Robert Alexander (c. 1740 – 1805) was an American planter, lawyer, and
Tory political leader during the
American Revolution. He was a delegate to 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. ...
for
Maryland in 1776.
Background
Robert Alexander was born on his family's estate at ''Head of Elk'' in
Cecil County, Maryland
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 n ...
about 1740. He was educated to the law and admitted to the bar, and practiced in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...
. From 1774 to 1776, he attended the
Annapolis Convention as a representative of
Baltimore County. He also represented Baltimore in the state's ''Committee of Safety''.
On December 9, 1775 the Convention named Alexander one of their delegates to 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. ...
. He attended sessions starting in January 1776, and on January 16 the Congress added him to their ''Secret Committee''. Then in April he was added to the Marine Committee. He was re-elected, 4 July 1776, but soon after the promulgation of the Declaration of Independence he sailed for England with other Baltimore loyalists.
In August 1777, after British forces had landed at Head of Elk, he was visited at his home, first by
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
on the 27th, and then by British
General Howe three days later. When the British moved north towards
Philadelphia he accompanied them, and was never to return. By the summer of 1778, when Howe abandoned the occupation of Philadelphia, Alexander fled to the
Royal Navy, and made his way to
London in 1782.
In 1780, the State of Maryland judged Alexander guilty of
high treason, and seized most of his property. His estate became the town of
Elkton, Maryland, although the wife he had abandoned was allowed to keep the main house that his father had built in 1735. The house still stands, and is located at 323 Hermitage Drive in Elkton.
Alexander died in exile in
London on November 1805.
References
Further reading
*Janet B. Johnson; ''"
Robert Alexander, Maryland Loyalist";''1942; reprinted 1969 by Irvington Publishing, .
External links
Alexander's Congressional Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Robert
1740 births
1805 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
Continental Congressmen from Maryland
18th-century American politicians
American planters
People from Elkton, Maryland