THE EXECUTIVES AND VOTERS OF GEORGE

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TOWN, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

By WILLIAM TINDALL

(Read before the Society, May 18, 1920)

HE lack of a compilation containing a complete and authentic list of the names, and terms of office, of the principal executive officials of Georgetown, has been an embarrassing void in the history of the Seat of Government.

For many years I resorted in vain to every source of information on the subject available to me to acquire such data, but was only recently so fortunate, through the courtesy and enterprise of Mr. Carl T. Shoemaker, a lifelong resident of that town, as to have access to records which enabled me to obtain a complete list of the chief executive officials of that town, and the dates of their appointment as such. To this I have appended a brief account of the several provisions of law prescribing the qualifications of Georgetown voters, as being germane to the subject, in showing how those executives were chosen, who were elected by popular vote.

This list comprises the name and date of appointment of each of the Commissioners who were appointed by the act of the General Assembly of the Province of Maryland, approved on June 8, 1751, who laid out the town and controlled its affairs in accordance with that law, and of their successors under that act; also of the Commissioners who were appointed by the act of the same Assembly, approved on December 26, 1783, to survey and plat the addition to the town known as "the Rock of Dumbarton," and the

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name and term of office of each of the several Mayors and clerks of Georgetown.

From June 8, 1751, until December 25, 1789, Georgetown was governed by Commissioners who were either appointed directly by the act of the Province of Maryland, which created that office, or were elected by such Commissioners to fill vacancies due to deaths or resignations, among them.

From January 5, 1790, until August 11, 1856, Georgetown was governed by a Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen and Common Council; and subsequent to the latter date by a Mayor and the two boards mentioned. The office of Recorder whose duties had been in some respects co-ordinate with those of the Mayor and Councils, was omitted from the last named act which amended the charter and repealed all acts inconsistent with that amendment.

During the first forty years of the existence of Georgetown it was governed by nineteen different Commissioners; and during the succeeding eighty-one years by seventeen. different Mayors, and by Councils.

The longest term of any Commissioner was the 32 consecutive years of the incumbency of Robert Peter. John. Cox was Mayor for twenty-two years consecutively. Henry Addison was Mayor for eighteen years, but not continuously, as will hereinafter appear.

COMMISSIONERS OF GEORGETOWN.

The first officials of Georgetown were the seven Commissioners appointed to those positions by their respective names, by the second section of "An act for laying out and erecting a Town on Potomac River, above the mouth of Rock Creek, in Frederick County," which was passed by the General Assembly of the Province of Maryland, on June 8, 1751. These Commissioners were:

Captain Henry Wright Crabb,

Master John Needham,

Master John Clagett,

Master James Perrie, This name is spelled "Perrie" in the act of 1751 above cited, but is always written "Perry" in the minutes of the Commissioners.

Master Samuel Magruder, the Third,

Master Josias Beall, spelled "Josias Beall" in the act, but he is always recorded as Josiah Beall, in the official minutes of the Commissioners.

Master David Lynn.

A copy of the letter from the clerk of the Circuit Court for Frederick County, in the State of Maryland in regard to the manner in which the family name of Mr. Perry and the christian name of Mr. Josiah Beall, should be spelled; and a copy of a letter from Mr. Harry C. Hull, a prominent attorney of the City of Frederick, Maryland, relative to the spelling of the Christian name of Mr. Josiah Beall, which follow, appear conclusive that his Christian name was usually spelled "Josiah." Nevertheless, the first notice to Mr. Beall which was dated September 18, 1751, by the Commissioners, of whom he was one, was addressed to "Mr. Josias Beall, Coroner of Frederick County." I am also informed by the secretary of the Columbia Historical Society, who has relatives in Maryland, bearing the name of Perry, that formerly it was spelled both as Perrie and Perry at the fancy of the person bearing it.

"THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR FREDERICK COUNTY, MARYLAND, ELI G. HAUGH, CLERK, FREDERICK, MD.

"MR. WILLIAM TINDALL,

"Dear Sir:

"Washington, D. C.

"January 27, 1920.

"Your letter of January 21st received; and in reply to the same, will state that we have looked over the Old Records in this office,

and they show the names you inquire about, spelled Josiah Beall and James Perry, taken from the indexes of our Old Land Records. "Yours very truly,

"My dear Mr. Allmond:

"ELI G. HAUGH,

"Clerk."

"Yesterday afternoon had an opportunity to look into the Christian name of one named Beall, of whom you inquired.

"There are no records extant in our clerk's office of which any person thereabouts knows-that give the original signature of this person BEALL; there are, however, numerous instances in the indexes of the name of Josiah Beall and likewise in the record of the Court from the year 1753 on, all of which names are spelled 'JOSIAH,' a Coroner, and that at the same time a Justice of the Peace, the duties of which are yet, in the counties of Maryland, covered by the same commission and performed by the same person.

A bronze tablet adorns one of the walls of our Courtroom erected on November 23, 1904, by the Federick Chapter, D. A. R., which, no doubt, was given a most thorough and careful historic searching before this effort was made to perpetuate the names, which is as follows:

"This 'Josiah Beall' on this tablet was the same Josiah Beall whose name runs through the records from the early fifties on up to and passed this date of the repudiation.

"Regretting very much that I was unable to locate the original signature of this person which would be found only in the text books of those days which for some reason are not in or around the office to any person's knowledge, and at the same time hoping that this information may be of some little use, I remain,

"Yours very truly,

"HARRY C. HULL,

"Attorney-at-Law”

The Commissioners were empowered by the following Section of the Act of June 8, 1751, to fill vacancies in their Commission: Sec. 14 "And be it further enacted, That when and as often as any of the Commissioners aforesaid shall die, or remove from the county aforesaid, or refuse or neglect to join in the execution of this act, then, and in any such case, the major part of the other Commissioners. aforesaid shall choose others in the place of such who shall die, refuse, remove, or neglect as aforesaid, and such person or persons so chosen, shall have equal power to act as the other Commissioners herein mentioned."

The following were chosen under that section as successors to the original Commissioners:

Andrew Heugh, who on March 24, 1754, succeeded John Needham, deceased;

Robert Peter, who on November 11, 1757, succeeded Josiah Beall, who resigned;

John Murdock, who on June 11, 1764, succeeded Henry Wright Crabb, deceased;

Thomas Richardson, who on February 24, 1772, succeeded John Clagett, who resigned;

Adam Steuart, who on February 24, 1772, succeeded James Perry, deceased;

William Deakins, Junior, who on February 24, 1772, succeeded Samuel Magruder the Third, who resigned;

Bernard O'Neill, who on May 22, 1782, succeeded David Lynn, deceased;

Thomas Beall, of George, who on May 22, 1782, succeeded Adam Steuart, who had renounced his American Citizenship, and went to Europe to reside, because he was not in sympathy with the revolution of the Colonies. Steuart's land was confiscated to the State of Maryland.

Benjamin "Canady" Stoddert, who was elected on July 29, 1785, as successor to Thomas Richardson, deceased;