Andrew Trent Hamilton (1665 - 1741)

Born 1665 in Scotland

Descendants

Died 4 Aug 1741 at about age 76 in Bush Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Biography

Andrew Hamilton (c.1676 – August 4, 1741) was a Scottish lawyer in the Thirteen Colonies, where he finally settled in Philadelphia. He was best known for his legal victory on behalf of the printer and newspaper publisher John Peter Zenger. This 1735 decision in New York helped to establish that truth is a defense to an accusation of libel. His eloquent defense concluded with saying that the press has "a liberty both of exposing and opposing tyrannical power by speaking and writing truth."

He was born in Scotland, and came to America about 1700, and ranked as the most eminent lawyer of his time in Pennsylvania. He was the chief projector of the State House, afterward Independence Hall.

Andrew married on 6 Mar 1706 in Northampton county, Virginia to Anne Brown, dau of Thomas and Susanna (Denwood) Brown and widow of Joseph Preeson.

Children

1. James Hamilton (1710-1813), was the first native-born Governor of Pennsylvania (1748-1754, 1759-1763), and was Mayor of Philadelphia in 1745.
2. Andrew d Sep 1747
3. Margaret married on 16 Feb 1733/4 to William Allen, son of William and Mary (Budd) Allen.

Sources

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30971014/andrew-trent-hamilton: accessed 07 September 2022), memorial page for Andrew Trent Hamilton (1665–4 Aug 1741), Find A Grave: Memorial #30971014, citing Christ Episcopal Church and Churchyard, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave
• Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania - Hamilton,p519 , accessed 23 Sep 2015.
• WIkipedia accessed 24 Sep 2015.
• http://www.electricscotland.com/hiStory/descendants/chap3.htm