Patrick Magruder

Patrick Magruder
Patrick Magruder
2nd Librarian of Congress
	In office; December 26, 1807 – January 18, 1815
President	Thomas Jefferson ; James Madison
Preceded by	John J. Beckley
Succeeded by	George Watterston
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives; from Maryland's 3rd district
	In office; March 4, 1805 – March 3, 1807
Preceded by	Thomas Plater
Succeeded by	Philip B. Key
Personal details
Born	Patrick Magruder; 1768; Rockville, Maryland
Died	December 24, 1819 (aged 50–51); Petersburg, Virginia
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse(s)	Sarah Turner, Martha Goodwyn
Children	Theophilus, Louisa, Edmund, Patrick, Adelina, Napolean
Alma mater	Princeton University
Occupation	Lawyer, politician, librarian

Patrick Magruder (1768 – December 24, 1819^[1]) was an American lawyer, politician, and librarian who served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland’s 3rd congressional District from March 4, 1805, to March 3, 1807, and as the 2nd Librarian of the United States Congress, from December 26, 1807, to January 18, 1815.

Biography

Patrick Magruder was born on his family's estate, Locust Grove, near Rockville in the Province of Maryland, in 1768, the son of Samuel Wade Magruder (1731-1792), and Lucy Beall (1738-1795). Patrick Magruder was the great-grandson of Samuel Magruder (1654-1711), the son of Alexander “the Immigrant” Magruder (1610-1676).^[2]^[3]^[4] Patrick Magruder attended Princeton College and became a lawyer.^[2] In 1804, he was elected to be a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland’s 3rd congressional District, and served from March 4, 1805, to March 3, 1807.^[2] After the death of John J. Beckley, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Magruder to the dual post of Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Librarian of Congress.^[3] The posts were not separated until 1815.^[3] Magruder served as the 2nd Librarian of the United States Congress from December 26, 1807, to January 18, 1815.^[2] During the War of 1812, the British burned Washington, D.C., including the Library of Congress, which was then housed in the US Capitol Building. After an investigation by Congress into the destruction of the library and the use of its funds, Magruder resigned. He died December 24, 1819, in Petersburg, Virginia, and was buried on his family's ancestral estate, Sweden, near Petersburg in Dinwiddie County, Virginia.^[3]^[5] Magruder, who first married Sarah Turner, and then Martha Goodwyn, had six children: Theophilus, Louisa, Edmund, Patrick, Adelina, and Napolean.^[4]^[5]

References

^ Dictionary of American Library Biography. (1978). Bohdan Wynar, ed. "Magruder, Patrick (1768-1819)." Littleton, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited. pp. 337–339. ISBN 0-87287-180-0
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Magruder, Patrick, (1768 - 1819)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. United States Congress. M000057. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Patrick Magruder (1768-1819)". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
^ ^a ^b Magruder, Egbert Watson (1921). Year Book of American Clan Gregor Society. Charlottesville, Virginia: Surber-Arundale Company.
^ ^a ^b "Patrick Magruder (1768-1819) - Find a Grave..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved July 10, 2022.

External links

John Y. Cole (March 30, 2006). "Jefferson's Legacy: A Brief History of the Library of Congress -- Librarians of Congress". Library of Congress. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
Patrick Magruder entry at Find a Grave

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Thomas Plater	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 3rd congressional district March 4, 1805 – March 3, 1807	Succeeded by Philip B. Key