Born in Philadelphia; Pennsylvania; he attended the common schools in Princeton; New Jersey; and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). In 1817; he went to China and became a merchant in Canton (Guangzhou) where he was United States Consul from 1823 to 1825. He returned to the United States; and in the winter of 1825 married Annie Stockton; a daughter of Richard Stockton; and settled in Princeton.

He was a director and Secretary of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Company; and was President; and later Treasurer; of the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad. He was a delegate to the New Jersey State Constitutional Convention of 1844; and was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Governor of New Jersey the same year. In 1845; he married Josephine A. Ward; daughter of Congressman Aaron Ward.

He was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of his brother-in-law Robert F. Stockton; and was re-elected in 1857; holding office from March 4; 1853; until his death in Princeton; New Jersey. He was Chairman of the Committee on Patents and the Patent Office (36th United States Congress) and the Committee on Pensions (Thirty-sixth Congress). Pictures From History