James Logan (statesman)

James Logan (October 20 1674 – October 31 1751), a statesman and scholar, was born in Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland of Scottish descent and Quaker parentage. In 1689, the Logan family moved to Bristol, England where, in 1693, James replaced his father as schoolmaster. In 1699, he came to the colony of Pennsylvania aboard the "Canterbury" as William Penn's secretary. Later, he supported proprietary rights in Pennsylvania. After advancing through several political offices, including commissioner of property (1701), receiver general (1703), clerk (1701), and member (1703) of the provincial council, he was elected Mayor of Philadelphia in 1722. During his tenure as mayor, Logan allowed Irish Catholic immigrants to participate in the city's first public Mass. He later served as the colony's chief justice from 1731 to 1739, and in the absence of a governor, became acting governor of Pennsylvania from 1736 to 1738.

He opposed Quaker pacifism and war tax resistance, and encouraged pacifist Quakers to give up their seats in the Pennsylvania Assembly so that it could make war requisitions. [Gross, David M. "American Quaker War Tax Resistance" (2008) pp. 45-52 ISBN 1438260156]

Meanwhile, he engaged in various mercantile pursuits, especially fur trading, with such success that he became one of the wealthiest men in the colonies. He collected a personal library of over 3,000 volumes. He wrote numerous scholarly papers published by the American Philosophical Society and European journals.

Logan was also a natural scientist whose primary contribution to the emerging field of botany was a treatise that described experiments on the impregnation of plant seeds, especially corn. He tutored John Bartram, the American botanist, in Latin and introduced him to Linnaeus. He was also a mentor of Benjamin Franklin, who published Logan's translation of Cicero's essay "Cato Maior de Senectute".

Logan died in 1751 and was buried at the site of Arch Street Friends Meeting House (built in 1804).

In Philadelphia, the Logan neighborhood and the landmark Logan Square are named for him. His 1730 estate "Stenton" (now a National Historic Landmark, operated as a museum) is located in Logan area.

The Loganian Library

James Logan, who was known by his peers as “the best Judge of Books in these parts,” donated his private collection of over 3,000 books to the Loganian Library, which, in 1792, was incorporated into the Library Company of Philadelphia.

References

*cite book
last = Strahan (ed.)
first = Edward
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 1875
chapter =
title = A Century After, picturesque glimpses of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania
publisher = Allen, Lane & Scott and J. W. Lauderbach
location = Philadelphia
id =

ee also

*Logan
*Walking Purchase

External links

* [http://www.gwyneddfriends.org/JamesLogan.html Abstract of his life at GwyneddFriends.org]
* [http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/1700s/people/logan_jas.html Biography and portrait] at the University of Pennsylvania
* [http://www.ushistory.org/germantown/people/logan.htm Biography at USHistory.org]
* [http://sniggle.net/Experiment/index.php?entry=01May08 An essay by Logan urging support for war requisitions]