William Matthew Merrick
Encyclopedia
William Matthew Merrick (September 1, 1818–February 4, 1889) was a United States Circuit Court
judge for the District of Columbia and congressman from the fifth district
of the state of Maryland
.
and graduated from Georgetown University
, Washington, D.C.
, in 1831. He studied law at the University of Virginia
at Charlottesville, was admitted to the bar in Baltimore in 1839, and commenced practice in Frederick, Maryland
, in 1844. He served as deputy attorney general for Frederick County, Maryland
, from 1845 to 1850. He was later a Professor of Law at The George Washington University.
Merrick's father, William Duhurst Merrick
, was a United States Senator from Maryland.
for the District of Columbia, a position he served in until the court was abolished in 1863. While in this position, he is best known for his role in the case of United States ex rel. Murphy v. Porter
during the American Civil War
, when he was placed under house arrest by Gen. Andrew Porter
in relation to a writ for habeas corpus
concerning a soldier stationed in Washington, D.C. During the affair Pres. Abraham Lincoln
also ordered Secretary of State
William H. Seward
to suspended Merrick's salary. Merrick was released from house arrest in December. His name came up in discussions by the United States Senate
over whether to abolish the D.C. Circuit Court, opponents of the bill claiming that it was a stratagem to turn Merrick and his fellow judges out of office. Sen. Henry Wilson
claimed that Merrick's heart "sweltered with treason" and that his house had become a hotbed of pro-secessionist sympathizers.
) in Washington, D.C. in 1866 and 1867. He served as the Howard County
representative to the 1867 Maryland Constitutional Convention. This followed the election of 1866 when the pro-Union politicians lost power and pro-slavery Democrats
replaced them. They sought to rewrite the Constitution of 1864, which they believed to be pro-Union. The convention was called at the request of Governor Thomas Swann
, a Democrat elected in 1866.
In 1870, he served as a Democrat in the Maryland House of Delegates
representing Howard County. In 1871, he was sworn in to serve as a Democrat to Congress, serving the fifth district
that included Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, St. Mary's and part of Baltimore County. All five of Maryland's Congressmen were Democrats. He only served one term and, after redistricting, was replaced by William J. Albert, a Republican
.
as associate judge of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia in 1885 and served until his death in Washington, D.C. He was originally interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)
, but his remains were later transferred to Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) where he is buried in an unmarked grave.
United States circuit court
The United States circuit courts were the original intermediate level courts of the United States federal court system. They were established by the Judiciary Act of 1789. They had trial court jurisdiction over civil suits of diversity jurisdiction and major federal crimes. They also had appellate...
judge for the District of Columbia and congressman from the fifth district
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 House Minority Whip....
of the state of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
Early life, career, and family
Merrick was born near Faulkner, MarylandFaulkner, Maryland
Faulkner is an unincorporated community in Charles County, Maryland, United States. It is home to the Loyola Roman Catholic retreat center. Near here, John Wilkes Booth, assisted by Thomas A. Jones of Huckleberry Farm, was rowed across the Potomac River into Virginia, a week after he assassinated...
and graduated from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in 1831. He studied law at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
at Charlottesville, was admitted to the bar in Baltimore in 1839, and commenced practice in Frederick, Maryland
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
, in 1844. He served as deputy attorney general for Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
, from 1845 to 1850. He was later a Professor of Law at The George Washington University.
Merrick's father, William Duhurst Merrick
William Duhurst Merrick
William Duhurst Merrick 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 University in Washington, D.C..Merrick held several local offices and served in the War of 1812...
, was a United States Senator from Maryland.
Associate Justice of the D.C. Circuit Court
Merrick moved to Washington, D.C. in 1854 when he was appointed as associate justice of the United States Circuit CourtUnited States circuit court
The United States circuit courts were the original intermediate level courts of the United States federal court system. They were established by the Judiciary Act of 1789. They had trial court jurisdiction over civil suits of diversity jurisdiction and major federal crimes. They also had appellate...
for the District of Columbia, a position he served in until the court was abolished in 1863. While in this position, he is best known for his role in the case of United States ex rel. Murphy v. Porter
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. The case arose when John Murphy asked the court to issue a writ of habeas corpus to release his son from service in the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, when he was placed under house arrest by Gen. Andrew Porter
Andrew Porter (Civil War general)
Andrew Porter was an American army officer who was a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was an important staff officer under George B. McClellan during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, serving as the Provost Marshal of the Army of the Potomac.-Early life and...
in relation to a writ for habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
concerning a soldier stationed in Washington, D.C. During the affair Pres. Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
also ordered Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
William H. Seward
William H. Seward
William Henry Seward, Sr. was the 12th Governor of New York, United States Senator and the United States Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson...
to suspended Merrick's salary. Merrick was released from house arrest in December. His name came up in discussions by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
over whether to abolish the D.C. Circuit Court, opponents of the bill claiming that it was a stratagem to turn Merrick and his fellow judges out of office. Sen. Henry Wilson
Henry Wilson
Henry Wilson was the 18th Vice President of the United States and a Senator from Massachusetts...
claimed that Merrick's heart "sweltered with treason" and that his house had become a hotbed of pro-secessionist sympathizers.
Maryland political career
He resumed the practice of law in Maryland, and was a professor of law at Columbian College (now George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
) in Washington, D.C. in 1866 and 1867. He served as the Howard County
Howard County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
representative to the 1867 Maryland Constitutional Convention. This followed the election of 1866 when the pro-Union politicians lost power and pro-slavery Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
replaced them. They sought to rewrite the Constitution of 1864, which they believed to be pro-Union. The convention was called at the request of Governor Thomas Swann
Thomas Swann
Thomas Swann was an American politician. Initially a Know-Nothing, and later a Democrat, he served as mayor of Baltimore , as the 33rd Governor of Maryland , and as U.S...
, a Democrat elected in 1866.
In 1870, he served as a Democrat in the Maryland House of Delegates
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
representing Howard County. In 1871, he was sworn in to serve as a Democrat to Congress, serving the fifth district
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 House Minority Whip....
that included Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, St. Mary's and part of Baltimore County. All five of Maryland's Congressmen were Democrats. He only served one term and, after redistricting, was replaced by William J. Albert, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Supreme Court of the District of Columbia
After his service in Congress, Merrick resumed the practice of law. He was appointed by President Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
as associate judge of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia in 1885 and served until his death in Washington, D.C. He was originally interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)
Mount Olivet Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)
Mount Olivet Cemetery is an historic cemetery located at 1300 Bladensburg Road, NE in Washington, D.C. It is maintained by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.-Notable interments:* George W. Harvey , Washington restaurateur...
, but his remains were later transferred to Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) where he is buried in an unmarked grave.