Biographical Sketch of Hon. Townsend HAINES (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsyl- vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county", by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Phila- delphia, PA, 1893, pp. 560-1. "HON. TOWNSEND HAINES, an eminent lawyer and a distinguished man in public life, whose efforts - although able - were never equal to his abilities, was a son of Caleb and Hannah (Ryant) Haines, and was born at West Chester, Chester county, Pennsylvania, January 7, 1792. He received his education at Enoch Lewis' Boarding school, and after teaching for several years, read law with Isaac Darlington, and was admitted to the bar on February 7, 1818. He soon gained a good practice and while he made no effort to be a leader at the West Chester bar, yet he was engaged in all the important cases and excelled as a jury pleader. He was a democrat in early life, served as a member of the Pennsylvania house of representatives in 1826 and again in 1827, and eleven years later became a 'Monday Whig,' editing the county organ of that political organization. In 1840 he became a whig, and eight years later accepted the position of secretary of the Common- wealth, in which capacity he served until 1850, when he was appointed as treasurer of the United States by President Taylor. One year later he was elected president judge of the district composed of the counties of Chester and Delaware, and resigned the treasurership to take his seat on the bench, where he served very satisfactorily until the end of his term. He then returned to the practice of his profession, in which he was engaged until his death in October, 1865, at seventy-two years of age. "Judge Haines had a talent for poetry, which he never would exert himself to improve. He was handsome, dignified and imposing in appearance, pos- sessed a strong musical voice, and had there been more energy in his make up, he would undoubtedly have achieved the splendid career for which his abilities and talents fitted him."