David Marchand

David Marchand was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania who was active in public life during the early decades of the nineteenth century. He was born near Irwin, Pennsylvania, in what was then the western frontier region of the Commonwealth. Little is recorded about his parents or early family background, but his later professional and military roles indicate that he emerged from the local community as a figure of some education and standing. He spent most of his life in Westmoreland County, a growing area of settlement in western Pennsylvania.

Marchand pursued the study of medicine as a young man, undertaking the training then customary for physicians, which typically involved apprenticeship under established doctors rather than formal medical schools. After completing his medical studies, he established a practice in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. As a physician in a largely rural county, he would have provided general medical care to a dispersed population, gaining local prominence and trust that later supported his entry into public service.

In addition to his medical career, Marchand was active in the militia during a period of national conflict. During the War of 1812, he served in the Pennsylvania State militia and rose to the rank of major general of the Thirteenth Division, holding that position from 1812 to 1814. In this capacity he bore responsibility for organizing, training, and overseeing militia forces from his region at a time when western Pennsylvania communities were concerned with frontier defense and national security. His military leadership further enhanced his reputation in Westmoreland County and contributed to his viability as a candidate for elective office.

Marchand entered national politics as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, the dominant political organization in Pennsylvania and much of the nation during the so‑called “Era of Good Feelings.” He was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Fifteenth Congress, serving from March 4, 1817, to March 3, 1819, and was reelected to the Sixteenth Congress, serving from March 4, 1819, to March 3, 1821. Representing a western Pennsylvania constituency, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives during a period marked by debates over internal improvements, westward expansion, and the evolving balance between federal and state authority. While specific details of his committee assignments and floor activity are sparse in surviving records, his consecutive terms reflect sustained support from his district.

After choosing not to continue in Congress, Marchand returned to public service at the county level. In 1821 he was elected prothonotary of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, an important local office that combined the duties of chief clerk of the court of common pleas with responsibility for maintaining official records and filings. His election to this judicial-administrative post underscored the confidence placed in him by local voters and the legal community. Following his tenure as prothonotary, he resumed the practice of medicine in Westmoreland County, returning to the profession that had first established his standing in the community.

David Marchand spent his later years in Greensburg, the county seat of Westmoreland County, where he continued his medical practice and remained a respected figure in local affairs. He died in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, in 1832. He was interred in Greensburg Cemetery, reflecting his long and close association with the town and the surrounding county. Among his children was his son, Albert Gallatin Marchand, who would himself go on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, extending the family’s involvement in national public life into the next generation.