Benjamin Rumsey (October 6, 1734 – March 7, 1808) was an American jurist from

Joppa, Maryland Joppa is a former colonial town and current planning region of Harford County, Maryland, United States. Joppa was founded as a British settlement on the Gunpowder River in 1707 and designated as the third county seat of Baltimore County in 1712. T ...

. He served as a delegate for

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

in the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

in 1776 and 1777. He served for over twenty-five years, beginning in 1778 until his retirement in 1806 as the first chief judge of the

Maryland Court of Appeals The Supreme Court of Maryland is the highest court of the U.S. state of Maryland. Its name was changed on December 14, 2022, from the Maryland Court of Appeals, after a voter-approved change to the state constitution. The court, which is compose ...

. His record of longevity still stands today.

Early life

Benjamin Rumsey was born on October 6, 1734, to Sabina (née Blaidenburgh) and William Ramsey at Bohemia Manor in

Cecil County Cecil County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland at the northeastern corner of the state, bordering both Pennsylvania and Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,725. The county seat is Elkton. The county was ...

Province of Maryland. After attending

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...

, he

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

and was admitted to the bar. He settled in Joppa about 1768 and lived there the rest of his life.

Career

Rumsey was first elected to Maryland's lower house in 1771 as a member for Cecil County. After

Harford County Harford County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 260,924. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County is included in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is al ...

was formed in 1773, he represented it. He also represented the county in the Maryland conventions held between 1775 and 1776. Maryland sent him as a delegate to the

in 1776 and 1777. He was elected as colonel of the lower battalion of the Harford County Militia on January 6, 1776. When a new state superior court (the Maryland Court of Appeals) was created in 1778, Benjamin Rumsey was appointed as its first chief justice. He held that post until his retirement in 1806.

Personal life

Rumsey married Mary Hall on March 24, 1768. He had three children: Benjamin Jr., John and Hannah. His cousin was

James Rumsey James Rumsey (1743 – December 21, 1792) was an American mechanical engineer chiefly known for exhibiting a boat propelled by machinery in 1787 on the Potomac River at Shepherdstown in present-day West Virginia before a crowd of local notables ...

, engineer known for his early steamboat experiments. Rumsey died at home in Joppa on March 7, 1808 and is buried in the Old St. John's Church Cemetery there.

Legacy

Rumsey Mansion, the home of Benjamin Rumsey, in Joppa, Maryland was included in the

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

. It is the only remaining building of Old Joppa, the first city of northern Maryland.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rumsey, Benjamin 1734 births 1808 deaths Continental Congressmen from Maryland 18th-century American politicians Chief Judges of the Maryland Court of Appeals Princeton University alumni People from Joppatowne, Maryland People from Cecil County, Maryland U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law