Background
William Markham was born in England about 1635. His father was probably William Markham of Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, and his mother was a sister of Admiral Sir William Penn.
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William Markham
Edit ProfileCareer
Since he is called Captain or Colonel Markham in the provincial records, it is believed that he was at one time an officer in the English army. He received a commission as deputy governor of Pennsylvania from his cousin, William Penn, on April 10, 1681, with instructions to assert the proprietor's authority over existing settlements, appoint a council, organize a judicial system, commission sheriffs and justices of the peace, and settle the question of the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Arriving at Upland (now Chester) in July 1681, he presided over the first provincial council on August 3, reorganized the court, and joined Nathaniel Allen and John Bezar in selecting the site for the city of Philadelphia. He also conferred with Lord Baltimore about the boundary and, on July 15, 1682, purchased from the Indians the site of Pennsbury Manor on the Delaware River. He became an ordinary member of the council when Penn arrived in the province in October 1682, but was almost immediately sent to England to represent the proprietor's interests in the boundary dispute. He returned to Pennsylvania shortly after Penn's departure (1684) and served as provincial secretary from May 1685 to March 1691, deputy governor of the lower counties (Delaware) from March 1691 to April 1693, and lieutenant-governor or governor of both the province and the lower counties from April 1693 to December 1699. During the latter part of this period, he came into conflict with Edward Randolph, His Majesty's surveyor general of the customs, and with Robert Quary, the judge of the court of vice-admiralty. As a result of their complaints that he harbored pirates and did not enforce the acts of trade and navigation, the Privy Council ordered his removal from office (Aug. 31, 1699). The dispute was finally settled in December 1699, when Penn returned to the province and superseded Markham as chief executive. At Penn's request, Markham was appointed register general of Pennsylvania in 1703, but his title was disputed by John Moore, the former incumbent, and before the case was decided he died, in Philadelphia.
Achievements
Religion
He was a member of the Church of England and tended to favour the interests of minority religious groups in the primarily Quaker colony.
Views
The value of his services was not fully appreciated by the colonists, partly because he represented the prerogative influence in the government and partly because he was a member of the Church of England and could not accommodate himself to the Quaker point of view. His most influential opponents were Thomas and David Lloyd, the leaders of the democratic or anti-proprietary party. He opposed the Lloyds in their controversy with deputy-governor Blackwell in 1689 and he also had a dispute with David Lloyd and the Assembly over the question of constitutional reform, which was complicated by a demand for an appropriation to defend the frontiers of New York against the French. A compromise was finally reached in 1696: Markham's "Frame of Government" was adopted (Nov. 7, 1696) and money was voted "for food and raiment" for the Indian allies of New York who had suffered from the French attack. Although Markham was probably the chief author of the "Frame of Government, " he does not deserve any special credit for its liberal character. On the other hand, he should not be blamed too severely for his failure to enforce the acts of trade and navigation, because the Quaker Assembly would not sanction the establishment of an adequate police force.
Personality
During the greater part of Markham's career in Pennsylvania, he was Penn's secretary and attended to his private business. He was not as learned or as able a man as James Logan, who succeeded him as the representative of proprietary interests, but he was devoted to Penn and he worked hard to advance the welfare of the colony.
Connections
He was married Johannah Markham, they had a daughter.
