John Francis Mercer

John Francis Mercer (May 17, 1759 – August 30, 1821) was an American lawyer, planter, and politician from Virginia and Maryland.

John F. Mercer
portrait by Robert Field, 1803
10th Governor of Maryland
In office November 10, 1801 – November 13, 1803
Preceded by	Benjamin Ogle
Succeeded by	Robert Bowie
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 2nd district
In office March 4, 1793 – April 13, 1794
Preceded by	William Hindman
Succeeded by	Gabriel Duvall
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 3rd district
In office February 5, 1792 – March 3, 1793
Preceded by	William Pinkney
Succeeded by	Uriah Forrest
Personal details
Born	(1759-05-17)May 17, 1759 Stafford County, Colony of Virginia, British America
Died	August 30, 1821(1821-08-30) (aged 62) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Resting place	Cedar Park Estate, Galesville, Maryland
Nationality	American
Political party	Anti-Federalist (1782), Federalist (1801)
Spouse(s)	Sophia Sprigg
Residence	Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Alma mater	College of William and Mary
Occupation	Lawyer
Military service
Allegiance	Continental Army  United States Army
Rank	Lieutenant colonel
Unit	3rd Virginia Regiment Virginia militia
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War Battle of Brandywine  (WIA)

Life

Sophia Sprigg Mercer

Mercer was born in 1759 at Marlborough, in Stafford County in the Colony of Virginia, to John Mercer and Ann Roy Mercer. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1775 and was a delegate for Virginia to the Continental Congress in 1783 and 1784. He married Sophia Sprigg on February 3, 1785.[1]

During the American Revolutionary War, Mercer was commissioned a captain in the 3rd Virginia Regiment in the Continental Army. He was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine. In 1778 he became an aide-de-camp with the rank of major to General Charles Lee. He resigned from the army when Lee did, but reentered the war as a lieutenant colonel in the Virginia militia. He served briefly under Lafayette in Virginia and was present at the siege of Yorktown.

After the war, Mercer moved to Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and was a Maryland delegate to the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, but withdrew before signing the Constitution. He would represent Maryland in the United States House of Representatives from the second and third districts from 1792 to 1794, and served as the tenth Governor of Maryland from 1801 to 1803. Illness plagued Mercer in his later years, and went to Pennsylvania to seek medical attention. In August 1821 Mercer died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

He was the brother of George Mercer and James Mercer. Margaret Mercer was his daughter.

Notes

1. William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, XVII, College of William and Mary, July 1908, p. 90

External links

• United States Congress. "John Francis Mercer (id: M000645)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Mercer biography at the University of Groningen, Netherlands

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by William Pinkney	U.S. Congressman from Maryland's 3rd District 1792–1793	Succeeded by Uriah Forrest
Preceded by William Hindman	U.S. Congressman from Maryland's 2nd District 1793–1794	Succeeded by Gabriel Duvall
Political offices
Preceded by Benjamin Ogle	Governor of Maryland 1801–1803	Succeeded by Robert Bowie