Philemon Beecher
| Philemon Beecher | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 5th district |
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In office March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1821 |
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| Preceded by | James Kilbourne |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Vance |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 9th district |
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In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1829 |
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| Preceded by | New District |
| Succeeded by | William W. Irvin |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives | |
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In office 1803 1805-1807 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 19, 1776 Oxford, Connecticut |
| Died | November 30, 1839 (aged 63) Lancaster, Ohio |
| Resting place | Elmwood Cemetery |
| Political party | |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Gillespie |
Philemon Beecher (March 19, 1776 – November 30, 1839) was an attorney and legislator who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.
Philemon Beecher was born in Oxford, Connecticut, the son of Abraham Beecher and Desire Tolles. Philemon Beecher received a classical education, read law and was admitted to the bar.
Philemon Beecher moved to Lancaster, Ohio, in 1801 and continued the practice of law, being admitted to the bar while Ohio was still the Northwest Territory. He was the leading lawyer of the Lancaster bar for twenty-five years. It was in his office that the great lawyer and political figure Thomas Ewing studied law. Beecher was often a barrister at the court house in Marietta, Ohio.
Beecher was a member of Scioto Lodge No 2 Free and Accepted Masons in Ohio. Philemon Beecher made the acquaintance of Susan Gillespie, a daughter of Neil Gillespie of Brownsville, Pennsylvania, when she came to Lancaster on a visit to her sister, Mrs. Hugh Boyle. Philemon Beecher and Susan Gillespie were married in Pennsylvania in 1803 or 1804.
Originally a Federalist, Beecher was elected a member of the Ohio House of Representatives in 1803 and again in the three sessions from 1805 to 1807, serving as speaker in 1807. His swarthy complexion earned him the sobriquet of the "Black Knight."
In 1805, he opposed a Resolution commending the United States government for the Louisiana Purchase, but the Resolution passed by one vote. Beecher was a witness on behalf of Fairfield County, Ohio Common Pleas Judge William W. Irvin at the latter’s impeachment trial in 1806. Irvin was married to the sister of Beecher’s future wife. Irvin went on to follow Beecher in the Ohio legislature, in Congress, and was later on the Ohio Supreme Court.
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