Benjamin Contee (1755 – November 30, 1815) was an American

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United States ...

priest and statesman from

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. He was an officer in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, a delegate to the

Confederation Congress The Congress of the Confederation, or the Confederation Congress, formally referred to as the United States in Congress Assembled, was the governing body of the United States from March 1, 1781, until March 3, 1789, during the Confederation ...

, and member of the first

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

Early life

Contee was the son of Col. Thomas Contee (1729–1811) and Sarah Fendall (1732–1793). He was born at "Brookefield", near

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

Prince George's County 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 U.S. census, the population was 967,201, making it the second-most populous ...

, Maryland, the home of his father, and original home of his ancestor, Maj. Thomas Brooke, Sr., Esq. (1632–1676).

Military and political career

At beginning of the Revolutionary War, Contee entered the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

, rising to the rank of captain of the

3rd Maryland Regiment The 3rd Maryland Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. It served from 1776 to 1783, mostly in the Middle Atlantic Region of the conflict. Background The 3rd Maryland Regiment was org ...

, which proved to be one of the army's elite units until its near annihilation at the

Battle of Camden The Battle of Camden (August 16, 1780), also known as the Battle of Camden Court House, was a major victory for the Kingdom of Great Britain, British in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War. On August 16, 1780, British forces ...

. After the war he was elected to 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 ...

, where he served from 1785 to 1787. He served as a delegate to the

from 1787 to 1788, and the third district of Maryland in the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...

from 1789 to 1791. Along with his brother Alexander Contee (1752–1810), he became a merchant of London, at their stores in Nottingham, Queen Anne and Upper Marlboro. He was declared insolvent due to "mishaps in trade". After having served in Congress, he went to Europe and traveled through Spain, France, and England.

Marriage and children

On April 8, 1788, he married his cousin, Sarah Russell Lee (1766–1810). Sarah was born at " Blenheim" in 1766, and died December 6, 1810, at "Bromont", near Newburg, Charles Co., Maryland. Sarah was the daughter of Philip Thomas Lee (1736–1778) and Ann Russell (died 1777) of England. The Contees' children were Sarah "Sallie" Elinor Contee (1789 – ), Philip Ashton Lee Contee, Sr. (1795–1842), Edmund Henry Contee (1799–1832), and Alice Lee Contee (1803–1868), who married Gov.

Joseph Kent Joseph Kent (January 14, 1779November 24, 1837) was an American politician and planter who was a United States Senator from Maryland, serving from 1833 until his death in 1837. He also served in the House of Representatives, representing the 2 ...

Episcopal minister

On his return to America he completed his study in

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

and was admitted to holy orders in 1803 by Rev.

Thomas John Claggett Thomas John Claggett (October 2, 1743 – August 2, 1816) was the first bishop of the newly formed American Episcopal Church to be consecrated on American soil and the first bishop of the recently established (1780) Diocese of Maryland. Early ...

, Bishop of Maryland, a neighbor, friend, helper and patriot of the Revolution. That same year he became rector of William & Mary's, Charles County. He was a distinguished minister of the Episcopal Church and for several years the incumbent of

Port Tobacco Port Tobacco, officially Port Tobacco Village, is a town in Charles County, Maryland, United States. The population was 13 at the 2010 census, making Port Tobacco the smallest incorporated town in Maryland. Overview This was historically the te ...

Parish,

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 ...

. He was a native of Prince George's County and brought up in the church. In 1808, he added Trinity, and in 1811, St. Paul's, Prince George's Co., Maryland, to his charge. He continued as a Judge of the Orphan's Court, and was always in the Standing Committee.

Property

Benjamin resided briefly in the mid-1790s at " Blenheim". At the time of his death he was living at the glebe house of Trinity Parish near Allen's Fresh. Benjamin and his wife were more than likely interred in the Contee cemetery at "Locust Hill" just outside Port Tobacco, which has been destroyed. If not there, then they were buried in the original Christ Church cemetery in Port Tobacco, which is now covered by swamp.

References

*Fendall, Douglas Allen. ''The Descendants of Governor Josias Fendall''. *(attained from several sources including: "Across the Years in Price George's County"). *"Clergy in Maryland of the Protestant Episcopal Church, Since the Independence of 1783". *Purcell, L. Edward. ''Who Was Who in the American Revolution''. New York: Facts on File, 1993. . Reference for military and congressional service only, not family information.

External links

Retrieved on 2009-05-07 {{DEFAULTSORT:Contee, Benjamin Fendall family 1755 births 1815 deaths People from Nottingham, Maryland 18th-century American Episcopalians Continental Congressmen from Maryland Members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland Members of the Maryland House of Delegates Continental Army officers from Maryland American Episcopal priests 19th-century American Episcopalians Contee family Lee family (Virginia) 18th-century members of the United States House of Representatives