John Barker (Philadelphia) Explained

John Barker
Office1:53rd and 56th
Mayor of Philadelphia
Term Start1:October 18, 1808
Term End1:October 16, 1810
Predecessor1:Robert Wharton
Successor1:Robert Wharton
Term Start2:October 20, 1812
Term End2:October 19, 1813
Predecessor2:Michael Keppele
Successor2:John Geyer
Death Place:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Party:Democratic-Republican
Allegiance: United States
Rank:Major General
Battles:American Revolutionary War
Serviceyears:1777-1808

Major General John Barker (1746April 3, 1818) was twice mayor of Philadelphia. He was also a tailor.

Barker served in the Revolutionary War and remained active in the military through 1808, when he retired as Major General of the First Brigade, First Division.

He served twice as sheriff of Philadelphia, from 1794 to 1797 and 1803 to 1807. He was appointed an alderman of the city of Philadelphia by Governor Thomas McKean on October 22, 1800. He was elected mayor by the Select and Common Councils on October 20, 1808, and was re-elected in 1809 and again, after an interval of two years, in 1812.[1]

During the War of 1812, he served on the city's Committee of Defense.

He died in Philadelphia at age 72.[2]

Family

He was the only son of James Barker. He was the father of playwright James Nelson Barker, who served in the army during the War of 1812, rising to the rank of major, and who was also later mayor of Philadelphia.

Notes and References

  1. The Lives of Eminent Philadelphians, Now Deceased: Collected from Original and Authentic Sources, by Henry Simpson, published by W. Brotherhead, 1859.
  2. Web site: OBITUARIES OF PENNSYLVANIA REVOLUTIONARY VETERANS, From Newspaper Files 1790 to 1855, PENNSYLVANIA ARCHIVES – SERIES 2 . 2009-03-27 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20091026161857/http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6508/REVOL.HTM . October 26, 2009 .