The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-06-09


OF his twelve children, Benjamin. the
Youngest. married. in lib, Sophia
Griffith, and their third child. Benja-
min. who in l744 married Susanna
Tyler. daughter of Robert Tyler of
: Queen Anne County. was the father of
the subject of this sketch.
Gabriel Duvall was born December
6, 1852, on the farm "Marietta," now
in possession OF his great grandson and
namesake, in Prince Georges County,
Maryland.
After having obtained thorough
classical education, principally under
the tuition Of Alexander Irwin, good
master and fine Latin scholar. he begaE,
in l112, the study OF law in the office
OF John Hall of Annapolis, an eminent
attorney in full practice. Asa student
he was indcfatigablc, but his progress
was more CT less interrupted hy the
Revolution. the Convention of Mary
land, at its session in July, closing the
courts of justice to certain extent.
No suit could be instituted unless I'M
der certain restrictions, in particular
cases, and the courts remained thus
closed until opened 10y an act of the
Legislature of Maryland, assembled
under the new form of government in
the year III. Early in the Revolu-
tion, April, l775, he was appointed
clerk of the Convention. and held that
position in all the sessions of that and
the succeeding year. including the Con-
vention elected for the purpose Of
forming new constitution for the
State, which closed its session on
November IL, lI16. He was chosen
Clerk of the first Council of Safety of
Maryland, and Clerk of the first House
of Delegates under the new govern
ment in February III, and for several
subsequent sessions until the autumn
Of l1IS, when he resigned to practice
law
The duties of several offices did not
prevent his joining the militia for Il
short period, as he served as private
in the ranks ut the battles of Brandy
wine and Germantown. His two
brothers, Edward and Isaac. were otli-
GERS of the maryland Line" and lost
their lives in the service Edward was
killed ut the battle of Camden. and
Isaac, wounded in leading the fororn
hope at "Nmcty-SiN," was killed at the
battle of Eutaw Springs.
Mr. DuvalI was admitted to the bar
in lI1S, tiEed his residence ut Annapo-
lis for the convenience of attending the
superior courts, and in 4 few years was
engaged in IN extensive practice. He
was appointed in the year 1871 one of
the Commissioners to preserve confiS-
Gated British property, and in Novem-
Der, 1872, was chosen a member of the
Council to the Governor. was reelected
the following year and continued
member Of the Board with short in
termissiol from resignation) until
1855. On July "A, 1877, he was mar
ried to Miss Mary Bryce, daughter of
Captain Robert Bryce Of Annapolis,
but the happiness of their married life
was Of short duration, she dying on
March ~, 1870, shortly after the birth
of their only child, Edmund Bryce Du
Nal.* He was married :. second time,
on May ), lI93, hv the Right Rev
erend Bishop White, to Miss Jane
Gibbon, daughter Of Captain James
Gibbon. She died ut "Marirtta" April,
1884, without issue.
In the autumn Of 1877 he was elected
to the House of Delegates to represent
the city of Annapolis. and continued a
member of that hou2e for several sue
cessve years, until elected in 1894 to
the Congress of the United States to
represent the district in which his
country residence, the home of his fore
fathers, was situated. During the sec
ond session Of Congress he resigned to
accept the appointment as an associate
Judge of the General Court now the
Court of Appeals) OF Maryland and
was member Of the judiciary of that
| State for little over six years
In November, 1902, Judge Duvall
received an offer from President Jetfer-
son OF the position Of Comptroller of
the Treasury. The democratic phrase
ology Of the letter is worthy of notice,
and is rs follows:t
WAsHINGToN, Nor. ), 1902
DEAR SIR,
The place of Comptroller of the
|. ). is vacated by the resignation of Mr.
steele, 1t is in its nature partly executive
and partly Judiciary, as the Comptroller
decides in the first instance all questions
of law arising in matters of account be
tween the L. s. and individuals The
office hours are from 9 A. NJ to 3 p NJ,
during which it furnishes pretty steady
*Edmund Bryce Du Val, born January
%, 1890 was married July 6, 1918, to Miss
! Augusta Caroline McCausland, daughter
/ of Marcus McCausland of Baltimore She
was one of the three McCausland sisters
celebrated for their beauty and accom-
| pllshmentS. Another sister married Ed
ward c. Pinkney, and his well known
toast "A health was addressed to her
Colonel Du Val was Captain of the 42nd