Thomas Contee Worthington
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maryland's 4th district
In office
March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1827
Preceded byJohn Lee
Succeeded byMichael Sprigg
Member of the Maryland
House of Delegates
In office
1818–1825
Personal details
Born(1782-11-25)November 25, 1782
Annapolis, Maryland
DiedApril 12, 1847(1847-04-12) (aged 64)
Frederick, Maryland, Maryland
Parent(s)William Worthington
Jane Contee
RelativesWilliam Worthington (brother)
Walter Worthington (brother)
Thomas Contee (grandfather)
Benjamin Contee (uncle)
OccupationLawyer

Thomas Contee Worthington (November 25, 1782 – April 12, 1847) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Maryland.

Early life

Thomas Contee Worthington was born on November 25, 1782, near Annapolis, Maryland. He was the son of William Worthington III (1747–1820) and Jane Contee (1760–1825).[1] His maternal grandparents were Sarah Fendall (1732–1793) and Thomas Contee (1729–1793), himself the grandson of Thomas Brooke, Jr. (1660–1730). His brothers were William Grafton Delaney Worthington IV (1785–1856), judge and state governor, and secretary of the Territory of East Florida[2][3] and Walter Brooke Cox Worthington (1795–1845), a member of the Maryland House of Delegates. Worthington received a limited schooling.

Through his maternal grandfather's sister, Jane Contee (1726–1812), who was married to John Hanson (1721–1783), a delegate to the Continental Congress who signed the Articles of Confederation and served as the 9th President of the Continental Congress, he was related to Alexander Contee Hanson (1786–1819), also a U.S. Representative, and later, U.S. Senator from Maryland. He was also the nephew of Benjamin Contee, an Episcopal priest, officer in the Revolutionary War, delegate to the Confederation Congress, and member of the first United States House of Representatives.[4]

Career

He served as a captain in the War of 1812, and later as brigadier general of the Ninth Brigade of the Maryland Militia from 1818 to 1847. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1817, and commenced practice in Annapolis, Maryland. He later moved to Frederick, Maryland, in 1818 to serve in the Maryland House of Delegates, and continued the practice of law.[5]

Worthington was a slave owner.[6]

United States Congress

Worthington was elected to the Nineteenth Congress,[7] where he served from March 4, 1825, to March 3, 1827.[8] He resumed the practice of law in Frederick, and also served as member of the executive council in 1830 under the first State constitution.[5]

Personal life

He died in Frederick, and was interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery.[5]

References

Notes
  1. ^ "Thomas Contee Worthington b. 25 Nov 1782 Upper Marlborough, Prince George's County, Maryland d. 12 Apr 1847 Frederick County, Maryland". www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us. Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  2. ^ Baltimore Patriot Newspaper, 23-Jun-1834
  3. ^ Maryland Marriages, 1801-1820, p. 203, "Worthington, Wm. G. D.; 6 Oct 1810, Eliza Chaytor (03 BA-502)"
  4. ^ "CONTEE, Benjamin - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "WORTHINGTON, Thomas Contee - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  6. ^ Weil, Julie Zauzmer; Blanco, Adrian; Dominguez, Leo. "More than 1,800 congressmen once enslaved Black people. This is who they were, and how they shaped the nation". Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  7. ^ "Thomas Worthington, former Representative for Maryland's 4th Congressional District - GovTrack.us". GovTrack.us. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  8. ^ Kestenbaum, Lawrence. "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Worthington". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
Sources
U.S. House of Representatives Preceded byJohn Lee Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 4th congressional district 1825–1827 Succeeded byMichael Sprigg

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

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