- Robert Coleman
Infobox Person
name = Robert Coleman
image_size = 200px
caption =
birth_date = birth date|1748|11|4|mf=y
birth_place =County Donegal ,Ireland
death_date = death date and age|1825|8|14|1748|11|4|mf=y
death_place =Lancaster, Pennsylvania
occupation = Industrial baron
spouse = Anne Old
parents =
children = Edward, James, Anne Caroline, Sarah, William, Thomas BirdRobert Coleman (OldStyleDate|November 4|1748|
October 23 -August 14 1825 ) was an Irish-American industrialist who rose from a holding clerkship at aprothonotary 's office in Philadelphia tobookkeeper atCornwall Iron Furnace to becomingPennsylvania 's firstmillionaire . [cite web|url=http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/ppet/cornwall/page4.asp?secid=31|title=A Blast From The Past: Cornwall Iron Furnace|accessdate=2007-02-21]Iron baron
Coleman was born in
County Donegal , and arrived in Philadelphia from Ireland in 1764. After serving as a clerk and bookkeeper he went on to acquire a lease on Salford Forge near Norristown in 1773 and immediately made a sizeable profit by manufacturingcannonball s and shot at Salford and Elizabeth Furnaces. He then used his profits to purchase a two-thirds share of Elizabeth Furnace, shares of Cornwall and the Upper and Lower Hopewell Forges (not the similarly namedHopewell Furnace ), and ownership ofSpeedwell Forge . Soon Coleman was able to construct Colebrook Furnace, purchase the rest of Elizabeth Furnace and acquired 80% ownership of Cornwall Furnace and the ore mines nearby. His business acquisitions and the profits turned from them enabled him to become the first millionaire in the history of Pennsylvania.Politics
Coleman spent more than three decades as a politician in Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Federalist Party. His career in government began when he attended the Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention in 1776. Additionally, he served in the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1783, attended the Pennsylvania convention to ratify the
United States Constitution in 1787, was chosen as a Presidential elector in both 1792 and 1796, and held the position of Associate Judge from 1791 to 1811. In 1795, Coleman achieved his lone military accomplishment when, as Captain of the Lancaster Troop of Light Horse, he led a company of thirty-fivecavalry men to Western Pennsylvania to assist in the suppression of theWhiskey Rebellion .Family
Coleman married Anne Old, the daughter of his former employer at Quittapahilla and Speedwell Forges, James Old. Robert and Anne had ten children. His family ultimately settled in Lancaster in 1808. Two of his daughters, Anne Caroline and Sarah, would meet tragic ends.
Anne Caroline began dating future United States President
James Buchanan in 1818. Buchanan was at the time alawyer in Lancaster County. They soon became engaged, much to Robert Coleman's displeasure. Coleman was apparently unhappy with Buchanan's reputation and checkered history atDickinson College inCarlisle, Pennsylvania . Rumors abounded that Buchanan was marrying Anne Caroline for her money, as well as seeing other women. After one incident of him visiting a friend's wife (this may have been an innocent visit), Ann broke off their engagement and died soon afterward, probably from anoverdose oflaudanum . Some historians theorize this may have been asuicide [http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1955/1/1955_1_20.shtml] . James Buchanan was so devastated by the broken engagement and suicide that he vowed never to marry and eventually became the onlybachelor President in the history of the United States.Coleman's other daughter Sarah also committed suicide. She loved
William Augustus Muhlenberg who was co-rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster. Robert Coleman again disapproved of his daughter's relationship. Coleman and Muhlenberg had a bitter dispute about eveningworship service s. Upon Coleman's death in 1825, Sarah had hoped to be able to finally marry the rector. Coleman's will granted his sons Edward and James the right to approve of Sarah's spouse. Edward also dislike Muhlenberg and would not approve the marriage. Sarah then fled to Philadelphia and committed suicide.Coleman died in Lancaster at age 77. He was one of the wealthiest and most respected men in Pennsylvania.
References
*cite web
url = http://chronicles.dickinson.edu/encyclo/c/ed_colemanR.htm
title = Robert Coleman (1748-1825)
accessdate = 2007-02-16
publisher =Dickinson College
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