Henry Latimer (senator)

Dr. Henry Latimer (April 24 1752 – December 19 1819) was an American physician and politician from Newport, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was elected to the Continental Congress from Delaware, and was a member of the Federalist Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly, as U.S. Representative from Delaware, and U.S. Senator from Delaware.

Early life and family
Latimer was born April 24 1752 in Newport, Delaware, son of James Latimer, Sr. and Sarah Geddes. His father was a wealthy grain shipper and politician, who was a member of the House of Assembly in the 1778/79 session and a member of the Delaware convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution on December 7 1787. Latimer's brother, George, also served in the House of Assembly from the 1779/80 session through the 1781/82 session. Later he moved to Philadelphia where he became Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1794.

Latimer studied medicine, and attended the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1773, going to Edinburgh College in Scotland in 1775 to complete his education. Returning in the midst of the American Revolution, he served in the "Flying Hospital," a mobile surgical unit of the Continental Army. He was at the Battle of Brandywine and continued through the end of the war.

Political career
Elected to the Continental Congress on April 8 1784, Latimer never attended the session that spring in Annapolis, Maryland and was replaced. Like his father and brother, he was elected to the House of Assembly and served from the 1787/88 session through the 1790/91 session. He was the Speaker in that last session.

Latimer lost the 1792 election for the U.S. House to Major John Patten by thirty votes, but contested Patton's election to the U.S. House. The Federalist majority there reviewed the ballots cast, and based on a confusing law requiring the names of two candidates on the ballot, disqualified enough of Patton's votes to award the seat to Latimer. Amidst considerable bitterness, he was seated February 14 1794. After once again losing an election to Patten in 1794, Latimer resigned from the U.S. House on February 7 1795 when he was elected by the Delaware General Assembly to the disputed and long vacant U.S. Senate seat of retired U.S. Senator George Read. After finishing Read's term, he was reelected in 1796, and served until February 28 1801, when he also resigned. Some believe that the reason for his resignation was that he was unhappy over the tactics of his political opponents who were still bitter over the circumstances of the contested election in 1792.

At various times Latimer was a member of the Wilmington Academy board, director of the Bank of Delaware, president of the First Agricultural Society of New Castle County, and president of the Board of Trustees of Newark College. He was a charter member of the Delaware Medical Society.

Death and legacy
Latimer died December 19 1819 in Philadelphia and was buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware. This cemetery is now the location of the Wilmington Institute Library and his remains were moved to the Wilmington-Brandywine Cemetery.

Even though he was a physician and a Presbyterian, Latimer was a member of a prominent and well-to-do merchant family and was very much in agreement with the prevailing Federalist positions on such controversial issues as the Jay Treaty and other measures of the Adams administration. The burgeoning party of Thomas Jefferson, now known as the Democratic-Republicans, was increasingly popular and vocal in heavily Irish and "Country Party" New Castle County, and they never seemed to forgive him his apparent theft of the 1792 congressional election. Consequently, upon celebrating election victories in 1802, they fired cannon, loaded with potatoes and herring, in mock salute to Latimer, remembering his reputed statement that "the laboring classes lived too well to be happy and should be reduced to the fare of the Irish."

Public offices
Elections were held the first of October. Members of the State House took office on the twentieth of October for a term of one year. U.S. Representatives were popularly elected for a two year term, and the General Assembly chose the U.S. Senators, for a six year term. Both took office the following March 4th. The General Assembly also chose the Continental Congressmen for a term of one year.

{|class=wikitable style="width:94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center" ! Office ! Type ! Location ! Elected ! Took Office ! Left Office ! notes
 * -bgcolor=#cccccc
 * Continental Congress
 * Legislature
 * Annapolis
 * April 8 1784
 * June 3 1784
 * never attended
 * State Representative
 * Legislature
 * Dover
 * 1787
 * October 20 1787
 * October 20 1788
 * State Representative
 * Legislature
 * Dover
 * 1788
 * October 20 1788
 * October 20 1789
 * State Representative
 * Legislature
 * Dover
 * 1789
 * October 20 1789
 * October 20 1790
 * State Representative
 * Legislature
 * Dover
 * 1790
 * October 20 1790
 * October 20 1791
 * Speaker
 * U.S. Representative
 * Legislature
 * Washington
 * 1792
 * February 14 1794
 * February 7 1795
 * at-large
 * U.S. Senate
 * Legislature
 * Washington
 * February 28 1795
 * March 3 1797
 * class 1
 * U.S. Senator
 * Legislature
 * Washington
 * March 4 1797
 * February 28 1801
 * class 1
 * Legislature
 * Washington
 * February 28 1795
 * March 3 1797
 * class 1
 * U.S. Senator
 * Legislature
 * Washington
 * March 4 1797
 * February 28 1801
 * class 1
 * March 4 1797
 * February 28 1801
 * class 1

Election results
{|class=wikitable style="width:94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center" !Year !Office ! !Subject !Party !Votes !% ! !Opponent !Party !Votes !%
 * -bgcolor=#cccccc
 * 1792
 * U.S. Representative
 * |Henry Latimer
 * |Federalist
 * |2,243
 * |50%
 * |John Patten
 * |Democratic-Republican
 * |2,273
 * |50%
 * 1794
 * U.S. Representative
 * |Henry Latimer
 * |Federalist
 * |2,285
 * |49%
 * |John Patten
 * |Democratic-Republican
 * |2,409
 * |51%
 * |49%
 * |John Patten
 * |Democratic-Republican
 * |2,409
 * |51%
 * |51%

Images

 * United States Senate Portrait courtesy of the United States Senate, Art & History.
 * Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Portrait courtesy of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Places with more information

 * Historical Society of Delaware 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware (302) 655-7161
 * University of Delaware Library 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware (302) 831-2965