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American military officer and politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jonathan Kearsley (1786–1859) was an American military officer and politician. He fought in the War of 1812 and was a two-time mayor of Detroit.
Jonathan Kearsley | |
|---|---|
| |
| 5th Mayor of Detroit | |
| In office 1829–1829 | |
| Preceded by | John Biddle |
| Succeeded by | John R. Williams |
| 3rd Mayor of Detroit | |
| In office 1826–1826 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Jackson Hunt |
| Succeeded by | John Biddle |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1786 Middletown, Pennsylvania |
| Died | 1859 Detroit, Michigan |
| Alma mater | Washington College |
Jonathan Kearsley was born in Middletown, Pennsylvania on August 20, 1786,[1] and graduated from Washington College in Washington, Pennsylvania (now Washington & Jefferson College) in 1811.[2] He was one of the founders of the Union Literary Society at Washington College.[3] He joined the Army the following year as a First Lieutenant in the Second Artillery Corps, eventually reaching the rank of Major.[1] He fought in several battles during the War of 1812, including the Battle of Stoney Creek, Battle of Crysler's Farm, and the Battle of Chippawa (following the Capture of Fort Erie).[4] In the latter battle, he was wounded, and one of his legs was amputated. The operation was performed incorrectly and he suffered pain for the rest of his life from it.[1]
In 1815, Kearsley married Margaret Hetich.[1] The couple had three children: Edmund Roberts (1816), Rebekah H (1817), and Martha I. (1819); Margaret died in 1821.[1] He later married Rachel Valentine.[5]
He held the office of Collector of Revenue Taxes in Virginia from 1817 until 1819, when he moved to Detroit and was appointed Receiver of Public Monies, a title which he held for thirty years.[1] He lived on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Randolph Street in Detroit.[4]
He served as mayor of Detroit two separate times, first appointed by the council to fill the unexpired term of Henry Jackson Hunt in 1826, and then being elected in 1829.[6] He also served on the Board of Trustees of the University of Michigan from 1827 to 1837, and again on its re-organized Board of Regents from 1838 until 1852.[1][7] He died in 1859 and is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit.[8]
Kearsley Creek, a tributary of the Flint River, Kearsley Community Schools,[9] and a major street in Flint, Michigan are named after him, as was the short-lived (1839–43) Kearsley Township, Michigan.
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