Thomas Ward Veazey
| Thomas Ward Veazey | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 24th Governor of Maryland | |
|
In office January 14, 1836 – January 7, 1839 |
|
| Preceded by | James Thomas |
| Succeeded by | William Grason |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates | |
|
In office 1811–1812 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 31, 1774 Cecil County, Province of Maryland, British America |
| Died | July 1, 1842 (aged 68) Cecil County, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Whig Party |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Worrell, Mary Veazey, and Mary Wallace |
| Profession | planter |
Thomas Ward Veazey (January 31, 1774 – July 1, 1842) was a Maryland politician that served in a variety of roles. The zenith of his career was being the 24th Governor of the state from 1836 to 1839, when he was selected to serve three consecutive one-year terms by the Maryland General Assembly. Veazey was the last Maryland governor to be elected in this fashion and also the last Whig Party member to serve as Maryland governor.
Thomas Ward Veazey was born at "Cherry Grove," in Cecil County, on January 31, 1774. He was the son of Edward Veazey and Elizabeth DeCausey. His father was a Cecil County planter, who served as High Sheriff of Cecil County from 1751 to 1753 His mother and father died when Thomas was young, so the governor was orphaned at an early age. He was married three times, and had a large family. He married his first wife, Sarah Worrell, of Kent County, Maryland, in 1794. She died the following year, leaving a daughter. He then married his first cousin Mary Veazey. She died in 1810, leaving a family of five children. On September 24, 1812, Veazey married Mary Wallace of Elkton, by whom he was the father of five additional children.
He graduated from Washington College in 1795, then returned home to become a planter. He was a presidential elector for James Madison in 1808 and again in 1812. He began his career in the Maryland House of Delegates, serving from 1811 to 1812. During the War of 1812, he was in command of the forces which defended Fredericktown in Cecil County. He later served as Lieutenant-Colonel of the Forty-Ninth Maryland Regiment. He returned to his farm after the war, where he remained until 1833, when he was chosen as a member of the Governor’s Council.
In 1835, the Whigs in the Legislature nominated Veazey as their candidate for governor to succeed James Thomas. He received 52 out of the 76 ballots cast and was sworn into office on January 14, 1836. The first impression made by the Veazey administration was favorable. His administration authorized $8 million to begin projects such as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal as well as the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The money appropriated was not in the Treasury, paving the way for the reckless irresponsibility which nearly bankrupted the State.
...
Wikipedia