John Martin Broomall

John Martin Broomall
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 7th district
In office March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1869
Preceded by	John D. Stiles
Succeeded by	Washington Townsend
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
In office 1851-1852
Personal details
Born	January 19, 1816 Upper Chichester Township, Pennsylvania
Died	June 3, 1894 (aged 78) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Political party	Republican

John Martin Broomall (January 19, 1816 – June 3, 1894) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

Early life

John M. Broomall was born in Upper Chichester Township, Pennsylvania. He taught school for several years, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1840 and commenced practice in Chester, Pennsylvania.

He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1851 and 1852. He served on the State revenue board in 1854. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1854 and in 1858. He was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention. He moved to Media, Pennsylvania, in 1860 and continued the practice of law.

Broomall served in the Union Army as Captain of Company C, Twenty-ninth Regiment, Pennsylvania Emergency Militia Infantry, from June 18 to August 1, 1863.

United States House of Representatives

Broomall was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth, and Fortieth Congresses. An active opponent of slavery, he signed the 13th amendment to the Constitution. He also advocated for a universal suffrage amendment. He served as chairman of the United States House Committee on Accounts during the Fortieth Congress. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1868.

He resumed the practice of law, and was a delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1874. He was appointed judge of the courts of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, in March 1874 and served until January 1875, being an unsuccessful candidate for election to succeed himself. He again resumed the practice of law in Media and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1894, aged 78. Interment in Media Cemetery in Media, Pennsylvania.

Legacy

The community of Broomall, Pennsylvania (in Marple Township, Pennsylvania) is named for John Martin Broomall.

References

• John Martin Broomall at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-02-14
• The Political Graveyard
• In search of Broomall … An Appreciation