Representative Philip Swenk Markley

Philip Swenk Markley (July 2, 1789 – September 12, 1834) was an American lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania’s 5th congressional district from 1823 to 1827 and as Attorney General of Pennsylvania from 1829 to 1830. He was born in Skippack, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, on July 2, 1789. Little is recorded about his early childhood and family background, but his formative years were spent in southeastern Pennsylvania at a time when the region was developing rapidly in the early national period.

As a young man, Markley moved to Norristown, Pennsylvania, which would remain his principal place of residence and professional activity. There he pursued legal studies, preparing for a career in the law. He was admitted to the bar in 1810 and commenced the practice of law in Norristown. His legal work in Montgomery County established his reputation and provided the foundation for his subsequent entry into public service and politics.

Markley’s early public career began in state and local legal offices. He served as deputy state’s attorney for Pennsylvania in 1819 and 1820, a role that involved representing the Commonwealth in legal matters and contributed to his standing in the legal community. Building on this experience, he entered elective office as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing the 7th district from 1820 to 1823. His service in the state senate coincided with a period of growing political realignment in Pennsylvania and the nation, as the old Democratic-Republican coalition began to fracture into competing factions.

In 1823, Markley advanced to national office when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania’s 5th congressional district. He was elected as a Jackson Republican to the Eighteenth Congress, reflecting his initial alignment with the faction of the Democratic-Republican Party that supported Andrew Jackson. He was reelected as an Adams Party candidate to the Nineteenth Congress, illustrating the shifting party loyalties of the era as supporters of John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay coalesced into what would become the National Republican and later Whig movements. Markley served two consecutive terms in the House, from March 4, 1823, to March 3, 1827. As a member of the Adams Party representing Pennsylvania during this significant period in American history, he contributed to the legislative process, participating in the democratic governance of the nation and representing the interests of his constituents in the 5th district. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1826 to the Twentieth Congress.

While still engaged in national politics, Markley also held an important federal administrative post. He was appointed naval officer of the port of Philadelphia by President Andrew Jackson and served in that capacity from 1826 to 1829. The office of naval officer was a key customs position, responsible for overseeing the collection of duties and the regulation of maritime commerce at one of the nation’s principal ports. His appointment by Jackson, despite his later identification with the Adams Party in Congress, reflects the fluid and personal nature of political alliances in the 1820s.

After leaving Congress, Markley continued his public service at the state level. He was appointed Attorney General of Pennsylvania in 1829 and served in that office from 1829 to 1830. As attorney general, he was the chief legal officer of the Commonwealth, responsible for representing the state in significant legal matters and advising state officials on questions of law. His tenure in this role capped a career that combined legislative, executive, and legal responsibilities at both the state and federal levels.

Philip Swenk Markley spent his later years in Norristown, where he had long resided and practiced law. He died there on September 12, 1834. He was interred in Saint John Episcopal Church Cemetery in Norristown, Pennsylvania. His career reflected the complex political transformations of the early nineteenth century, as he moved through roles in state and national government during the era of Jacksonian democracy and the realignment of American political parties.