“Life is at all times uncertain… but the reputation of a man of honor … soars above all accidents, and remains an imperishable jewel…”

-William Darlington

By Gene Pisasale
Contributing Writer

Through the course of his life and many achievements, one local patriot deserved the title “Renaissance Man.” The first citizen of Chester County to earn a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, he proved himself in a number of pursuits, from botany to business. He served the people of the area as a Representative in Congress and he was an active participant in the local business scene. That man was William Darlington.

Darlington was born into a Quaker family on April 28, 1782 in Birmingham Township, near the village of Dilworthtown. He spent his childhood on a family farm and received his early education at the Friends School nearby. William was expected to spend much of his time on the farm, but was allowed to be educated by a local, well-respected teacher named John Forsythe. Following this, he entered the office of Wilmington, Del. physician Dr. John Vaughan to begin studies in medicine. Darlington later began his formal medical education at the University of Pennsylvania. 

During his early training, an epidemic of yellow fever occurred. Most of the local doctors fled Wilmington, but Darlington and Dr. Vaughan stayed, tending to those afflicted. 

Darlington became interested in the field of botany during his medical studies, a pursuit which would consume more of his time in later years. After his formal medical training, he returned to Chester County and was appointed as the physician at the Chester County Almshouse, the same place where Indian Hannah had lived. Around the same time, Darlington was appointed as surgeon to a regiment of Chester County militia, the acceptance of which later caused him to be “read out of meeting” by the local Friends group. He gained a taste of adventure soon afterwards, when he was selected as a surgeon on an East India Company ship bound for Calcutta in 1806. He returned the following year, married soon thereafter, and resumed his medical practice, which became a thriving business. In 1811, Darlington was made a trustee and secretary of the West Chester Academy.

William Darlington led a very active life. During the War of 1812, he enlisted as an ensign in the American Grays, a volunteer company from West Chester. Near the end of this conflict, Darlington was elected as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and served three terms. During this time the question of whether to admit Missouri to the Union as a slave state was up before Congress. Darlington let his views be known as being strongly against slavery, the bitter debate for which engrossed the nation as the Missouri Compromise was crafted. In 1825, as the canal craze swept the country, Darlington was appointed to the Board of Canal Commissioners, where he was associated with distinguished men including Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury. The next year, he and some colleagues joined in the creation of the Chester County Cabinet of Natural Sciences and subsequently published Cestrica, a catalogue of plants growing around West Chester.

One indication of the depth of a man’s world view is his concern for those less fortunate than himself. Darlington was generous with his time and efforts in helping friends, writing letters of introduction and recommendations for people who were seeking an office or appointment. He also was concerned about the plight of blacks and Indians. Darlington gave a speech before the Tullian Society of Philadelphia decrying the “too much neglected theme” of slavery, calling it “the most hateful of all curses.”

William Darlington apparently had a boundless storehouse of energy. In 1828, he and several of his medical colleagues created the Medical Society of Chester County. He was chosen as its first president. Darlington served the Society for the next 24 years. During this time, he and some associates joined in the creation of the West Chester Railroad, where he was also chosen as president and superintendent of construction. In 1830, he was elected president of the Bank of Chester County, where he served for the rest of his life. Somehow, during this period, Darlington found time to further pursue botany, publishing Flora Cestrica in 1837, an enlarged and more detailed version of his previous work describing the many flowering plants of Chester County. He apparently loved plants as much as medicine. In 1847 he published Agricultural Botany. Two years later he published The Memorials of Bartram and Marshall, a narrative and catalogue of the letters of the noted botanists of Chester County- Humphry Marshall and John Bartram. Futhey and Cope describe Darlington with praise: “As a physician, he enjoyed an extensive practice… he was confessedly at the head of his profession in Chester County.” 

Darlington was renowned by his peers and citizens around the region as a man of science and great integrity. He was awarded a Doctor of Laws degree from Yale College, as well as Doctor of Physical Science by Dickinson College. At the time of his death on April 23, 1863, Darlington was a member of the American Philosophical Society, the Botanical Society of the Netherlands and more than 40 scientific and literary associations. As proof of his seemingly unending passion and energy, Darlington in his later years was engaged in publishing Notae Cestrienses, a joint collaboration with J. Smith Futhey which detailed notable men and events of Chester County, which was published only a few months before his death. 

William Darlington accomplished more in his nearly 81 years than most people achieve in five lifetimes. He was buried in Oaklands Cemetery near West Chester. Darlington chose the words on his gravestone 20 years before his passing. They were written in stone above his grave, in Latin (translated): “The plants of Chester, which he loved and described, may they blossom forever above his tomb.” He bequeathed his extensive collection of plants and scientific works to the Chester County Cabinet of Natural Science. A blue and gold historical marker stands honoring him and his many accomplishments in West Chester, near North High and Market Streets.

Gene Pisasale is an historian, author and lecturer based in Kennett Square. His 11 books focus mostly on the history of the Chester County/mid-Atlantic region. Gene’s latest book is “Heritage of the Brandywine Valley”, showcasing the fascinating people, places and events of this region over more than 300 years. His books are available on his website at www.GenePisasale.com and also on www.Amazon.com. Gene can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].