Sharp Delany
| Sharp Delany | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ireland |
| Died | May 13, 1799 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Place of burial | St. Peter's Episcopal Church Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | Continental Army |
| Years of service | 1776-1779 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | 2nd Battalion Pennsylvania Militia |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War |
Sharp Delany (c. 1739–1799), was a Colonel in the American Revolutionary War and was appointed first Collector of Customs in Philadelphia by George Washington.
Sharp Delany’s place of birth is in dispute. Often stated to have been born in County Monaghan, Ireland, Sharp Delany was likely born in Queen’s County, Ireland (present day County Laois). Ballyfin, Queen’s County, was the home of his paternal grandfather, Martin Delany, and his father, Daniel Delany, who also resided in Clonin, Queen’s County. Also, Sharp Delany’s maternal grandfather, Isaac Sharp, resided in Killinure, Queen’s County. Sharp Delany’s maternal great-grandfather was the noted Dublin Quaker Anthony Sharp, for whom Sharp was named.
Sharp Delany’s date of immigration to the United States is uncertain. Among the first records of him in America is his September 7, 1763 marriage to Margaret Robinson in the Trinity Episcopal Church of Philadelphia. By about 1764, he had established himself as a druggist in Philadelphia in partnership with his brother, William. In 1775-6, he was an active member of committees in favor of American independence and later subscribed five thousand pounds to supply the army.
He was a deputy to the Provincial Convention in January, 1775, and to the Provincial Conference in June of the same year. In June, 1776, he raised a company of militia, of which he was Captain, and in 1779 was Colonel of the 2d Pennsylvania Battalion. Colonel Sharp Delany was a personal friend of George Washington and a constant associate of General Anthony Wayne, who made Colonel Delany one of the executors of his will. After the revolution he was a member of the legislature of Pennsylvania, and a member of the Society of the Cincinnati.
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