Benjamin Say

Benjamin Say (August 28, 1755 – April 23, 1813) was a physician, civic leader, and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Thomas Say (1709–1796) and Rebekah Atkinson Budd Say (1716–1795), members of an established Philadelphia family. On October 1, 1776, in the midst of the American Revolutionary War, he married Ann Bartram Bonsall (1759–1793), a granddaughter of the noted naturalist John Bartram. The couple’s son, Thomas Say (1787–1835), later became a pioneering American entomologist, recognized for his foundational work in the study of insects.

Say pursued formal medical training in his native city and graduated from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1780. Following his graduation, he established a medical practice in Philadelphia and also worked as an apothecary, serving the medical needs of a growing urban population. During the American Revolutionary War he rendered service, reflecting the engagement of Philadelphia’s professional class in the struggle for independence. His medical career and public-spirited activities placed him among the leading physicians of the city in the post-Revolutionary period.

In 1787, Say was one of the founders of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, an institution organized to advance medical knowledge and professional standards. He became a fellow of the College and played a significant administrative role as its treasurer from 1791 to 1809, a lengthy tenure that underscored his influence and reliability in the city’s medical community. Beyond his professional obligations, he was active in a range of philanthropic and reform efforts. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, which sought improvements in the treatment and rehabilitation of prisoners, and he served as president of the Pennsylvania Humane Society, an organization devoted to the preservation of human life and the promotion of public welfare, including efforts related to rescue and resuscitation.

Say’s civic engagement extended into formal politics at the state level. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, participating in the legislative affairs of the Commonwealth during a formative era in its political development. His work in state government complemented his medical and philanthropic activities, reflecting a broader commitment to public service and institutional reform in Pennsylvania at the turn of the nineteenth century.

As a member of the Republican Party, more specifically the Democratic-Republican Party, representing Pennsylvania, Benjamin Say contributed to the legislative process during two terms in the U.S. Congress. He was elected to the Tenth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Representative Joseph Clay, and he was subsequently reelected to the Eleventh Congress. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, when the young republic was consolidating its institutions and confronting issues of domestic policy and foreign relations. Say served from his initial election through his reelection until his resignation in June 1809, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents in the national legislature.

In his private life, Say established a notable residence on the outskirts of Philadelphia. He owned a substantial house known as “The Cliffs,” located to the southwest of the then-borders of the city. The property overlooked the Schuylkill River near Gray’s Ferry, just upriver from the Bartram estate associated with his wife’s family. This residence reflected both his social standing and his connection to the Bartram lineage, which was prominent in scientific and intellectual circles.

Benjamin Say died in Philadelphia on April 23, 1813. He was interred in the Say Burial Ground at Third and Arch Streets in Philadelphia, a family burial site that has been documented in historical plans and images, including a watercolor of his grave marker. His life encompassed service as a physician, reformer, state legislator, and member of Congress, and he remained closely tied to the civic and intellectual life of Philadelphia until his death.