Robert Coleman

Robert Coleman (November 4, 1748 - August 14, 1825) was an American industrialist and politician who became Pennsylvania's first millionaire.

Early life Coleman was born and raised in Castlefin in County Donegal in the north-west of Ulster, the northern province in Ireland; he was one of eight children of Thomas Coleman. He immigrated to America, arriving in Philadelphia in Pennsylvania in 1764 when he was sixteen years old. According to tradition, he brought with him two letters of introduction and three guineas.

He worked as a clerk for merchant Mark Biddle, who was impressed with Coleman's penmanship and attention to detail. In 1776, he attended the Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention. In 1795, Coleman was Captain of the Lancaster Troop of Light Horse.

Personal

On October 4, 1773, Coleman married Anne Old (1756 – 1844), the oldest daughter of his employer James Old (1730 – 1809), at Reading Furnace, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Coleman served on the vestry of St. James and had a bitter dispute with Muhlenberg over the latter offering evening worship services. Coleman then banned Muhlenberg from his house. Muhlenberg wrote in his diary, “But for no earthly consideration whatever, not even the attainment of the dear object of my heart will I sacrifice what I believe to be the interests of my church. O lord, help me!'” The dispute continued for a year, before coming before the church council again, but by that time Coleman was too ill to protest. After her father's death in August 1825, Sarah hoped to marry Muhlenberg. However, in his will, Coleman gave his sons Edward and James the right to approve of Sarah's spouse, and tied such approval to her inheritance. Unfortunately, her brother Edward also dislike Muhlenberg, and even offered the church $5,000 only if the young rector was to leave. Perhaps broken hearted, Sarah traveled to Philadelphia in the fall of 1825 where she died at the age of 23.

Coleman died in Lancaster at age 77. He was one of the wealthiest and most respected men in Pennsylvania at the time of his death. He left Dickinson College dividends and fifty shares in the Carlisle Bank worth $1,140.

His legacy was retained through the surviving companies of the Cornwall Iron Furnace company until the industry was replaced by steel manufacturing late in the 19th century.