George Lear (February 16, 1818 – May 23, 1884) was a Doylestown, Pennsylvania lawyer and banker, who served as state attorney general.
George Lear | |
|---|---|
 Aged 60 | |
| Attorney General of Pennsylvania | |
| In office December 7, 1875 – February 26, 1879 | |
| Governor | John F. Hartranft |
| Preceded by | Samuel E. Dimmick |
| Succeeded by | Henry Wilbur Palmer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 16, 1818 Warwick Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania |
| Died | May 23, 1884 (aged 66) Doylestown, Pennsylvania |
| Spouse | Sydney White |
| Children | 3 |
| Profession | Attorney, banker |
| Signature |  |
Life and career
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Lear was the son of Robert Lear, a farmer, and his wife Mary (Meloy) Lear, both from Bucks County. He initially worked as a teacher and store clerk, but also studied law, mostly on his own, and was admitted to Bucks County bar in 1844. He stumped for Polk-Dallas in the 1844 election.[1] He was appointed the county's Deputy Attorney General in 1848, which he stayed at until the position was superseded by an elected District Attorney.[2]
In 1845 Lear married Sydney White. They had three children, Henry, Cordelia and Mary.[3] Henry would become a lawyer.
In 1865, Lear was appointed president of the Doylestown National Bank, which position he kept until his death.[4] His son Henry was his successor.[3]
Lear was a leading participant in the state's 1872–73 constitutional convention. In 1875, he was appointed state attorney general, which he served until 1879.
Lear died at home in 1884,[5] and was buried in the Doylestown cemetery.
References
edit- ^ Davis 1905a, p. 315.
- ^ Battle 1887, p. 860.
- ^ a b Battle 1887, p. 861.
- ^ National Cyclopaedia 1895, p. 172.
- ^ Davis 1905b, p. 385.
Further reading
edit- The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. IV. New York: James T. White and Company. 1895.
- Battle, J. H., ed. (1887). History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Bucks County: A. Warner. p. 861.
george lear pennsylvania.
- Davis, William Watts Hart (1905a). History of Doylestown, Old and New. Intelligencer Print. p. 315.
george lear.
- Davis, William Watts Hart (1905b). History of Bucks County. Vol. III. New York: Lewis Publishing Company.