Horace Binney (1780-1875)

Horace Binney, of Philadelphia; Lawyer & U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania

He was born at Philadelphia and graduated from Harvard (1797) where he founded the Hasty Pudding Club, today the oldest collegiate social club in America. Back in Philadelphia, he became a lawyer and quickly established himself as not only one of the leading members of the Pennsylvania bar, but one of the country's leading lawyers. He represented Pennsylvania at Congress (1833 to 1835) and distinguished himself as a vociferous opponent of Andrew Jackson's harsh policies against Indians and African-Americans. Binney published two books, several pamphlets, and was elected an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He lived in a red brick row house (see images) at 241-245 South 4th Street. In 1804, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel John Cox and sister of Rachel who was married to the inventor John Stevens III. They were the parents of six children: (1) Mary, Mrs John Cadwalader (2) Horace Jr., married Eliza Frances Johnson (3) Esther, Mrs John Innes Clark Hare (4) Elizabeth, Mrs Richard Montgomery (5) Susan, died unmarried (6) William Binney, married Charlotte Hope Goddard, sister of Robert Hale Ives Goddard.  

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Contributed by Mark Meredith on 26/01/2021 and last updated on 27/01/2021.