Andrew Trent Hamilton (Andrew Trent Hamilton)
Philadelphia Lawyer. The Hamilton Watch Company was named after this Andrew Hamilton who was owner of a large tract of land which was granted to him from William Penn and included what is now the city of Lancaster. Lancaster became the fourth county in the province of Pennsylvania in 1729 with Andrew as the principal founder. Andrew Hamilton was a Scottish-born immigrant and is also remembered as one of the designers of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, and as the Attorney General of Pennsylvania from 1729 to 1739. As an attorney in Colonial America, Andrew Hamilton is also known for his legal victory on behalf of printer and newspaper publisher John Peter Zenger. His eloquent defense was concluded with the notion that the press has “a liberty both of exposing and opposing tyrannical power by speaking and writing truth.” His success in this case is said to have given rise to the expression “Philadelphia lawyer” to mean: “adept and clever attorney” “It would take a Philadelphia lawyer to get him off.” He was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1727, and served as its Speaker from 1729. (bio by: Arthur Allen “Art” Moore III)
Born
- January, 01, 1970
- Scotland
Died
- August, 08, 1741
- USA
Cemetery
- Christ Episcopal Church and Churchyard
- Pennsylvania
- USA