Thomas Fitzsimons
| Thomas FitzSimons | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's At-large district | |
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In office March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1795 |
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| Preceded by | Nobody (District Created) |
| Succeeded by |
John Swanwick Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg Richard Thomas Samuel Sitgreaves and John Richards Daniel Hiester John Andre Hanna John W. Kittera Thomas Hartley Andrew Gregg David Bard and Samuel Maclay William Findley Albert Gallatin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1741 Ballikilty, Co. Wexford, Ireland |
| Died | August 26, 1811 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Resting place | Saint Mary's Catholic Churchyard, Philadelphia |
| Political party | Pro-Administration |
| Occupation | statesman, merchant, soldier |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Thomas Fitzsimons (1741–1811) was an American merchant and statesman of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress, the Constitutional Convention, and the U.S. Congress.
Fitzsimons' ancestry has not been verified, but one theory is that Fitzsimons was born at Ballikilty, north Co. Wexford, Leinster province, Ireland, in October, 1741. He was a member of a collection of Irish families with the name "Fitzsymons" and its variants. In 1760 he immigrated to Philadelphia where his father soon died. However, Fitzsimons had enough education that he could begin work as a clerk in a mercantile house. He married Catherine Meade on November 23, 1761 and formed a business partnership with her brother George (grandfather of Civil War general George Meade). Their firm, which specialized in the West Indies trade, would successfully operate for over 41 years.
However, this firm was soon hit by the new revenue measures created to help support the finances of the British Empire, including the much reviled Stamp Act of 1765. Concerned with these ideas, Fitzsimons became active in the Irish merchant community in Philadelphia, he was a founding member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in 1771 and later, in 1774, a steering committee organized to protest the Coercive Acts.
When Pennsylvania began mobilizing and organizing a militia to fight the British, Fitzsimons was soon involved. He served as captain of a company of home guards, which he raised, under the command of Colonel John Caldwalader. Initially his company served as part of the soldiers who manned posts along the New Jersey coast to defend against British actions. His unit later served as part of the reserve at the Battle of Trenton in 1776. Later in the war, he served on the Pennsylvania Council of Safety and headed a board to oversee the newly formed Pennsylvania Navy. Under this role, he helped organize the strategic resources of Pennsylvania, and later provided supplies, ships, and money in support of Pennsylvanian and French forces.
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