Benedict Joseph Semmes (November 1, 1789 – February 10, 1863) was an American politician. Born in

Charles County, Maryland Charles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 166,617. The county seat is La Plata. The county was named for Charles Calvert (1637–1715), third Baron Baltimore. T ...

, Semmes attended the rural schools and a medical college in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. He graduated from Baltimore Medical School in 1811 and commenced practice in

Prince George's County, Maryland Prince George's County (often shortened to PG County or PG) is located in the U.S. state of Maryland bordering the eastern portion of Washington, D.C. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population was 967,201, making it ...

. He later engaged in farming. Semmes served as a member of the

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the Maryland General Assembly, legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House ...

from 1825 to 1828 and served as speaker. He served in the

Maryland State Senate The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single ...

, and was elected as an Anti-Jacksonian to the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Congresses, serving from March 4, 1829, to March 3, 1833. He was again a member of the

in 1842 and 1843. He lived in retirement until his death at Oak Lawn in Prince George's County.

References

1789 births 1863 deaths Speakers of the Maryland House of Delegates Maryland state senators National Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Maryland General Assembly {{Maryland-politician-stub