George Brent Jr. (September 28, 1817 – January 6, 1881)Death of Judge Brent
, ''Alexandria Gazette'' (January 7, 1881), p. 2. was a justice of the

Maryland Court of Appeals The Supreme Court of Maryland is the state supreme court, 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 cou ...

from 1867 to 1881. Born in

Charles County, Maryland Charles County is a county in Southern Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 166,617. The county seat is La Plata. The county was named for Charles Calvert (1637–1715), third Baron Baltimore. Charles County is part of the Wash ...

, to George and Matilda (Thomas) Brent, his father's ancestors (including lawyer/nun

Margaret Brent Margaret Brent (c. 1601 – c. 1671), was an English immigrant to the Colony of Maryland, settled in its new capitol, St. Mary's City, Maryland. She was the first woman in the English North American colonies to appear before a court of the ...

) had owned land in that area of Maryland since about 1640. Brent represented Charles County several times in the state legislature, and was a member of the state constitutional convention in 1850. He was "recognized as a lawyer of distinguished ability", and, as a judge, "presided over his court with much ease and decorum, his decisions showing great research and legal knowledge and acumen". Following a restructuting of the court in 1867, Brent was elected chief judge of the seventh circuit, and therefore a member of the court of appeals, without opposition. Brent served until his death of

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

at his home in Charles County, following a lengthy illness, at the age of 63. Brent was married to his cousin, Catherine Merrick, with whom he had eleven children.The Brent Family
, ''The Lookout'' (February 24, 1917), Vol. 18, No. 18, p. 4.

References

1817 births 1881 deaths People from Charles County, Maryland Members of the Maryland General Assembly Judges of the Supreme Court of Maryland {{Maryland-state-judge-stub