Philip Barton Key (April 12, 1757 – July 28, 1815), was an American

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

during 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 ...

and later was a United States Circuit Judge and Chief United States Circuit Judge of the

United States circuit court The United States circuit courts were the intermediate level courts of the United States federal court system from 1789 until 1912. They were established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, and had trial court jurisdiction over civil suits of diversit ...

for the Fourth Circuit and a

United States representative 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 ...

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 ...

Education and career

Born on April 12, 1757, near Charlestown, Cecil County,

Province of Maryland The Province of Maryland was an Kingdom of England, English and later British colonization of the Americas, British colony in North America from 1634 until 1776, when the province was one of the Thirteen Colonies that joined in supporting the A ...

British America British America collectively refers to various British colonization of the Americas, colonies of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and its predecessors states in the Americas prior to the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War in 1 ...

, Key pursued an academic course. He was a

during the

, fighting with the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

from 1777 to 1781. He served in the Maryland Loyalists Battalion as a captain.Conway Whittle Sams, Elihu Samuel Riley, ''The Bench and Bar of Maryland: A History 1634 to 1901'' (1901), p. 292. Key and his entire battalion were captured by the Spanish Army– who were at war with the British– in

Pensacola Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only city in Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Pensacola metropolitan area, which ha ...

, Florida. Key was a prisoner for a month in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

before being paroled and sent to New York City, New York until the end of the war. After the war, Key went to England and graduated from 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 ...

in London in 1784 and

read law Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship un ...

in 1785. He returned to

in 1785. He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in Leonardtown, Maryland from 1787 to 1790. He continued private practice in

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

, Maryland from 1790 to 1794, and from 1799 to 1800. He was 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 1794 to 1799. He was

Mayor of Annapolis The Mayor of Annapolis is the chief political figure in the city of Annapolis, which is the capital city of Maryland. The mayor is elected to a four-year term. List of Mayors of Annapolis *1708–1720 Amos Garrett *1720–1721 Thomas Lar ...

from 1797 to 1798.

Federal judicial service

Key was nominated by President

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

on February 18, 1801, to the

for the Fourth Circuit, to a new seat authorized by . He was confirmed by the

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

on February 20, 1801, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on March 3, 1801, due to his elevation to serve as Chief Judge of the same court. Key was nominated by President Adams on February 25, 1801, to the United States Circuit Court for the Fourth Circuit, to the new Chief Judge seat authorized by 2 Stat. 89. He was confirmed by the Senate on February 26, 1801, and received his commission on March 3, 1801. His service terminated on July 1, 1802, due to abolition of the court. Following his departure from the federal bench, Key resumed private practice in

Montgomery County Montgomery County may refer to: Australia * The former name of Montgomery Land District, Tasmania United Kingdom * The historic county of Montgomeryshire, Wales, also called County of Montgomery United States * Montgomery County, Alabama * Montg ...

, Maryland from 1802 to 1807, also engaging in agricultural pursuits. He served as counsel for

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is a Justice (title), justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the J ...

Samuel Chase Samuel Chase (April 17, 1741 – June 19, 1811) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States, signer of the Continental Association and United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Maryla ...

during his Senate impeachment trial in 1805.

Congressional service

Key was elected as a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of deep ...

from

Maryland's 3rd congressional district Maryland's 3rd congressional district covers all of Howard County, Maryland, Howard county as well as parts of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Anne Arundel and Carroll County, Maryland, Carroll counties. The seat is currently represented by Sarah ...

to the

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 ...

of the

10th Tenth may refer to: Numbers * 10th, the ordinal form of the number ten * One tenth, , or 0.1, a fraction, one part of a unit divided equally into ten parts. ** the SI prefix deci- ** tithe, a one-tenth part of something * 1/10 of any unit of me ...

, 11th and

12th United States Congress The 12th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1811 ...

es, serving from March 4, 1807, to March 3, 1813. He was Chairman of the

United States House Committee on the District of Columbia The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is the main investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee's broad jurisdiction and legislative authority make it one of the most influential and powerful pan ...

for the 10th United States Congress.

Later career and death

Following his departure from Congress, Key resumed private practice in

Georgetown, D.C. Georgetown is a historic Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood and commercial district in Northwest (Washington, D.C.), Northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751 as part of the Colonial history of th ...

(then a separate municipality in the

District of Columbia 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, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

, now a neighborhood in Washington, D.C.) from 1813 to 1815. He died on July 28, 1815, in Georgetown, D.C. He was initially interred on his estate “ Woodley” in Georgetown, D.C. He was re-interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Family

Key's cousin, Philip Key, was a

from Maryland.

References

Sources

* * Purcell, L. Edward. ''Who Was Who in the American Revolution''. New York: Facts on File, 1993. . * Leepson, Marc. ''What So Proudly We Hailed: Francis Scott Key, A Life''. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2014. .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Key, Philip Barton 1757 births 1815 deaths 18th-century American judges American Loyalists from Maryland American Revolutionary War prisoners of war held by Spain American people imprisoned in Spain Burials at Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland Judges of the United States circuit courts Key family (Maryland) Loyalist military personnel of the American Revolutionary War Mayors of Annapolis, Maryland Members of the Maryland House of Delegates People from Cecil County, Maryland United States federal judges appointed by John Adams United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law 18th-century mayors of places in Maryland 19th-century Maryland politicians 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 18th-century members of the Maryland General Assembly