Gustavus Scott (1753 – December 25, 1800) was an American lawyer who served in several legislative capacities in

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 ...

during and after the American Revolutionary War, as well as farmed in Fairfax County, Virginia, and served as one of the commissioners superintending the erection of public buildings in the new federal city (

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

) from 1794 to 1800.

Early and family life

Scott was born at "Westwood" in

Prince William County, Virginia Prince William County lies beside the Potomac River in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 482,204, making it Virginia's second most populous county. The county seat is the independent city of Manassas. A part ...

. His father, Rev. James Scott (1715–1782), was the rector of Dettingen parish, and friend of patriots

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

and

George Mason George Mason (October 7, 1792) was an American planter, politician, Founding Father, and delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, where he was one of three delegates who refused to sign the Constitution. His wr ...

, as well as a planter. While the site of the former house is now within the Quantico Marine Corps base, much of the former plantation is now Prince William Forest Park. Rev. Scott sent Gustavus and his brother to

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

for their higher education. In 1765 Gustavus studied at King's College in

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

, then entered the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England, in 1767, and completed his law studies in 1771. His sister Christian (1745–1815) married Col. Thomas Blackburn, a revolutionary war officer who became planter in Prince William County. Gustavus Scott married Margaret Hall Caile in Dorchester County in 1777. They had at least three sons. Their Princeton-educated son Gustavus Hall Jr. (born 1786) would move eventually to Crawfordville, Indiana. Their middle son Major William Bushrod Scott (1792–1857) lived in

, and was affiliated with the Washington Navy Yard. Lt. Robert James Scott (1798–1834) became a sutler after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy and military service, and died at Fort Monroe, Virginia. His Fairfax-County born sons (this man's grandsons) remained loyal to the Union during the American Civil War--

Gustavus H. Scott Gustavus Hall Scott (13 June 1812 – 23 March 1882) was an officer in the United States Navy who served in the Second Seminole War and the American Civil War. He rose to the rank of rear admiral and late in his career was commander-in-chief of ...

(1812–1882) became a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy, Robert Wainright Scott (1827–1866) became Lt.Commander in the Navy, and another became railroad executive and Pennsylvania Congressman William Lawrence Scott (1828–1891).

Career

Upon returning from the UK, Scott settled on Maryland's Eastern Shore and married. After admission to the Maryland bar, he practiced in Somerset County. He became a delegate to the Annapolis Convention in 1774 and 1775, and subsequently a member of the Association of the Freemen of Maryland. Scott was a member of the first state constitutional convention in 1776. He moved to

Dorchester County, Maryland Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. At the 2020 census, the population was 32,531. Its county seat is Cambridge. The county was formed in 1669 and named for the Earl of Dorset, a family friend of the Calvert ...

, and was 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 ...

in 1780. Fellow legislators elected Scott 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 ...

in 1784, but he did not attend. He resumed the practice of law and moved to

Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County is the most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, the county's population was 1,062,061, increasing by 9.3% from 2010. The county seat is Rockville, Maryland ...

, in 1794. He was appointed one of the commissioners of the Federal City, in which he oversaw the erection of the public buildings in Washington, D.C., from 1794 until his death in 1800. He served with

William Thornton William Thornton (May 20, 1759 – March 28, 1828) was an American physician, inventor, painter and architect who designed the United States Capitol. He also served as the first Architect of the Capitol and first Superintendent of the United Sta ...

replacing David Stuart and Maryland governor Thomas Johnson. Although his father died in Prince William County in 1782, Gustavus Scott owned land but no slaves in Fairfax County in 1787.Netti Schriener-Yantis and Florene Speakman Love, The 1787 Census of Virginia (Springfield, Virginia: Genealogical Books in Print 1987) pp. 1068

Death and legacy

Scott died in Washington, D.C., survived by his widow, and was buried on his farm in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. Both were later reburied in the Fairfax City cemetery.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Gustavus 1753 births 1800 deaths Maryland lawyers People of Maryland in the American Revolution Alumni of the University of Aberdeen People from Prince William County, Virginia Members of the Maryland House of Delegates