John Francis Mercer was an American lawyer, planter, and politician.
Background
John Francis Mercer belonged to the distinguished Mercer family of Virginia. His father, John Mercer, its founder, came of a family which originated in Chester, England. Born in Ireland, he emigrated in 1720 to Virginia, where he became known as an able lawyer and wealthy man of affairs. By his first wife, Catherine Mason, he had ten children, one of whom was James Mercer. His second wife, the mother of John Francis, was Ann Roy of Essex County, Virginia. The son, fifth of her nine children, was born at "Marlborough, " his father's estate in Stafford County, Virginia.
Education
John Francis Mercer received his higher education at the College of William and Mary. During the first interval in his military service (1779 - 80) Mercer studied law for a year at Williamsburg under the direction of Thomas Jefferson, then governor of Virginia; and between his service under Lawson and that under Lafayette he practised law at Fredericksburg.
Career
Since war with England seemed inevitable, early in 1776, Mercer enlisted as lieutenant in the 3rd Virginia Regiment. He was promoted to a captaincy September 11, 1777, and in the following year became aide-de-camp to Gen. Charles Lee. When, after the battle of Monmouth, the latter was court-martialed and disgraced, Mercer resigned his commission (October 1779) and returned to Virginia. In the fall of 1780 he reëntered the war as lieutenant-colonel of infantry under General Lawson; and the following May he recruited a small group of cavalryto aid Lafayette, under whom he served for a short time. He then raised a corps of militia grenadiers, whom he commanded, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. This appears to have been the extent of his experience as an active practitioner. Subsequently, he devoted most of his time to politics. He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates in 1782 and in 1785-86. In December 1782, he was elected member of Congress from Virginia, to succeed Edmund Randolph who had resigned; and the following year he was reуlected.
Soon after his marriage, Mercer took up his residence at "Cedar Park, " an estate in Anne Arundel County inherited by his wife from her father. He was a member from Maryland of the Federal Convention of 1787, and was so strongly opposed to the centralizing character of the document drawn up that he left before the gathering finished its work. As a delegateto the Maryland ratification convention, he spoke and voted against the Constitution; and after it was adopted, aligned himself with the Republicans. He was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates in 1788-89 and 1791-92. Elected in 1791 to the federal House of Representatives to take the place of William Pinkney, resigned, he was reelected, but resigned his seat in April 1794 and retired to "Cedar Park. " This terminated his career in national office. He was again a member of the state House of Delegates in 1800-01, and in November 1801 was chosen Republican governor of Maryland by the state Assembly. The term of governorship was one year, and in the following autumn he was reelected. During his incumbency a constitutional amendment providing for manhood suffrage and vote by ballot was adopted, but Mercer appears to have had no special part in bringing this action about. His second term as governor ended, he served in the House of Delegates, 1803-06. When the trouble with England began in Jefferson's administration, he broke with the Republicans, virtually allied himself with the Federalists, and worked hard to avert war. During his last few years, because of poor health, he lived quietly at "Cedar Park. " Death came to him in Philadelphia, where he was seeking medical aid.
Achievements
John Mercer was a famous Congressman and Delegate in Virginia and Maryland and became a Govenor for Maryland. He was the second youngest delegate in Philadelphia.
Connections
Early in 1785 Mercer married Sophia Sprigg of Maryland. Margaret Mercer was his daughter.
