Meredith, Samuel, 1741-1817

Lt. Col. Meredith later served as Brigadier General, then became U.S. Treasurer.

Samuel Meredith (1741-1817) was a Philadelphia merchant, local government official, Revolutionary War officer, and first Secretary of the Treasury who was most active in business and public life during the late eighteenth century.

Samuel Meredith of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (1741-1817) was an officer during the Revolutionary War and served as the first Treasurer of the United States.

Samuel Meredith of Mt. Pleasant, Pa. was a financier and the first Treasurer of the U.S. (under George Washington). He served in the American Revolution; was a member of the Pennsylvania colonial assembly (1778-1783); a member of the Congress of the Confederation; and Secretary of the Treasury (1789-1801). He also surveyed the port of Philadelphia.

Financier of Philadelphia.

Samuel Meredith (1741–1817) was a Philadelphia merchant, local government official, Revolutionary War officer, and first Secretary of the Treasury who was most active in business and public life during the late eighteenth century.

Samuel Meredith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of merchant Rees (or Reese) Meredith and Martha (Carpenter) Meredith. After being educated privately in Philadelphia and Chester, Pennsylvania, Samuel Meredith joined his father's mercantile business. In the 1760s, Samuel and his father Rees(e) also entered into business with George Clymer. The partners engaged in extensive land speculation in western Virginia, eastern Kentucky, Delaware, New York, and northeastern Pennsylvania.

Samuel Meredith entered public life as a signer of the non-importation resolutions adopted in Philadelphia in 1765. He attended the Provincial Convention as a deputy from Philadelphia in 1775. During the Revolutionary War, Meredith served as an officer of the 3rd Battalion of Associators, also known as the "Silk Stocking Company." He served with distinction in the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, and Germantown. Because of his outstanding service, he was promoted to brigadier-general of the Pennsylvania militia on 5 April 1777. He resigned from the army in 1778 and returned to business.

Between 1778 and 1783, Meredith served three terms in the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly, and in 1786 was elected to the Congress of Confederation, in which he served until 1788. After serving less than a year as surveyor of the Port of Philadelphia, Meredith accepted an appointment as the first Treasurer of the United States, at the urging of George Washington, a family friend. He began his duties on 11 September 1789, and served until his health and financial matters required his retirement on 31 October 1801. During his tenure in office Meredith lent the government more than one hundred thousand dollars-a sum that was never repaid. According to biographical information, Samuel Meredith then returned to his estate, Belmont Manor, in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, to manage his interests. The majority of the nineteenth century letters in the collection, however, are addressed to him in Philadelphia or Trenton.

Samuel Meredith married Margaret Cadwalader on 19 May 1772. They had six children. One daughter, Martha Meredith, married John Read, (also called John Read, Jr.), a lawyer and senator Their son, Thomas Meredith, was born in Philadelphia in 1779. He studied law with his brother-in-law John Read, and was admitted to the Philadelphia Bar in 1803. He subsequently served the United States army in the War of 1812, eventually becoming a Major. Meredith also served as the register of Wills and Deeds for Wayne County from 1820–1823. In 1822 he married Sarah Gibson. The couple built a home near Carbondale, PA, known as Meredith Cottage, and had several children.

Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1961. Vol. 6. Graham, S. M. Meredith. A Short History of the Three Merediths, [n.d.]

Samuel Meredith of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (1741–1817) was an officer during the Revolutionary War and served as the first Treasurer of the United States.

Samuel was the son of merchant Reese Meredith and Martha (Carpenter) Meredith. After being educated privately in Philadelphia and Chester, Pennsylvania, Samuel Meredith joined his father’s business in Philadelphia. Prior to the American Revolution, Samuel Meredith was a signer of the non-importation resolutions adopted in Philadelphia in 1765. He attended the Provincial Convention as a deputy from Philadelphia in 1775. During the Revolutionary War, Meredith served as an officer of the 3rd Battalion of Associators, also known as the “Silk Stocking Company.” He served with distinction in the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, and Germantown. Because of his outstanding service, he was promoted to brigadier- general of the Pennsylvania militia on April 5, 1777. He resigned from the army in 1778 and returned to his business.

Between 1778 and 1783, Meredith served three terms in the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly, and in 1786 was elected to the Congress of Confederation, in which he served until 1788. After serving less than a year as surveyor of the Port of Philadelphia, Meredith accepted an appointment as the first Treasurer of the United States, at the urging of George Washington. He began his duties on September 11, 1789 and served until his health and financial matters required his retirement on October 31, 1801. During his tenure in office Meredith lent the government more than one hundred thousand dollars, a sum that was never repaid. Upon his retirement, Samuel Meredith returned to his estate in Wayne County, Pennsylvania and managed his land. He died at this estate in 1817.

Samuel Meredith married Margaret Cadwalader on May 19, 1772. Together they had seven children. One daughter, Martha Meredith, married John Read, Jr., a lawyer and senator. One son, Thomas Meredith, was also a lawyer and helped manage his father’s estate.

Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1961. Vol. 6. Graham, S. M. Meredith. A Short History of the Three Merediths, [n.d.]