Matlack, Timothy, 1736-1829

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Timothy Matlack (March 28, 1736 – April 14, 1829) was a brewer and beer bottler who emerged as a popular and powerful leader in the American Revolutionary War, Secretary of Pennsylvania during the war, and a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in 1780. He became one of Pennsylvania's most provocative and influential political figures, but he was removed from office by his political enemies at the end of the war; however, he returned to power in the Jeffersonian era. Matlack was known for his excellent penmanship and was chosen to inscribe the original United States Declaration of Independence on vellum.

Born in Haddonfield in the Province of New Jersey, his family moved to Philadelphia in 1738. After attending Quaker schools, he was apprenticed to the prosperous Quaker merchant John Reynell in 1749. In 1760, Matlack opened a store called the Case Knife, and he and Owen Biddle purchased a steel furnace in Trenton, New Jersey in 1762. His shop failed in 1765, and he was disowned by the Quakers who complained that he had been "frequenting company in such a manner as to spend too much of his time from home". He was confined to debtors' prison in 1768 and 1769. By 1769, he had set up a new business selling bottled beer and opened his own brewery near Independence Hall.

In 1774 Matlack was hired by Charles Thomson, Secretary of the First Continental Congress, to transcribe an address to the King of England. In May, 1775, he became clerk to the Second Continental Congress and in June he composed George Washington's commission as General and Commander-in-Chief of the army of the United Colonies. Congress elevated him to Storekeeper of Military Supplies. He was also a member of Philadelphia's Committee of Inspection and Secretary of the Committee of Officers of the city's three militia battalions. Philadelphia added two more battalions to its militia brigade in January 1776, and Matlack was elected Colonel of the Fifth Battalion of Rifle Rangers. He was a delegate to the Conference of Committees which met in June to plan a new constitution for Pennsylvania. Later that month, he engrossed the United States Declaration of Independence on parchment, and members of Congress began signing it on August 2.

Matlack was named a trustee of the University of the State of Pennsylvania in 1779. In 1780, he was elected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. 1790, Matlack was commissioned to survey the "headwaters of the Susquehanna River and the streams of the New Purchase," the northwestern portion of the state purchased from the American Indians. They were also charged with exploring a route for a passageway to connect the West Branch with the Allegheny River. He lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania from 1799 until 1808 when Lancaster was the capital of Pennsylvania, and he worked as a clerk of the Pennsylvania State Senate. He died in Holmesburg, Pennsylvania on April 14, 1829 and was interred in the Free Quaker Burial Ground on South Fifth Street, Philadelphia. His remains were removed in 1905 and reinterred in the Wetherill Cemetery opposite Valley Forge.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Matlack family. Papers, 1685-[1919]. Haverford College Library
creatorOf Matlack, Timothy, 1736-1829. Certificate of commission granted to Stephen Decatur as captain of the ship Royal Louis, 23 Aug. 1781. Brown University, Brown University Library
creatorOf Matlack, Timothy, 1736-1829. Pennsylvania militia commission form, ca. 1778-1780. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
creatorOf Documents, 1728-1816, relating to the province of Pennsylvania and to the American Revolution, 1728-1816 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Auction notice, 1823. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf Matlack, Timothy, 1736-1829. ALS : to Richard Wells, 1783 Feb. 11. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Matlack, Timothy, 1730-1829. ADS, 1776 January 2 : s.l. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Conewago Canal Company records, 1788-1820 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Matlack, Timothy, 1736-1829. Account book, 1783-1800. American Philosophical Society Library
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Archives. Record Group IIa, 1743-1806 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Greene, Nathanael, 1742-1786. Papers, 1777-1780 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Matlack, Timothy, 1736-1829. ALS : Philadelphia, to George Bryan, 1818 Feb. 13. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Matlack, Timothy, 1736-1829. Document signed : [Philadelphia], to Thomas Nicholson, 1795 Apr. 27. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Marshall, Humphry, 1722-1801. Humphry Marshall Papers, 1721-1863 (bulk: 1760-1800). William L. Clements Library
creatorOf Paterson Lottery. Lottery tickets, [ca. 1769]-1815. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Washington, George, 1732-1799. Invitation : Philadelphia, to Timothy Matlack, [ca. 1787]. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn Franklin-Bache Papers, 1707-1799 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Book of Discipline, 1719 (1820) American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Haines & Twells, account book, 1767-1770, 1767-1770 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Timothy Matlack Book of Hours, ca. 1475? American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Shippen, Joseph, 1732-1810. Papers of Joseph Shippen, 1727-1783. Library of Congress
referencedIn Society of Free Quakers. Records, 1781-1975. American Philosophical Society Library
referencedIn Wythe, George, 1726-1806. Documents, 1728-1816, relating to the province of Pennsylvania and to the American Revolution. American Philosophical Society Library
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Library. Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection. 1668-1983. American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Matlack, Timothy, 1736-1829. Letter to an unidentified correspondent, 1800 June 19. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Thomas Gilpin, Exiles in Virginia... (extra-illustrated edition) 1778-1848 Gilpin, Thomas, Exiles in Virginia... (extra-illustrated edition) William L. Clements Library
creatorOf Timothy Matlack farm auction broadside, 1823 Center for Brooklyn History (2020-)
referencedIn Bradford Family. Bradford family papers, 1620-1906 (bulk 1770-1800). Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn Ebenezer Hazard papers, 1766-1813, 1766-1813 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Hazard, Ebenezer, 1744-1817. Papers, 1767-1813. American Philosophical Society Library
referencedIn Pennsylvania. Constitutional Convention (1776). Order, 1776 Aug. 12, Philadelphia, to the Council of Safety. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790. DS, 1776 September 11 : In Convention for the State of Pennsylvania, to Grabrail Blackney. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Peale-Sellers family collection, 1686-1963 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Marian S. Carson collection of manuscripts, 1656-1995 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation. Announcement of meeting: 1795 Apr. 8. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. The book of discipline of the Society of Friends in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, 1719, 1820. American Philosophical Society Library
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Archives. Record Group IIb, 1807-1825 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Archives, 1743-1984 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Roberdeau, Daniel, 1727-1795. Autograph letter signed : York Town, to Timothy Matlack, 1777 Nov. 1. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Conewago Canal Company records, 1788-1820. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Religious Society of Free Quakers records, 1781-1975, 1781-1975 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
creatorOf Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia. Certificate of recommendation : Philadelphia, Pa., to the Society of Friends at Dartmouth in Massachusetts Bay and other friends in that vicinity, 1787 Aug. 5. Bryn Mawr College, Mariam Coffin Canaday Library
creatorOf Timothy Matlack account book, 1783-1800, 1783-1800 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
referencedIn Haines & Twells. Account book, 1767-1770. American Philosophical Society Library
creatorOf Clement, Jacob. Jacob Clement deed, 1741. Camden County Historical Society
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
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correspondedWith Massachusetts (Colony) - Committee of correspondence. person
memberOf Matlack family. family
associatedWith Mease, James, 1771-1846 person
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associatedWith Pennsylvania. Constitutional Convention (1776) corporateBody
associatedWith Peters, Richard, 1704-1776 person
associatedWith Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. corporateBody
associatedWith Pierpont Morgan Library. Glazier Collection. corporateBody
associatedWith Poinsett, Joel Roberts, 1779-1851 person
associatedWith Pollock, James, 1810-1890 person
associatedWith Purviance, Samuel, jr. person
associatedWith Rittenhouse, David, 1732-1796 person
associatedWith Roberdeau, Daniel, 1727-1795. person
associatedWith Royal Louis (Ship) corporateBody
associatedWith Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813 person
associatedWith Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe, 1793-1864 person
associatedWith Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation. corporateBody
associatedWith Seybert, Adam, 1773-1825 person
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associatedWith Society of Free Quakers. corporateBody
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memberOf United States. Continental Congress corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Navy corporateBody
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associatedWith Washington, George, 1732-1799. person
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associatedWith Wayne, Anthony person
associatedWith Wedderburn, Alexander person
associatedWith Wells, Richard, person
associatedWith West India Planters and Merchants (London, England) person
associatedWith Wharton, Thomas, 1730-1782 person
associatedWith Wythe, George, 1726-1806 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Haddonfield NJ US
Lancaster PA US
Holmesburg PA US
Philadelphia PA US
Subject
American Revolution
Auctions
Auctions
Business and Skilled Trades
Colonial Politics
Government Affairs
Military history
Land grants
Land speculation
Manuscripts, English
Military supplies
Pennsylvania History
Real property
Travel costs
Travel costs
Occupation
Brewers
Businessmen
Clerks
Delegates, U.S. Continental Congress
Militia officers
Scribe
Activity

Person

Birth 1736-05-28

Death 1829-04-14

Male

Britons,

Americans

English

Information

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