M-020 Carroll, Charles (correspondence)

DATE: 3 December, 1792

CREATOR: Carroll, Charles (1737-1832)

LANGUAGE: English

EXTENT: One letter

SCOPE: This letter was written to John Morrow of Shepherd’s Town, VA (now Shepherdstown, WV) concerning a loan payment that Mr. Morrow is late on. 

HISTORY: Charles Carroll (1737-1832), known as Charles Carroll of Carrollton to distinguish him from his similarly-named relatives, was a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from Great Britain. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later as a first United States Senator for Maryland. He was the only Catholic and the longest-lived signatory of the Declaration of Independence, dying at the age of 95.

 Carroll was the grandson of Charles Carroll the Settler who emigrated from Ireland. The Settler  had just one son, also named Charles (born 1702). To distinguish the father from the son the son was known as Charles Carroll of Annapolis. Our Charles Carroll was born in 1737, in Annapolis, Maryland, the only child of his father and Elizabeth Brooke (1709-1761).

He began his formal education at the age of 8, when he was sent  to attend the English Jesuit College at St. Omer in Artois, France. The school was founded to educate English subjects who were Catholics. He graduated the College of Louis the Grande in Rheims at age 17. He  continued practical studies in Europe until, at age 28 (c 1765) he returned to his Annapolis home. His father granted Carrollton Manor to his son. It is from this tract of land that he took his title, "Charles Carroll of Carrollton"...

View an extended history and bibliography.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Charles Carroll of Carrollton was one of the four signers of the Declaration of Independence from Maryland. Although his family had great wealth and land holdings, they were barred from entering public office because of their Catholic faith. Carroll was first educated in secret at a Jesuit school located on the Eastern shore of Maryland and then sent abroad to Paris to complete his education in classical studies. Carroll then went to London to study English law and was subsequently admitted to the Inner Temple in London. After the death of his mother in 1765, Carroll returned to Annapolis and became involved in local politics. When he was elected to the 2nd Maryland Convention in 1774, it effectively ended the ban on Catholics in Maryland politics. After the Revolutionary War, he continued to participate in local and state politics, becoming one of the first U.S. senators from Maryland in 1789.

After his retirement from political life in 1800, Charles Carroll focused heavily on business and industry ventures. He was one of the founders of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company and served on the board of directors of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

Charles Carroll was the last surviving member of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

ACCESS: This is collection M-020. This collection is available for on-site use only in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Some of the collection may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, depending on condition. Researchers are advised to call ahead concerning changes in hours due to University intersessions and holidays. The St. Louis Mercantile Library is located on levels one and two of the Thomas Jefferson Library building. More information about conducting research with the archival collections of the Library, including current building hours and reading room policies, can be found on our Research page.

RESTRICTIONS: None

Preferred Citation note: The preferred citation for this collection is “From the Special Collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.”

TRANSCRIPTION

Please note that this transcription preserves the original spelling, grammar, and line breaks whenever possible.