Logan, James (1674-1750)

Irish-born US colonial statesman and judge. He worked as a merchant in Bristol, England, becoming William Penn's secretary in 1699. Logan emigrated with his employer to Pennsylvania that same year. He held a series of government appointments in the colony, and sat on and eventually presided over the ruling Provincial Council (1702-47). He also accepted a judgeship in 1726, and was chief justice of the colony's supreme court (1731-39).

A Scottish schoolmaster's son, Logan was born in Lurgan, Ireland. He advised Penn's descendants for five decades and himself made a fortune in land speculation and trade with the American Indians. He had long shown an interest in translating classical literature, and had his M T Cicero's Cato Major printed in 1744 by Benjamin Franklin. After retiring from public life in 1747, he devoted his final years to his scholarly interests, including a notable work on botany.