William Duhurst Merrick (October 25, 1793February 5, 1857) was a

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

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 ...

, serving from 1838 to 1845. Merrick was born in

Annapolis, Maryland 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 ...

and completed preparatory studies. He later graduated from

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

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 ...

Merrick held several local offices and served in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. He was the

register of wills A probate court (sometimes called a surrogate court) is a court that has competence in a jurisdiction to deal with matters of probate and the administration of estates. In some jurisdictions, such courts may be referred to as orphans' courts or ...

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 ...

from 1825 to 1832. He studied law, was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

, and commenced practice in

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

. From 1832 to 1838, Merrick served in 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 ...

. He was elected as a Whig to 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 ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the death of

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 ...

. He was reelected in 1839 and served from January 4, 1838, to March 3, 1845. In the Senate, Kent served as chairman of the Committee on the District of Columbia ( Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Congresses), as a member of the Committee on Post Office and Post Roads (Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth Congresses). After his service in the Senate, Merrick served as a member of the State constitutional convention in 1850. He was again elected to the House of Delegates, and served from January 1856 until his death in

Merrick was interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery, then reinterred in the cemetery at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Newport. His sons, William Matthews Merrick and

Richard T. Merrick Richard Thomas Merrick (January 28, 1828 – June 23, 1885) was a lawyer and Democratic political figure. Born in Charles County, Maryland, Merrick was the son of William D. Merrick, a member of the Maryland legislature and the United States ...

, were also prominent attorneys. William Matthews, the first American-born Catholic priest, was his brother-in-law.

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1793 births 1857 deaths Politicians from Annapolis, Maryland Whig Party United States senators from Maryland Maryland Whigs Members of the Maryland House of Delegates Maryland lawyers 19th-century American lawyers Georgetown University alumni American military personnel of the War of 1812 19th-century members of the Maryland General Assembly 19th-century United States senators {{Maryland-politician-stub