Jonathan Kearsley

Jonathan Kearsley
5th Mayor of Detroit
In office 1829–1829
Preceded by	John Biddle
Succeeded by	John R. Williams
3rd Mayor of Detroit
In office 1826–1826
Preceded by	Henry Jackson Hunt
Succeeded by	John Biddle
Personal details
Born	1786 Middletown, Pennsylvania
Died	1859 Detroit, Michigan
Alma mater	Washington College

Jonathan Kearsley (1786–1859) was an American military officer and politician. He fought in the War of 1812 and was a two-time mayor of Detroit.

Jonathan Kearsley was born in Middletown, Pennsylvania on August 20, 1786, and graduated from Washington College in Washington, Pennsylvania (now Washington & Jefferson College) in 1811. He was one of the founders of the Union Literary Society at Washington College. He joined the Army the following year as a First Lieutenant in the Second Artillery Corps, eventually reaching the rank of Major. He fought in several battles during the War of 1812, including the Battle of Stoney Creek, Battle of Crysler's Farm, and the Battle of Chippawa (following the Capture of Fort Erie). In the latter battle, he was wounded, and one of his legs was amputated. The operation was performed incorrectly and he suffered pain for the rest of his life from it.

In 1815, Kearsley married Margaret Hetich. The couple had three children: Edmund Roberts (1816), Rebekah H (1817), and Martha I. (1819); Margaret died in 1821. He later married Rachel Valentine.

He held the office of Collector of Revenue Taxes in Virginia from 1817 until 1819, when he moved to Detroit and was appointed Receiver of Public Monies, a title which he held for thirty years. He lived on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Randolph Street in Detroit.

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