in his native town, and in 1874 became a candidate for orders in the Protestant Episcopal church, but never entered the ministry. From 1875 till 187'J he studied in Europe at Cambridge and Leipsic. He has been largely engaged in lecturing on phi- losophy, politics, and American history and litera- ture. Since 188B he has been engaged in the Old South Historical Work, which is devoted to better citizenship and the promotion of historical and political studies, especially among the young peo- ple. In addition to numerous articles upon the broad church movement and other religious sub- jects, he has edited " Faith and Freedom," by Stop- ford A. Brooke (Boston, 1881), and is the author of " The Philosophy of Carlyle " (1881). and " Martin Luther: A Study of the Reformation " (1884).
MEADE, George, merchant, b. in Philadelphia,
Pa., 29 Feb., 1741 : d. there, 9 Nov., 1808. He
was one of the signers of the non-importation
resolutions of 1765, and during the Revolution
took an active part in all measures to advance the
patriot cause, giving largely to it on one occasion,
in the trying year of 1780, subscribing £2,000
toward supplying the destitute army at Valley
Forge. After the establishment of the independ-
ence of the United States he continued to be
identified with the progress of Philadelphia. His
views were liberal, he was hospitable and charita-
ble, and noted for his strict integrity, holding
many places of trust and honor. He was a stanch
Catholic, and one of the founders and trustees of
St. Mary's church, in Fourth street, the oldest
Catholic church, save one, in the city. In concert
with the Rev. William White (afterward bishop of
the Protestant Episcopal church) he assisted, with
Mathew Carey and others, in organizing in Phila-
delphia a system of First-day- or Sunday-schools,
presided over respectively by a Catholic, an Epis-
€opalian, and a Friend. He was one of the origi-
nal members of the Society of the Friendly Sons
of St. Patrick, and one of the original members of
the Hibernian society. — His son, Richard Wor-
sam, merchant, b. in Chester county. Pa., 23 June,
1778 ; d. in Washington, D. C, 25 June, 1828, was
educated in Philadelphia and entered the count-
ing-house of his father. After a tour through
England and France in 1795-6 he engaged in
business on his own account in Philadelphia. In
1794 he served as a private soldier in one of the
Philadelphia companies, to aid in the suppression
of the whiskey insurrection in the western counties
of Pennsylvania. He went to Spain in 1808, and
became a merchant and ship-owner in Cadiz, and
from 1805 till 1816 was U. S. navy agent for that
port. During the peninsular war he entered into
many contracts with the Spanish government, im-
ported supplies into Cadiz and frustrated Victor's
attempts to starve out the allied garrison, and in
1810 his vessels carried thither 250,000 barrels of
flour. During the siege of Cadiz by the French
his presence in the city was regarded by the Span-
ish junta as a support to the Spanish cause,
through the moral and material aid that it repre-
sented. The indebtedness of the country to him
was so generally recognized that the Spanish cortes,
assembled in 1811-12. offered him the honor of citi-
zenship, which he declined, declaring that his high-
est desire was to remain an American citizen. Soon
after the restoration of the Spanish government,
through the return of Ferdinand VII. to the throne
of Spain, the finances of the country being low,
through the drain of the peninsular war, Mr.
Meade found it impossible to collect the amounts
due him, and he also became involved in litigation
growing out of his having been appointed assignee
for an insolvent agent of an English house doing
business in Cadiz. Although all the action he
had taken in this last matter had been under the
direction of the proper authorities, the result of
the suits was his incarceration, on 2 May, 1816, in
the prison of Santa Catalina, Cadiz, where he re-
mained for two years, until released by royal man-
date, obtained through the interposition of the
U. S. minister. Upon his release, although he was
anxious to return home, and had already sent his
family to Philadelphia, he was compelled to re-
main in Spain to attend to his large monetary in-
terests. Meanwhile the treaty of 1819 between
the United States and Spain, known as the treaty
of Florida, remitted to the United States, in re-
turn for the cession of Florida by Spain, the pay-
ment of all just claims of American citizens on
Spain, whereupon Mr. Meade at once returned
home. The case that has since been celebrated as
the Meade claim grew out of the losses incurred
by him at this time and the ruin of his business
consequent upon his long imprisonment. In 1819
a special tribunal, appointed by the Spanish gov-
ernment, awarded him a certificate of debt, which
was signed by the king, for $491, 153.62. In 1822
the commission appointed at Washington to con-
sider such claims declined to receive this certifi-
cate, demanding the original vouchers ; but before
these could be procured the session expired, and
the fund was distributed among other claimants.
All attempts to obtain another hearing of this case
were fruitless, though the most celebrated lawyers
were retained, including Webster, Clay, and Choate.
A bill has twice passed the senate, and once the
house of representatives, but not both bodies in
the same session, whereby it has failed to become
law. Supported although it is by the treaty and
by documentary proofs, by the special affirmation
of the cortes, and by the royal sign-manual, neither
Mr. Meade nor his heirs have been able to obtain
payment. After the institution of the court of
claims, subsequently to his death, the claim was
disallowed, though with a dissenting opinion. Mr.
Meade possessed a fine private gallery of paintings
and statuary, which contained the only bust of
Washington taken from life, and he is said to have
been the first to import merino sheep and sherry
wine into this country. — Richard Worsam's son,
George Gordon, soldier, b. in Cadiz. Spain, 31
Dec, 1815 ; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 6 Nov., 1872,
attended school in
Philadelphia and
afterward Salmon
P. Chase's school in
Washington, D. C,
and Mt. Hope in-
stitution near Bal-
timore, Md., from
which he went to
the U. S. military
academy, where he
was graduated in
1835. He was as-
signed to the 3d
artillery, and or-
dered to Florida.
While he was serv-
ing in the war
against the Semi-
noles his health
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failed, and he was detailed to conduct a party of Seminoles to Arkansas, and then ordered to Watertown arsenal, Mass., and was on ordnance duty there till 26 Oct., 1836, when he resigned. He was engaged as assistant civil engineer in the
