Gov. John Francis MERCER, Sr. b. 17 MAY 1759 Stafford Co., Virginia d. 30 AUG 1821 Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania

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Prefix	Gov.
Suffix	Sr.
Birth	17 May 1759	Stafford Co., Virginia
Gender	Male
Died	30 Aug 1821	Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania
Buried	"Cedar Park," West River, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland
Age	62 years
Person ID	I12423	Pitards and Lansdales
Last Modified	24 Sep 2007

Family Sophia SPRIGG, b. 21 Apr 1766, Annapolis, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland , d. 1812, West River, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (45 years)

Married 1785

Children

	1. Richard MERCER, b. 1785, "Strawberry Hill," Annapolis, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland , d. 19 Nov 1785, Annapolis, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (0 years)
>	2. John Francis MERCER, Jr., b. 24 Jun 1788, Annapolis, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland , d. 22 May 1848, "Belmont," Loudoun Co., Virginia (59 years)
	3. Anna MERCER, b. 12 Nov 1789, "Strawberry Hill," Annapolis, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland , d. 2 Jun 1790, Annapolis, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (0 years)
	4. Margaret MERCER, b. 1 Jul 1791, "Strawberry Hill," Annapolis, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland , d. 17 Sep 1846, "Belmont," Loudoun Co., Virginia (55 years)
	5. Thomas Sprigg MERCER, b. 4 Sep 1792, d. 1810 (17 years)

Family ID F8711 Group Sheet

Notes

According to his congressional biography:

"MERCER, John Francis, (brother of James Mercer), a Delegate from Virginia and a Representative from Maryland; born at "Marlborough," Stafford County, Va., on May 17, 1759; after receiving his education at home from private teachers was graduated from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va., in 1775; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Williamsburg, Va., in 1781; during the Revolutionary War served as lieutenant in the Third Virginia Regiment; promoted to captain in 1777, and was aide-de-camp to Gen. Charles Lee in 1778 and 1779; lieutenant colonel of Virginia Cavalry; Delegate from Virginia to the Continental Congress 1783-1784; moved to West River, Anne Arundel County, Md.; delegate from Maryland to the Federal Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 but withdrew before signing the Constitution; delegate to the state convention which ratified the Federal Constitution in 1788; member of the state house of delegates in 1788, 1789, 1791, and 1792; elected as an Anti-Administration candidate to the Second Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William Pinkney; reelected as an Anti-Administration candidate to the Third Congress and served from February 5, 1792, until his resignation April 13, 1794; again a member of the state house of delegates in 1800 and 1803-1806; governor of Maryland 1801-1803; retired to his estate "Cedar Park," West River, Md.; died in Philadelphia, Pa., August 30, 1821; remains deposited in a vault at St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia, Pa.; subsequently interred in a private cemetery at "Cedar Park," West River, Anne Arundel County, Md."

On his family, see this manuscript collection, part of the "Records of Ante-Bellum Southern Plantations From the Revolution Through the Civil War, Series M: Selections from the Virginia Historical Society; Part 2: Virginia's Northern Neck; also Maryland":
Mss 1M3545a, Mercer Family Papers, 1656-1869, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and Stafford County, Virginia.
Description of the Collection: This collection comprises 569 items that are arranged in sections by name of individual and type of document.
Biographical Note: A genealogy of the Mercer, Garnett, and Sprigg families can be found in the Appendix.

Papers in this manuscript collection contain sections about the Galloway, Chew, Sprigg, Belt, and Mercer families. One section, for instance, "Section 39, Mercer, John (1788-1848), Correspondence, 1809-1845," includes correspondence with, among others, members of the Howard family, Virgil Maxcy of Tulip Hill, and a variety of Mercer relations.

Sources
[S182] Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, U.S. Congress.

[S603] The Mercers and Parkhurst, Byron A. Lee, (West River: privately published by Byron Lee).

Gov. John Francis MERCER, Sr.[1, 2] 1759 - 1821

Gov. John Francis MERCER, Sr.^{[1, 2]}
1759 - 1821