About John Test
Lived 1771 – 1849 (aged 77). John Test was an American politician, lawyer, judge and writer.
John Test (1781 – October 9, 1849) was a U.S. representative from Indiana.
John Test was born and raised near Salem, New Jersey. He moved to Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and operated Fayette Chance Furnace for several years. He moved to Cincinnati, and then to Brookville, Indiana, and operated a grist mill. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar and began practice in Brookville, Indiana. He held several local offices. He served as judge of the third district circuit 1816–1819.
Test was elected as a Jackson Republican to the Eighteenth Congress and reelected as an Adams candidate to the Nineteenth Congress (March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1827). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1826 to the Twentieth Congress.
Test was elected as an Anti-Jacksonian to the Twenty-first Congress (March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1831). Presiding judge of the Indiana circuit court. He moved to Mobile, Alabama, and resumed the practice of law. He died near Cambridge City, Indiana, October 9, 1849. He was interred in Cambridge City, Indiana.
Test was the maternal grandfather of author and American Civil War Union Army Major General Lew Wallace, the son of Indiana lawyer and politician David Wallace and Test's daughter Esther. His daughter Mary was the wife of James Rariden, a fellow U.S. Representative from Indiana.
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Important facts
People in John Test's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Test's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Test?
American politician (1771–1849)
When was John Test born?
John Test was born on 12 November 1771 in Salem County.
When did John Test die?
John Test died on 9 October 1849 in Indiana.
What was John Test's occupation?
John Test was a politician, lawyer, judge and writer.
What nationality was John Test?
John Test was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Test. https://biography.guide/john-test/
MLA: "John Test." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-test/.
Chicago: "John Test." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-test/.
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