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gett....." SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent.,
1782; Esq., 1794; member of the Jockey Club at
Annapolis. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE, after the
Revolution Stoddert began a career as a merchant
in the Georgetown, D.C., firm of Forrest, Stod-
dert, and Murdock. Branches of the firm had
been established in London and Bordeaux by Uriah
Forrest (1746-1805). Stoddert became involved
in the building of the nation's capital. In 1791 he
was instructed by George Washington to pur-
chase lots in Hamburg (Funkstown), Prince
George's County, which were then incorporated
into the city of Washington. In 1793 Stoddert was
an incorporator of the Bank of Columbia and
served as its first president. In 1797 he formed
the Anacostia Bridge Company, which built a
bridge over the Anacostia River (then known as
the Eastern Branch of the Potomac). Stoddert
owned the land adjoining the city where the bridge
crossed the river. He also owned all except four
shares of the bridge company's stock. Initially,
Stoddert was very successful, but by 1801 com-
merce on the Potomac began to decline and he
ended his life deeply in debt. PUBLIC CAREER. LEG-
ISLATIVE SERVICE: Senate, Western Shore, Term
of 1786-1791: 1786 (elected on December 2, 1786,
to fill vacancy in the 1786-1787 Assembly; de-
clined to serve on December 18, 1786), Term of
1791-1796: 1791-1792, 1792, 1793, 1794 (did not
attend; resigned on November 19, 1794, citing his
position as president of the Bank of Columbia
and the state of his health as reasons). OTHER
STATE OFFICES: Executive Council, 1781-1782,
1782-1783, 1812 (elected to the 1812-1813 Council
on November 10, 1812; declined to serve on No-
vember 24, 1812); Maryland Board of Pilot Ex-
aminers, appointed 1787. LOCAL OFFICE, justice,
Montgomery County, appointed 1784, 1785, and
1791. MILITARY SERVICE: captain of Hartley's
Continental Regiment (a Pennsylvania regi-
ment), commissioned January 13, 1777; wounded
at Brandywine, September 11, 1777, and resigned
April 19, 1779. OUT OF STATE SERVICE: secretary
to the Board of War, elected September 1, 1779,
resigned February 6, 1781; secretary of the Navy,
appointed May 18, 1798, resigned April 1801;
interim secretary of War, June 1-June 12, 1800.
ADDITIONAL COMMENT: at the time Stoddert was
appointed the first secretary of the Navy, a naval
war with France was thought imminent. Within
two years the Navy under Stoddert's direction
grew to fifty ships. After the crisis with France
had passed, Stoddert purchased land for six Navy
yards, began construction of a naval hospital at
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Newport, Rhode Island, and drafted the bill for
the government of the marine corps. STANDS ON
PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: By 1781 Stoddert was us-
ing "Canada" as his middle name. He continued
to do this until at least 1796, but later dropped
it. Family tradition maintains that Stoddert adopted
this middle name to show his support for the an-
nexation of Canada. Stoddert manumitted two
slaves in 1798. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PER
SONAL PROPERTY: assessed value £305.0.0, in-
cluding 5 slaves and 36 oz. plate, Annapolis
Hundred, Anne Arundel County, 1783; 13 slaves.
Prince George's County, 1790; assessed value
£45.0.0, including 1 slave, New Scotland Hundred,
Prince George's County, 1796; assessed value
£844.0.0, including 15 slaves, New Scotland
Hundred, Prince George's County, 1800; 17 slaves,
New Scotland Hundred, Prince George's County,
1810 federal census; assessed value £474.0.0, in-
cluding 10 slaves. New Scotland Hundred, Prince
George's County, 1810; assessed value £1,560.0.0,
including 8 slaves and 100 oz. plate, New Scotland
Hundred, Prince George's County, 1813. LAND
AT FIRST ELECTION: no evidence of land owner-
ship. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN
FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: acquired by pur-
chase and patent ca. 48,000 acres in Allegany,
Montgomery, and Prince George's counties and
the District of Columbia, 1785-1813; sold ca.
41,000 acres in Allegany and Montgomery coun-
ties, 1796-1806. Purchased 1 lot in Piscattaway,
Prince George's County, 1789, 11 lots in George-
town, D.C., 1785-1790, and 32 lots in Hamburg
(Funkstown), Prince George's County, 1788-1792.
At least some of the Hamburg lots were probably
purchased at the direction of George Washing-
ton. In 1798 Stoddert bought a house on Prospect
Avenue in Georgetown, D.C., and in 1799 he
purchased "Bostock House," the Lowdnes family
seat in Prince George's County. WEALTH AT DEATH.
DIED: in December 1813 at Bladensburg, Prince
George's County; buried at Addison's Chapel,
Seat Pleasant, Prince George's County. PER-
SONAL PROPERTY: TEV, at least $5,332.00 (in-
cluding 11 slaves and 270 books). Stoddert also
owned 196 shares of stock in the Anacostia Bridge
Company. FB, the size of the entire estate is un-
known. Stoddert's house and personal property
in Prince George's County were sold to pay debts.
After the debts were paid $1,293.53 was distrib-
uted to his heirs. LAND: ca. 7,000 acres in Alle-
gany, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties
and the District of Columbia. Stoddert had mort-
gaged ca. 2,000 acres in Prince George's County,
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