William Matthews Merrick (September 1, 1818 – February 4, 1889) was a

United States circuit judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...

of the

United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia The United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia (in case citations, C.C.D.C.) was a United States federal court which existed from 1801 to 1863. The court was created by the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801. History The D.C. ci ...

, a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

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 ...

and an associate justice of the

Supreme Court of the District of Columbia The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (in case citations, D.D.C.) is a federal district court in the District of Columbia. It also occasionally handles (jointly with the United States District Court for the District of ...

Education and career

Born on September 1, 1818, near

Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where Faulkner spent most of ...

Charles County 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 ...

, Merrick was the son of William Dunhurst Merrick and his wife. He graduated from

Georgetown College Georgetown College is a private Christian college in Georgetown, Kentucky. Chartered in 1829, Georgetown was the first Baptist college west of the Appalachian Mountains. The college offers 38 undergraduate degrees and a Master of Arts in educat ...

in 1831, studied law at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

, and read law in 1839 to prepare for the bar. Merrick admitted to the bar and entered private practice in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

from 1839 to 1844. He continued private practice in

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick ...

, Maryland from 1844 to 1854. He served as deputy attorney general for Frederick County, Maryland from 1845 to 1859. He resumed private practice in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

from 1854 to 1855.

Circuit Court service

Merrick was nominated by President Franklin Pierce on December 14, 1855, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge

James Dunlop James Dunlop FRSE (31 October 1793 – 22 September 1848) was a Scottish astronomer, noted for his work in Australia. He was employed by Sir Thomas Brisbane to work as astronomer's assistant at his private observatory, once located at Paramat ...

. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on December 14, 1855, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on March 3, 1863, due to abolition of the court.

Civil War and removal from office

While a circuit judge, Merrick is best known for his role in the case of ''

United States ex rel. Murphy v. Porter ''United States ex rel. Murphy v. Porter'', 2 Hawy. & H. 394, 27 F. Cas. 599, was a case decided by the United States Circuit Court for the District of Columbia in October 1861. Background and noncompliance with court order The case arose when J ...

'' during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. He was placed under house arrest by General Andrew Porter in relation to a writ for

habeas corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...

concerning a soldier stationed in Washington, D.C. During the affair, President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

ordered Secretary of State

William H. Seward William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined oppon ...

to suspend Merrick's salary. Merrick was released from house arrest in December. His name came up in discussions by the

over whether to abolish the D.C. Circuit Court, with opponents of the bill claiming that it was a strategem to turn Merrick and his fellow judges out of office. Senator

Henry Wilson Henry Wilson (born Jeremiah Jones Colbath; February 16, 1812 – November 22, 1875) was an American politician who was the 18th vice president of the United States from 1873 until his death in 1875 and a senator from Massachusetts from 1855 to ...

claimed that Merrick's heart "sweltered with treason" and that his house had become a hotbed of pro-secessionist sympathizers.

Later career

Merrick resumed private practice in Howard County, Maryland from 1863 to 1870. He was a senior Professor of Law for Columbian College (now

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...

in Washington, D.C. from 1866 to 1867. He was a delegate to the Maryland state constitutional convention in 1867. He was 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, ...

in 1870.

Congressional service

Merrick was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

from

Maryland's 5th congressional district Maryland's 5th congressional district comprises all of Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert counties, as well as portions of Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties. The district is currently represented by Democrat Steny Hoyer, the current H ...

to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

of the

42nd United States Congress The 42nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1871, ...

, serving from March 4, 1871, to March 3, 1873. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the 43rd United States Congress in 1872. After his departure from Congress, Merrick resumed private practice in Howard County from 1873 to 1886.

Supreme Court of the District of Columbia service

Merrick received a

recess appointment In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the president of a federal official when the U.S. Senate is in recess. Under the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause, the President is empowered to nominate, and with the a ...

from President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

on May 1, 1885, to an Associate Justice seat on the

(now the

United States District Court for the District of Columbia The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (in case citations, D.D.C.) is a federal district court in the District of Columbia. It also occasionally handles (jointly with the United States District Court for the District ...

) vacated by Associate Justice Andrew Wylie. He was nominated to the same position by President Cleveland on December 14, 1885. He was confirmed by the

on March 30, 1886, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on February 4, 1889, due to his death in Washington, D.C. He was initially interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, D.C. and re-interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Family

Merrick was the son of

William Duhurst Merrick William Duhurst Merrick (October 25, 1793February 5, 1857) was a United States Senator from Maryland, serving from 1838 to 1845. Merrick was born in Annapolis, Maryland and completed preparatory studies. He later graduated from Georgetown Univ ...

, a

United States senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from Maryland. His uncle, William Matthews, was the President of

. In 1849, Merrick married Mary Wickliffe, the daughter of Charles A. Wickliffe.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Merrick, William Matthew 1818 births 1889 deaths 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American politicians Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland Georgetown University alumni Judges of the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia Maryland lawyers Democratic Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates United States federal judges appointed by Franklin Pierce United States federal judges appointed by Grover Cleveland United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Philodemic Society members Burials at Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)