Lancaster County, 1830-1833; president-judge, second judicial district, 1839-1842; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 6th district, 1843; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 7th district, 1844-1845; appointed, Pennsylvania Attorney General, 1846-1848; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Representatives, 1863; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 16th district, 1864; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 17th district, 1865-1866; married, Elizabeth Bachman Champneys, children, Edward Champneys, Benjamin Champneys, Christian Champneys, Jane Champneys, Elizabeth Champneys Atlee, Anna Champneys, James Potter Champneys; died, August 9, 1871 (aged 71), Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; interment, Woodward Hill Cemetery, Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  

Early Career:

Studied law, Trenton New Jersey, under Chief Justice Charles Ewing; moved, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, completed legal studies under Judge George Bryan Porter, future Territorial Governor of Michigan; admitted, Lancaster County bar, 1818. 

Pennsylvania Politics:

Deputy District Attorney for Mayor’s Court, Lancaster, 1824-1830.

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Representatives, Lancaster County, 1825-1826; not a candidate for reelection, 1826. 

Elected, Jacksonian, Pennsylvania State Representatives, Lancaster County, 1828-1829; not a candidate for reelection, 1829. 

Appointed, Governor David Rittenhouse Porter, Deputy, Attorney General of Lancaster County, 1830-1833. 

President-judge, second judicial district, 1839-1842.

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 6th district, Lancaster and York Counties, 1843.

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 7th district, Lancaster and Lebanon Counties, 1844-1845. 

Appointed, Pennsylvania Attorney General, Governor Francis Rawn Shunk, 1846-1848.

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Representatives, Lancaster County, 1863. 

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 16th district, Lancaster County, 1864.

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 17th district, Lancaster County, 1865-1866.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:

Official Website - PA House Archives Official Website (state.pa.us)

Legacy:

Father, Benjamin Champneys, New Jersey Assembly, Cumberland County, 1807.  

A New Nation Votes (tufts.edu)

Cited:

Cox, Harold "Senate Members "C". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

Champneys, Benjamin, Judge (pa-roots.org)

Judge Benjamin Champneys Sr. (1800-1871) - Find a Grave Memorial