History of Worcester County Maryland United States of America

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A Short Biography of John Dennis

John Dennis, representative, was born at "Beverly," Worcester county, Md., Dec. 17, 1771; son of Littleton and Susanna (Upshur) Dennis; and a descendant in the fourth degree from Donnach Dennis, the first settler in Maryland, 1666. His mother was a daughter of Col. John Upshur of Northampton county, Va. He was prepared for college at Washington academy, Somerset county, Md., and entered Yale, but was not graduated. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1793, and practised in Somerset county. He was a representative from Maryland in the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th congresses, 1797-1807, and was re-elected to the 10th congress. In congress he was one of the five Federalists who withheld their vote in 1801 and thus enabled Thomas Jefferson to be elected President of the United States over Aaron Burr. He was a member of the judiciary committee that framed the present judiciary system of the United States and in the debates attending its passage was one of its ablest advocates. He was married to Elinor, daughter of Henry Jackson, an Englishman, who settled in Somerset county, Md. On his way to take his seat in the 10th congress, to convene Oct. 26, 1807, he died in Philadelphia, Pa., and was buried in the Old Christ Church burying ground in that city. The date of his death is Aug. 17, 1807.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Worcester County Maryland

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