Thomas Baldwin Peddie

Thomas Baldwin Peddie (February 11, 1808 – February 16, 1889) was an American Republican politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1877 to 1879. Earlier he was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1864 to 1865 and the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, from 1866 to 1869.

Birth He was born on February 11, 1808, in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father was a Baptist exhorter, working at trunk-making during the week and preaching on Sundays. The elder Peddie died in 1832, leaving his wife and six children in moderate financial circumstances and whose support then depended mainly upon Thomas. Seeing little chance in Scotland of earning a living for so many dependent ones, and hearing of America as the land of opportunity, he emigrated in 1833; after studying the advantages offered by several towns, he concluded to make Newark, New Jersey, his home. For two years he worked at the bench in a saddlery establishment and then, in a basement on Broad Street in Newark, began to manufacture trunks, not having, as he said, enough money to pay for the iron on his first trunk. When he died, his factory and warehouses covered nearly a block, his employees were numbered in the hundreds, and his name stood at the head of this branch of industry in the United States.

Public affairs In addition to his public service described earlier, Peddie helped to found the Essex National Bank and was its vice president; he founded the Security Savings Bank and was its only president; he was president of the Board of Trade; manager of various city institutions; and director of insurance companies and charitable organizations.

The money for the Newark First Baptist Church was given by Peddie. H. J. Latham wrote: