Benjamin Mackall IV
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Mackall IV was an American
planter, lawyer, and jurist from Calvert County, Maryland
. He served as a justice of the Maryland Court of Appeals
from 1778 until 1806.
Benjamin was born into a very large and prosperous family, that of Colonel John James Mackall (1717–1772) and Mary (Hance) Mackall. Besides tobacco, they raised five sons and eight daughters. Benjamin was the second son, so he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1765. He practiced law in both Calvert and several nearby counties.
On November 20, 1769 Mackall married Rebecca Potts in Annapolis, Maryland
. She was the sister of Richard Potts
who would later serve with Benjamin on Maryland's Court of Appeals. Although not the eldest son, he did inherit a small farm in Calvert County from his father, which he expanded to 1,620 acres (7 km²) by his death.
Mackall was first elected to the colonial House of delegates in 1768. He served there for a number of years. He was a member of all the sessions of the revolutionary house known as the Annapolis Convention, including the one that adopted the Maryland Constitution of 1776
. At one of these he gained his name of Benjamin Mackall IV, since he was the fourth of that name to sign the Declaration of Rights of Freeman of Maryland in 1775. (The other three Benjamins were all cousins).
Mackall was a member of Calvert County's Committee of Safety
in 1775 and 1776, and in 1776 followed in his father's path when he was chosen as the Colonel of the Calvert County militia. He later resigned this post when he was appointed to the court, believing that no one should hold more than one major office.
Benjamin was appointed in 1778 as one of the first set of justices to the Court of Appeals, which was the highest court in the state. When the number of justices was reduced to three in 1801 he was one of those who continued to serve. He finally resigned in 1806 due to declining health. He died at home in 1807 on his plantation known as Godsgrace in Calvert County, and was buried in a family plot there.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
planter, lawyer, and jurist from Calvert County, Maryland
Calvert County, Maryland
Calvert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It occupies the Calvert Peninsula which is bordered on the east by the Chesapeake Bay and on the west by the Patuxent River. Calvert County is part of the Southern Maryland region. Calvert County's residents are among the highest...
. He served as a justice of the Maryland Court of Appeals
Maryland Court of Appeals
The Court of Appeals of Maryland is the supreme court of the U.S. state of Maryland. The court, which is composed of one chief judge and six associate judges, meets in the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building in the state capital, Annapolis...
from 1778 until 1806.
Benjamin was born into a very large and prosperous family, that of Colonel John James Mackall (1717–1772) and Mary (Hance) Mackall. Besides tobacco, they raised five sons and eight daughters. Benjamin was the second son, so he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1765. He practiced law in both Calvert and several nearby counties.
On November 20, 1769 Mackall married Rebecca Potts in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
. She was the sister of Richard Potts
Richard Potts
Richard Potts was an American politician and jurist.-Early life and career:Potts was born in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and lived there until he moved with his family to the Barbados Islands in 1757. He returned to Maryland and settled in the state capital of Annapolis in 1761, where he studied law...
who would later serve with Benjamin on Maryland's Court of Appeals. Although not the eldest son, he did inherit a small farm in Calvert County from his father, which he expanded to 1,620 acres (7 km²) by his death.
Mackall was first elected to the colonial House of delegates in 1768. He served there for a number of years. He was a member of all the sessions of the revolutionary house known as the Annapolis Convention, including the one that adopted the Maryland Constitution of 1776
Maryland Constitution of 1776
The Maryland Constitution of 1778 was the first of four constitutions under which the U.S. state of Maryland has been governed. It was that state's basic law from its adoption in 1776 until the Maryland Constitution of 1851 took effect on July 4th of that year.-Background and drafting:The eighth...
. At one of these he gained his name of Benjamin Mackall IV, since he was the fourth of that name to sign the Declaration of Rights of Freeman of Maryland in 1775. (The other three Benjamins were all cousins).
Mackall was a member of Calvert County's Committee of Safety
Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community...
in 1775 and 1776, and in 1776 followed in his father's path when he was chosen as the Colonel of the Calvert County militia. He later resigned this post when he was appointed to the court, believing that no one should hold more than one major office.
Benjamin was appointed in 1778 as one of the first set of justices to the Court of Appeals, which was the highest court in the state. When the number of justices was reduced to three in 1801 he was one of those who continued to serve. He finally resigned in 1806 due to declining health. He died at home in 1807 on his plantation known as Godsgrace in Calvert County, and was buried in a family plot there.