The Barker Family Papers contains letters and documents related to the personal and professional lives of a father and son who were prominent Philadelphia public servants., On deposit at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. For service, please contact the Historical Society at 215-732-6200 or http://www.hsp.org., John Barker (1746-1818), was distinguished by a life in public service. He served in the Revolutionary War and remained active in the military through 1808, retiring as Major General of the First Brigade, First Division. He was twice sheriff of Philadelphia, serving from 1794-1797 and 1803-1807, and twice elected as mayor (1808-1810 and 1812-1813). He was, by trade, a tailor., James Nelson Barker (1784-1858) was respected for his accomplishments in the military, literature, and public service. The son of General John Barker, he rose to the rank of major in the War of 1812 and became adjutant general of the local militia, was a Philadelphia alderman and a one-term mayor (1820-1821), and collector of customs for the port of Philadelphia (1829-1838). For the last two decades of his life, Barker was comptroller at the Department of the Treasury in Washington, an appointment he received from Martin Van Buren. In addition, he was a published playwright whose work centered on themes from American history.
Date
1785
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | MSS McA MSS 023, https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/Islandora%3A64345#page/1/mode/1up
