Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/51

 RAWLE

RAWLE

1878, and in the same year became its treasurer, serving as such until 1902, when he was elected president. He prepared a new edition of Bouvier s " Law Dictionary " with extensive original addi- tions (1883), and another edition largely re-writ- ten (1898); and read a paper before the American Bar association on Car Trust Securities (1885), which was subsequently published and came into general professional use. In 1887 he was appointed a delegate of the American Bar association to the London meeting of the Association for the Reform and Codification of the Laws of Nations. In 1899-1902 he was a member of the executive committee of the latter association. He was elected a member of the board of overseers of Harvard university in 1890, and re-elected in 1896. He is the author of various articles in legal periodicals.

RAWLE, William, jurist, was born in Phila- delphia, Pa., April 28, 1759; son of Francis and Rebecca (AVarner) Rawle; grandson of William and Margaret (Hodge) Rawle and of Edward and Anna (Coleman) Warner; great-grandson of Francis, and greats-grandson of Francis Rawle, a member of the ancient lords of the manor of Tresparrett, parish of St. JuUot, Cornwall, Eng- land, both of whom were Quakers who immi- grated to Pennsylvania in the ship Desire from Plymouth, England, in 1686. His great--grand- father (1660-1727) founded "The Plymouth Friends " settlement; married a daughter of Robert Turner; was one of the commissioners under Penn; judge of the Philadelphia county courts; justice of the peace and an alderman of the city under its first charter, and pub- lished " Ways and Means for the Inliabitants of Delaware to Become Rich,'" probably the first book on political economy written in America. William Rawle attended the Friends academy at Philadelphia, and subsequently studied law under Counsellor Kemp of New York city, and at the Middle Temple, London. Returning to this country in 1783, he was admitted to the bar and began practice in Philadelphia, Pa. He married in 1783 Sarah Coates, daughter of Samuel and Beulah (Shoemaker) Burge. He was a represen- tative in the state assembly, 1789; U.S. district at- torney of Pennsylvania by appointment from Pres- ident Washington. 1791-1800. He was offered but declined the attorney -generalship of the United States; participated as U.S. attorney in the sup- pression of the whisky insurrection, under the President's orders, in October, 1794, and subse- quently conducted the prosecution of the ring- leaders. He was chancellor of the Associated Members of the Bar of Philadelphia, 1822-27, and of that organization's successor, the Law Asso- ciation of Philadelphia, 1827-36, and one of the committee of three appointed by the legislature

to revise the civil code of Pennsylvania in 1830 , was a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, 1796-1836; one of the founders in 1805 of the Pennsjlvania Academy of the Fine Arts; re- ceived the honorary degree of LL.D. from the Collegeof New Jersey, 1827, and from Dartmouth college, 1828; was the first vice-president of the Philadelphia Law academy, and in connection with Benjamin Franklin founded and formed the Societ}' for Political Inquirers; was for many years between 1786 and 1825 the secretary, and af- terward director of the Library Company of Phil- adelphia. He was a fellow of the American Pliil- osophical society''; founder of the Pennsylvania Historical society in 1824, and its first president, and was actively connected with various literary, political and scientific associations. He trans- lated Plato's " Phaedrus," adding an original com- mentary, and is the author of; An Address before the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agricul- ture (1819); Two Addresses to the Associated Members of the Bar of Philadelphia (1824); A View of the Constitution of the United States (1825); The Study of Laii; (1832), and a Vindica- tion of the Rev. Mr. Heckewelder'' s History of the Indian Nations, a Biogrophical Sketch of Sir William Keith, and a Sketch of the Life of Thomas Mifflin, the three latter being contribu- tions to the Historical Society publications; Essay on Angelic Influences. (MS.), and also reports of the civil code commission (1830). He died in Philadelphia, April 12, 1836.

RAWLE, William, lawyer, was born in Phila- delphia, Pa., July 19, 1788; son of William, jurist (q.v.), and Sarah Coates (Burge) Rawle. He was a student at the College of New Jersey, but did not graduate; was admitted to the Phila- delphia bar, where he practised, 1810-58; was captain of the 2d troop of Philadelphia city cavalry, 1812-14; reporter of the decisions of the supreme court of Penns^^lvania, 1814-35; U.S. district attorney of Pennsylvania, and president of the common council of Philadelphia. 1836-40. He was married, Oct. 7, 1817, to Mary Anna, daughter of Edward and Elizabeth (Chew) Tilgh- man of Philadelphia, Pa. He was one of the founders and vice-presidents of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; a member of the American Philosophical company; secretary and director of the Library company of Philadelphia, continuously from 1825 to 1855, and a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, 1836-55. He is the autlior of: Reports of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (25 vols., 1818-33); Address before Law Academy of Philadelphia (1835): Address before the Trustees of Lafayette College (1836). He died near Merion, Pa., Aug. 9. 1858.

RAWLE, William Brooke. See Brooke- Rawle, William,