Edward Francis Blewitt

Edward Francis Blewitt (January 2, 1859 – May 26, 1926) was an American civil engineer, businessman, and politician who served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 22nd district from 1907 to 1910.[1] He is the maternal great-grandfather of Joe Biden, 47th Vice President of the United States.[2][3]

Edward Blewitt
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 22nd district
In office
1907–1910
Preceded byJacob Zern
Succeeded byWalter McNichols
Personal details
Born(1859-01-02)January 2, 1859
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedMay 26, 1926(1926-05-26) (aged 67)
Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Children5
RelativesJoe Biden (great-grandson)
EducationLafayette College (BS)

Early life and education

Blewitt was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Patrick and Catherine (Scanlon) Blewitt, who were emigrants from Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland.[4][5] Blewitt attended Lafayette College, serving as class president, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering in 1879.[6]

Career

Blewitt worked as an engineer in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, mining operations.[7] He worked as the City Engineer of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and as chief engineer of the Guadalajara, Mexico sewer and water system from 1883 to 1893. He worked as state engineer of the State of Jalisco, Mexico from 1900 to 1901.[8][9]

In 1883, Blewitt was elected to one term as a school controller. In 1906, Blewitt was elected as a member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 22nd district from 1907 to 1910. Blewitt was one of the first Roman Catholics to serve in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.[6][10]

In 1903, he founded the Edward F. Gold Mining Company, a silver and gold mining operation in Montana.[7]

Blewitt was the co-founder of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in Scranton in 1908 and was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.[11]

Personal life

He married Mary Ellen Stanton in 1879. From this marriage, Blewitt is the maternal great-grandfather of Joe Biden, 47th Vice President of the United States. Mary Ellen Stanton died in 1887[12] and Blewitt was remarried to Mary Ann Blackwell in 1891.[6]

He died on May 26, 1926, and was interred at St. Catherine's Cemetery in Moscow, Pennsylvania.[13]

Legacy

During the 2020 United States presidential election, various photos circulated on Facebook that suggested Blewitt owned slaves and fought in the Confederate States Army. Both claims were later disproven.[14][15][16]

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References
  1. Gehman, Geoff (May 3, 2012). "Vice President Joe Biden Discusses American Innovation". Lafayette College. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014.
  2. Krawczeniuk, Borys (August 24, 2008). "Remembering his roots". The Times-Tribune. Archived from the original on April 6, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
  3. Ryan, Jim. "How Vice President Joe Biden Trace His Irish Ancestry". www.ancestornetwork.ie. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  4. O'Neill, Neill. "US Vice President in Mayo this week". www.mayonews.ie. The Mayo News. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  5. Beresford, Jack. "Joe Biden apologises for saying African Americans 'ain't black' if they consider voting for Donald Trump". The Irish Post. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  6. "Pennsylvania State Senate - Edward F Blewett Biography". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  7. Hudson, Sam (1909). Pennsylvania and Its Public Men. Philadelphia: Hudson & Joseph. pp. 343–344. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  8. Leonard, John W. (1908). Who's who in Pennsylvania: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporaries, Volume 2. New York: L.R. Hamersly & Company. p. 77. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  9. Hatch, D. Arthur (1948). Biographical Record of the Men of Lafayette: 1832-1948. Easton, PA: Lafayette College. p. 62.
  10. Murray, Gabriel (2012). Obama's Irish Roots - The Lost History. Youcanprint Self Publishing. ISBN 9788867517220. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  11. O'Dowd, Niall. "Biden's Irish Roots". www.globallycastle.com. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  12. Portrait and Biographical Record of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. New York and Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company. 1897. p. 644. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  13. "Edward Francis Blewitt". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  14. Washington, District of Columbia 1100 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 1300B; Dc 20036. "PolitiFact - No evidence Joe Biden's great-grandfather was Confederate soldier, enslaved people". @politifact. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  15. Lee, Ella. "Fact Check: Joe Biden's great-grandfather didn't own slaves, fight for Confederacy". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  16. "Did Joe Biden's Great-Grandfather Own Slaves?". Snopes.com. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
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