Pettit, Charles, 1736-1806

<p>Charles Pettit (1736 – September 4, 1806) was an American lawyer and merchant from New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served as a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Confederation Congress from 1785 to 1787.</p>

<p>Charles Pettit was born in 1736. His parents were Andrew and Dinah (Woolverton) Pettit of Hunterdon County, New Jersey.</p>

<p>In 1758 he married Sarah Reed, a half-sister of Joseph Reed. Reed exerted considerable influence on Pettit's later career, bringing him into politics.</p>

<p>In 1767 Pettit accepted the first of many public service positions as a deputy surrogate for the province to assist his brother-in-law, Reed, who was Secretary. When Reed resigned in 1769, Pettit was appointed as the colony's secretary.</p>

PETTIT, Charles, a Delegate from Pennsylvania; born near Amwell, Hunterdon County, N.J., in 1736; received an English training; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1770 but did not commence practice until 1773; deputy secretary of the Province of New Jersey 1769-1778; clerk of the council; clerk of the supreme court and of the pleas court; surrogate and keeper and register of the records of the Province of New Jersey; appointed aide-de-camp to Gov. William Franklin March 8, 1771; secretary of state of New Jersey and aide to Governor Livingston October 8, 1776; assistant adjutant general on the staff of Gen. Nathanael Greene in the Revolutionary Army from 1778 until his resignation in 1781; became an importing merchant in Philadelphia; member of the state house of representatives in 1783 and 1784; Member of the Continental Congress from 1785 to 1787; died in Philadelphia, Pa., September 3, 1806.

<ul><b>RACES</b>
<li>10/09/1792 PA At-Large Lost 0.03% (-7.92%)</li>
<li>11/26/1788 PA At-Large Lost 5.57% (-1.91%)</li>
<li>11/12/1787 Constitutional Convention Delegates Lost 2.21% (-15.68%)</li>
<li>12/31/1786 PA Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>12/31/1785 PA Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>12/31/1784 PA Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
</ul>

<b>Charles Pettit</b><br>
<b>BIRTH</b> 1736<br>
Amwell, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, USA<br>
<b>DEATH</b> 3 Sep 1806 (aged 69–70)<br>
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA<br>
<b>BURIAL</b><br>
Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church Cemetery<br>
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA