William McArthur Sr. was an American politician from Crawford County, Pennsylvania who represented the county in the Pennsylvania State Senate for two terms from 1801 to 1808 as a Democratic-Republican.[1]

William McArthur Sr.
Crawford County Academy Trustee
In office
1812–1822
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 18th district
In office
1801–1808
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byJames Stevenson
Personal details
Born1760
Ireland
Died1822(1822-00-00) (aged 61–62)
Meadville, Pennsylvania
Political partyDemocratic-Republican
SpouseRebecca McClean McArthur
Children7
OccupationSurveyor

Biography edit

William McArthur Sr. was born in Ireland in 1760 to John and Sarah Rule McArthur.[2][1] The McArthur family settled in the nascent United States during the closing days of the American Revolution, originally living in York.[1][2] William worked as a teacher and a surveyor before moving to Western Pennsylvania where he laid out the town of Meadville on May 12, 1788, on behalf of General David Mead and was appointed the State district surveyor.[1][2] On March 12, 1800, Crawford, Mercer, Venango, Warren, and Erie counties were separated from Allegheny and were temporarily one single county, Crawford County.[3] McArthur would be elected for two terms to the Pennsylvania Senate to represent the new Crawford County from 1801 to 1808. He was also appointed the Crawford County Prothonotary, Register, and Recorder, by Governors Thomas McKean and Simon Snyder from 1801 to 1822.[1][2] William McArthur Sr. would die in office in 1822.[1]

Personal life edit

William McArthur Sr. married Rebecca McClean in 1805, the daughter of the Scots-Irish Revolutionary war Colonel Moses McClean whose brothers helped survey the Mason-Dixon line.[2] The couple had 7 children: William McArthur, Sarah Rule McArthur, Margaret Charlesworth McArthur, Rebecca Scott McArthur, Moses McClean McArthur, William McArthur Jr., and John McArthur.[1]

Electoral history edit

1820 Crawford County Academy Trustee[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent William MacArthur 483 27.66%
Independent George Hurst 472 27.04%
Independent Thomas Atkinson 399 22.85%
Independent H. J. Huidekoper 392 22.45%
Total votes 1,746 100.0%
1812 Crawford County Academy Trustee[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic-Republican William MacArthur 172 50.59%
Democratic-Republican George Hurst 168 49.41%
Total votes 340 100.0%
1805 Pennsylvania State Senate election for the 18th District[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic-Republican William MacArthur 1,420 53.93%
Democratic-Republican Alexander Brown 1,213 46.07%
Total votes 2,633 100.0%
1801 Pennsylvania State Senate election for the 18th District[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic-Republican William MacArthur 524 48.51%
Democratic-Republican David Mead 241 22.35%
Federalist Alexander W. Foster 226 20.91%
Federalist William Bell 89 8.22%
Total votes 1,080 100.0%

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "William McArthur Sr". Pennsylvania State Senate. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e History of Crawford County (2 ed.). Chicago: WARNER, BEKRS & CO. 1885. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  3. ^ "ABOUT CRAWFORD COUNTY". crawfordcountypa.net. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  4. ^ "A New Nation Votes". Tufts University. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  5. ^ "A New Nation Votes". Tufts University. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  6. ^ "A New Nation Votes". Tufts University. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  7. ^ "A New Nation Votes". Tufts University. Retrieved 15 November 2023.