of his family, he displayed, from his earliest life, a great interest in religious affairs, and was always remarkable for his generous, charitable and kindly disposition. It was said of him more than once, among his associates, that he was indeed " an Israelite, in whom was no guile." On April 23, 1821, he was chosen one of the vestrymen of "Chester Parish," and on February 9, 1824, he was made one of the " Visitors and Governors " of Washington College. He was appointed, on February 8, 1832, one of the associate judges of the second judicial district of Maryland, consisting of Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne, and Talbot Counties, and when the judiciary of the State was reorganized, in 1851, he was elevated to the Bench of the Court of Appeals, which position he filled until his death. Judge Eccleston was the son of Samuel Eccleston, who married Miss Ann Bowers, daughter of Thomas Bowers, and had by that wife three children — John Bowers Eccleston, the subject of this sketch; Ann Elizabeth Eccleston, who married, in 18 15, John Ringgold Wilmer, son of Simon and Ann (Ringgold) Wilmer; and Mary Louise Eccleston, who married, in 18 19, Elias March. Samuel Eccleston married a second time, his wife then being Martha Hybson, and had by her a fourth child, the Most Rev erend Samuel Eccleston, D.D., of the Roman Catholic Church, who was consecrated, on September 14, 1834, the fifth Archbishop of Baltimore, and died in 1851. The vener able Archbishop is remarkable for having been not only mainly instrumental in the establishment of Catholic educational in stitutions within his province, but also for having been the only Catholic prelate who ever extended to the Pope a formal invita tion to make the United States his place of refuge — the occasion being the exile of the Holy Father from his traditional domain by the fury of Italian persecution. Judge Eccleston married twice —-first, on July 26, 1827, Miss Ann Maria Peterson
Clarkson, of Chestertown, and had by this marriage one son, Rev. John Clarkson Eccleston, D.D., who is at present an Epis copal clergyman, stationed on Staten Island, New York. The Judge's second wife was Miss Augusta Chambers Houston, daughter ofJudge James Houston, whose wife was Miss Augustine Chambers. By this marriage, the Judge had the following children : — Rev. James Houston Eccleston, Rector of Emmanuel Protestant Episcopal Church, in Baltimore City. Augusta Chambers, who married, Dec. 23, 1853, Samuel Shoemaker, a prominent citizen of Baltimore City, who died a year since; and also Miriam, now Mrs. M. E. Harpes of the same city. Judge Eccleston died at his residence in Chestertown on Nov. 12, 1860. His de scendants are still noted in Baltimore for their possession and exercise of the kindly and charitable traits which were so strongly marked attributes in the character of the
Judge. John Thomson Mason was born at "Montpelier," in Washington County, Mary land, a large estate belonging to his father, in the year 181 5. He graduated at Prince ton, and studied law in Hagerstown. He took an active interest in politics; was a member of the State Legislature and the Federal Congress, and was finally elected to the Court of Appeals — all before he had attained his fortieth year. He remained on the Bench for ten years, and resigned to accept the position of Collector of the Port of Baltimore, tendered him by President Buchanan. He was arrested and confined for some time in Fort McHenry during the Civil War, while General Wool was in mili tary command of his State. During Gover nor Whyte's administration, Judge Mason was his Secretary of State, which office he filled at the time of his death. Judge Mason resumed his law practice after the close of
