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Last updated on 2 February 2008

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JAMES LOGAN was, like his friend William Penn, a Quaker of Cavalier ancestry. He was descended from Baron Logan, of Restalrig, Scotland, who had taken part in the Gawrie conspiracy, in the reign of James VI., and lost his property in consequence. James was the son of Rev. Patrick Logan, who had removed to England and joined the new sect of Friends. James was born in Lurgan, Ireland, October 20, 1674. He was well educated, being master of the French, German, Greek, Latin, and other languages. He had embarked in a mercantile career, and was achieving success, when William Penn, on his second journey to Philadelphia, invited the young merchant to accompany him as his secretary. He accepted the invitation, and sailed for the New World in 1699. An amusing anecdote is told of the voyage. Pirates attacked the ship, and Penn, a Quaker by conversion, retired below, while Logan, a Quaker by birth, joined in the defence. The pirates were driven off, and Penn sought the deck again, where he scolded Logan for engaging in battle. " You were my master," replied Logan ; " if you did not wish me to fight, why did you not order me below deck ?" He may be looked on as the original " fighting Quaker."

On reaching Philadelphia, Penn appointed Logan secretary of the Council, and when he left for England, two years afterwards, he left Logan to some extent his agent in the settlement and collection of rents, debts, fines, etc. From this time forward he acted as Penn's business agent in America, and on the death of the proprietor was appointed by will to perform the same duties for his successors. Logan became a member of the Council in 1704. Disputes had arisen, and many of the colonists were bitter against the government of the proprietary. Logan stood stoutly for the interests of Penn, but was haughty and aristocratic in bearing, and roused such resentment that the Assembly sought to impeach him. The governor deciding that it was beyond his authority to try a case of impeachment, an effort was made to arrest Logan, some of the members being exasperated by his free expressions of opinion. The sheriff decided, however, in his turn, that this was beyond his authority, and Logan left on a projected trip to England.

He returned after a year's absence, and, trouble arising with the governor, used his influence to have him deposed and Sir William Keith appointed in his stead. Keith was an able, but an arbitrary, man, who soon fell out with his supporter, and the Council passed bills in defiance of the majority, and removed Logan from his office of secretary. After Penn's death in 1718, Logan acted as trustee for all his possessions in America, and became mayor of the city in 1723. A conflict soon after arose between him and Keith, Hannah Penn having ordered the governor to restore Logan to the secretary-ship and to be controlled by him in his official duties. The conflict ended in the triumph of Logan and the deposition of Keith. As to the character of Governor Keith, we have some interesting evidence in the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.

From this time forward Logan's career was a successful one. He was reappointed secretary, was made one of the justices, and in 1731 became Chief-Justice of the Supreme Court. In 1736 he was chosen, on the death of the governor, President of the Council, and acted as governor for two years, pending the arrival of a new governor. With the coming of George Thomas, the new governor, Logan retired from political life, and spent the remainder of his days on his estate, " Stenton," near Germantown. He died in 1751.

Amid his political, mercantile, and other interests, Logan found much time to devote to science and literature. He wrote papers on Lightning for the " Philosophical Transactions," and Latin treatises on botany, electricity, navigation, and optics. For the benefit of the people of Philadelphia, he made a free gift to the city of his valuable library, containing a choice selection of books valued at one thousand pounds. This library was endowed with the Springettsbury, manor property, and he also designed to add a library building to the gift. The building was erected, but the donor died before the deed of gift could be executed. This was the beginning of the Loganian Library. It now forms a valuable part of the Philadelphia Library, and contains in all about three thousand volumes.

Logan's other literary labors include the translation of the "De Senectute" of Cicero and the " Disticha" of Cato. He was one of the trustees in the deed by which the meeting-house of Whitfield became an academy, the progenitor of the University of Pennsylvania.

From the book: "MAKERS OF PHILADELPHIA"
AN HISTORICAL WORK GIVING PORTRAITS AND SKETCHES OF THE MOST EMINENT CITIZENS
OF PHILADELPHIA FROM THE TIME OF WILLIAM PENN TO THE PRESENT DAY
EDITED BY CHARLES MORRIS
PUBLISHED BY L. R. HAMERSLY & CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA., COPYRIGHT, 1894, BY L. R. HAMERSLY & CO.