Historical List
partly results from the ambiguity of the surviving
journals. On July 3, 1776, the penultimate Con-
vention decreed that its own dissolution date
would be August 1, 1776. The last entry on July 6,
however, recorded that "the convention adjourns
till "Thursday the first day of August next...." For
convenience each session is listed below as a dis-
tinct convention, although there were elections
only to the second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth.
It was inconvenient for so large a group (at one
meeting there were 141 delegates) to remain in
continuous session; therefore, Councils of Safety
were elected by the Conventions to exercise exec-
utive power during the intervals between Conven-
tion meetings. With some exceptions, the Councils
of Safety were composed of nine members, five
from the Western Shore and four from the Eastern
Shore. The Convention, which met from August
14, 1776, about six weeks after the Declaration of
Independence, through November 11, 1776,
framed the Constitution that governed Maryland
until 1851. The General Assembly established by
the Constitution began meeting on February 5,
1777, but the Council of Safety continued to func-
tion as the executive body of the State until March
20 of the same year. On March 22, 1777, the As-
sembly adopted a resolution "for dissolving the
Council of Safety and Vesting the Governor and
Council with their Powers." The Governor and
Council had qualified two days earlier on March
20, and they immediately began to perform the
duties assigned to them.
Conventions of the Province of Maryland
1774, June 22-25. Matthew Tilghman, Chm.
1774, Nov. 21-25. Matthew Tilghman, Chm.
1774, Dec. 8-12. John Hall, Chm.
1775, April 24-May 3. Matthew Tilghman, Chm.
1775, July 26-Aug. 14. Matthew Tilghman, Chm.
1775, Dec. 7-1776, Matthew Tilghman, Pres.
Jan. 18.
1776, May 8-25. Charles Carroll,
Barrister, Pres.
1776, June 21-July 6. Matthew Tilghman, Pres.
1776, Aug. 14-Nov 11. Matthew Tilghman, Pres.
Councils of Safety
1775, August 29-October 21. Daniel of St.
Thomas Jenifer, president, Thomas Johnson,
Jr„ William Paca, Charles Carroll, Barrister,
Thomas Stone (did not serve), Samuel Chase,
Robert Alexander, Charles Carroll of
Carrollton, Matthew Tilghman, John Beale
Bordley (declined), Robert Goldsborough (did

Governors of the State of Maryland/723
not serve), James Hollyday, Richard Lloyd,
Edward Lloyd, Thomas Smyth, Henry Hooper.
1776, January 18-May 25. Daniel of St. Thomas
Jenifer, president, Charles Carroll, Barrister,
John Hall, Benjamin Rumsey, James Tilghman,
Thomas Smyth, Thomas Bedingfield Hands.
1776, May 27-July 6. Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer,
president, Charles Carroll, Barrister, John Hall,
Benjamin Rumsey (did not serve), George
Plater, James Tilghman, Thomas Smyth,
Thomas Bedingfield Hands, William Hayward.
1776, July 6-November 11. Daniel of St. Thomas
Jenifer, president, John Hall, George Plater,
Charles Carroll, Barrister, Thomas Bedingfield
Hands (declined), Benjamin Rumsey, Thomas
Smyth, James Tilghman, Joseph Nicholson, Jr.,
Nicholas Thomas (appointed by the Council,
September 18,1776).
1776, November 12-1777, March 20. Daniel of
St. Thomas Jenifer, president, John Hall,
George Plater, Brice T. B. Worthington,
Charles Grahame (declined), Joseph Nicholson,
Jr„ Nicholas Thomas, William Rumsey (de-
clined), James Tilghman (declined), Thomas
Contee (elected vice Grahame, November 11,
1776), Samuel Wilson (appointed by the
Council vice Tilghman, December 13, 1776),
William Hernsley (appointed by the Council
vice Rumsey, December 13, 1776, declined),
James Lloyd Chamberlaine (appointed by the
Council vice Hernsley, January 3, 1777, de-
clined), Turbutt Wright (appointed by the
Council vice Chamberlaine, February 3, 1777).
GOVERNORS OF THE STATE OF
MARYLAND
Elected Under the Constitution of 1776 by
the Legislature for One Year'
1777-1779. Thomas Johnson. No Party. Born in
Calvert County, November 4, 1732, the son of
Thomas Johnson and wife Dorcas Sedgewick.
Resident of Anne Arundel County when
elected. Episcopalian. Married Ann Jennings.
Died at Rose Hill, Frederick County, October
26, 1819. Buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery,
Frederick.
'Under the Constitution of 1776, the Governor was elected
annually on the second Monday in November He could be
reelected for two additional terms. Thomas Johnson, the
State's first governor, was elected on February 13, 1777,
after the Constitution of 1776 became operative