John Grant Chapman (July 5, 1798 – December 10, 1856) was an American politician. Chapman was born in

La Plata, Maryland La Plata is a town in Charles County, Maryland, United States. The population was 10,159 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Charles County. History According to an unconfirmed local story, the town was named by one Colonel Samuel Chapm ...

, and was tutored at home. He attended a college in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

in 1812 and 1813, and graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1817. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1819, and commenced practice at

Port Tobacco, Maryland Port Tobacco, officially Port Tobacco Village, is a town in Charles County, in southern Maryland, United States. The population was 13 at the 2010 census, making Port Tobacco the smallest incorporated town in Maryland. Overview This was historical ...

. He also held an interest in agricultural pursuits. Chapman served as a member of the

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...

from 1824 to 1832 and from 1843 to 1844, serving as

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

from 1826 to 1829 and again in 1844. He served as a member of the

Maryland State Senate The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single- ...

from 1832 to 1836, and served as

President of the Senate President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the speaker in some other assemblies. The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for e ...

from 1833 to 1836. He also served in the State militia, and was an unsuccessful candidate for

Governor of Maryland The Governor of the State of Maryland is the head of government of Maryland, and is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state and has a broad range of appointive powers ...

in 1844. In 1844 and 1846, Chapman was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 3, 1849. During the Thirtieth Congress, he served as chairman of the Committee on the District of Columbia. After his tenure in Congress, Chapman resumed the practice of law at Port Tobacco, and served as president of the State constitutional convention in 1851. Chapman died at his sister’s estate, "Waverly", on the Wicomico River 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 ...

, and was initially interred at St. Johns, a family estate. He was re-interred later in Mount Rest Cemetery of

. Chapman was father of Andrew Grant Chapman, another Maryland Congressman.

References

External links

Chapman family papers
at the

University of Maryland libraries The University of Maryland Libraries is the largest university library in the Washington, D.C. - Baltimore area. The university's library system includes eight libraries: six are located on the College Park campus, while the Severn Library, an of ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapman, John Grant 1798 births 1856 deaths People from La Plata, Maryland Members of the Maryland House of Delegates Speakers of the Maryland House of Delegates Maryland state senators Presidents of the Maryland State Senate Yale College alumni Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland 19th-century American politicians