Biography

10/03/1762 - 12/09/1818

General John Kean, Jr. (Democrat-Republican6) Berks and Dauphin Counties 1794-1801 (Democrat-Republican5) Berks and Dauphin Counties 1802-1805

Early Life:

General John Kean, Jr., born October 3, 1762, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, British Colonial America; son of John Sr. and Mary Dunlap Kean; moved with family, Dauphin County, 1775; Revolution War, military, called into army service 1780, serving until after the surrender of Yorktown, October 19, 1781; second sheriff, Dauphin County; married, Mary Whitehill, 1786 (d.1787), children, Eleanor Whitehill Kean Spayd; married, Jane Hamilton, 1789, children, Louisa Kean Power, John Hamilton Kean, Mary Kean, Margaret Matilda "Margaret Hamilton" Kean, Jane Duffield "Jean" Kean; first managers, library company, established, 1787; elected, Dauphin County Commissioner 1787-1795; trustee, Harrisburg Academy, 1788; treasurer, Presbyterian congregation; captain, town’s first volunteer company, upon the resignation of Major General John André Hanna (Pennsylvania State Senator Berks and Dauphin Counties, 1792-1794); president, first fire company; county commissioner for eight years; appointed, judge, Dauphin County, 1792; elected, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1794-1801; presidential elector, 1800; unsuccessful campaign, Special Election, United States Senate, Pennsylvania, 1801; elected, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1802-1805; unsuccessful campaign, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Dauphin County, 1809; moved, Philadelphia, 1810-1813, returned, Harrisburg, 1813; appointed justice of the peace, 1813-1818; died, December 9, 1818 (aged 56 years, 2 months, 6 days), interment, Paxton Presbyterian Churchyard, Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Dauphin County Commissioner 1787-1795.

Appointed, judge, Dauphin County, 1792. One of first judges with Dauphin County’s formation.

Elected, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 6th district, Berks and Dauphin Counties, 1794-1801.

Presidential elector, (Thomas Jefferson), 1800.

Unsuccessful campaign, Special Election, United States Senate, Pennsylvania, 1801. 

Elected, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 5th district, Berks and Dauphin Counties, 1802-1805.

Unsuccessful campaign, Democratic-Republican, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Dauphin County, 1809.

Appointed, justice of the peace, Governor Simon Snyder, 1813-1818.

Legacy:

Placed with Mr. Clunie a merchant/storekeeper, as 2nd Sheriff of Dauphin County at $100 yearly with boarding (during this time he self-taught surveying and conveyancing) and a suit of clothing/duties were bookkeeping and store assistant.

Wife, Mary Whitehill, daughter, Robert Whitehill, Pennsylvania State Senator, Speaker, Pennsylvania State Senate, 10th district, Cumberland County 1801-1805 United States Congressman, major contributor, adoption, United States Constitution’s Bill of Rights. 

Robert Whitehill  - Pennsylvania Senate Library (pasen.gov)

Coming home crossing at Third and Market Street, Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, was rainy and icing and the large stones on the street were icy and slippery; he fell; fractured his ankle and from this accident lockjaw set in; died, December 9, 1818 "aged 56 years 2 months 6 days” Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania.

Cited:

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

A New Nation Votes (tufts.edu)

John Kean Jr; General; married Mary Whitehill and Jane Hamilton; early settler of Harrisburg, PA; Judge; JP; State Senator; etc - Facts (ancestry.com)

John Kean (1762-1818) - Find a Grave Memorial