Supreme Court of Pennsylvania On December 28, 1733, his father resigned as prothonotary of the
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and Hamilton was appointed to the office. In May 1734, James's father,
Andrew Hamilton, sold him the town that is present-day
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for 5 shillings. Later that month, on May 21, the younger Hamilton secured a patent from the Penn family for his grant on the Lancaster land. After the death of his father on August 4, 1741, Hamilton inherited his 150-acre estate known as Bush Hill north of the city. He assisted his brother-in-law
William Allen in the administration of lands purchased by his father to be used for the
state house and surrounding public space.
Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly Hamilton was a member of the
provincial assembly from 1735 to 1740.
Lieutenant governor of the Province of Pennsylvania 's passport, issued by Hamilton in 1752 ; Bush Hill was the country residence of
Andrew Hamilton, which he later passed on to his son, James Hamilton became a member of the
provincial council in 1746. He was commissioned by the sons of
William Penn to serve as lieutenant governor of the
Province of Pennsylvania, serving in that capacity until 1754, then again from 1759 to 1763, and briefly in 1771 and 1773. On September 13, 1761, Hamilton and William Allen conveyed Lot no. 1 and the other pieces of property obtained by Andrew Hamilton and Allen to
Isaac Norris II and the other trustees in charge of purchasing property for the Philadelphia State House, which was later renamed
Independence Hall. The conveyance of this land completed the area of the yard: property that contained the state house and the public spaces surrounding it. Other issues Hamilton confronted included: • Encroachment of the French Military into forts in the land of the Pennsylvania Charter at Presque Isle, Venango, La Boeuf and Du Quesne. • Organizing and funding a defense against the French in opposition to the pacifist
Quaker element in the Assembly • Friction between the Assembly and Proprietors on taxing Proprietary land holdings • Assembly discontent over the Proprietors' refusal to hear appeals from them about the Deputy Governor's decisions • Failure to disclose to the Assembly, the Proprietors' directive concerning the financial interest of pecuniary bills which Hamilton would approve •
Albany Congress attended by
John Penn and Benjamin Franklin, who proposed a colonial union for defense against the French and Indians Hamilton resigned due to his deteriorating relations with the Assembly in the attempt to follow the proprietors' instructions. Hamilton's second turn as deputy governor followed the recall of William Denny. The
French and Indian War was coming to its conclusion. However, the Province of Pennsylvania was then facing
Pontiac's War. The
Lenape and
Shawnee tribes raided deep into frontier Pennsylvania, taking captives and killing settlers. An uprising led by a vigilante group, known as the
Paxton Boys, erupted in
Province of Pennsylvania. Hamilton was replaced by John Penn, William Penn's grandson.
President of Provincial Council Hamilton assumed the role of chief executive from May 4 to October 16, 1771, when John Penn left
Philadelphia to return to England when his father died. The council was prohibited to approve any act of the Assembly so the role was strictly ceremonial or administrative until October when
Richard Penn, Jr., (John's brother) was appointed as the province's deputy governor. Hamilton was acting governor of the Pennsylvania Province from July 19 to August 30, 1773. ==Death==