Charles Willing: Difference between revisions

”’Charles Willing”’ (May 18, 1710 – November 30, 1754) was a Philadelphia merchant, trader and politician; twice he served as [[List of mayors of Philadelphia|Mayor of Philadelphia]], from 1748 until 1749 and again in 1754.{{cite web |url=http://www.archives.upenn.edu/people/1700s/willing_chas.html |title=Penn University Archives |publisher=Archives.upenn.edu |access-date=2014-01-04 |archive-date=2018-12-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211132033/http://www.archives.upenn.edu/people/1700s/willing_chas.html |url-status=dead }}

Charles Willing was born in [[Bristol, England]], on May 18, 1710, the son of Thomas Willing and Anne Harrison. He traveled to the American [[Thirteen Colonies|British colonies]] by ship and settled in Philadelphia in 1728 at the age of eighteen. His cousin Thomas Willing was selling land and laying out plans for a new community called Willingtown which later became [[Wilmington, Delaware]]. While living in Willingtown, Charles Willing became a very successful businessman and held political offices such as councilman and magistrate.{{cite book|author=John W. Jordan|title=Colonial And Revolutionary Families Of Pennsylvania|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=arAfWBsvO1gC&pg=PA124|year=2004|publisher=Genealogical Publishing Com|isbn=978-0-8063-5239-8|pages=124}}

Later in life Willing moved to Philadelphia and in 1743 was elected to the Common Council. Soon afterwards in the year 1745 Willing was appointed as [[Judge|Justice]]. Then in 1747 Willing was appointed as one of the Justices of the City Court. The following year in 1748 he was elected as the [[Mayor|City Mayor]]. While serving as mayor Willing was subsequently appointed Justice in the years 1749, 1752 and 1754. Willing was a founder and trustee of the [[Academy and College of Philadelphia]] (now the [[University of Pennsylvania]]).{{Cite web|title=Charles Willing|url=https://archives.upenn.edu/exhibits/penn-people/biography/charles-willing|access-date=2021-01-17|website=University Archives and Records Center|language=en-US}} Willing was elected to serve a second term as mayor and during this time contracted [[Epidemic typhus|ships fever]] and died on November 30, 1754.{{cite book|author=John W. Jordan|title=Colonial And Revolutionary Families Of Pennsylvania|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=arAfWBsvO1gC&pg=PA125|year=2004|publisher=Genealogical Publishing Com|isbn=978-0-8063-5239-8|pages=125}}{{cite book|author=Thomas Willing|title=Willing Letters and Papers: Edited with a Biographical Essay of Thomas Willing of Philadelphia (1631-1821)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sfAOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PR5|year=1922|publisher=Allen, Lane and Scott|pages=5–}}