Daniel Dulany the Elder

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Daniel Dulany the Elder (1685-1753) was a prominent lawyer and land-developer in colonial Maryland.

[edit] Biography

Dulany was born in Queen's County, Ireland in 1685.

In 1703 Dulany emigrated to Port Tobacco, and became indentured to Colonel George Plater II for a three year period. Plater put Dulany to work as a law clerk. In 1706, after the indenture was over, Dulany travelled to London, and studied law.

Dulany returned to Maryland and in 1709 was admitted to the Charles County bar.

In 1720, Dulany moved to Annapolis. In 1722, he was elected to represent the town in the Maryland General Assembly where he was to serve for the next twenty years.

At that time the Province of Maryland was under the proprietary governorship of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore. Lord Baltimore vetoed a bill in 1722 which the General Assembly had passed in order to bring the colony fully under all English statute law. Dulany led protests against this, writing a pamphlet entitled "The Right of the Inhabitants of Maryland, to the Benefit of the English Laws".

Lord Baltimore later appointed Dulany to the posts of Receiver General, Judge of Admiralty and Commissary General, as well as appointing him to the Governor's Council.

Dulany became wealthy from his legal practice, and through the 1720s began to accumulate and develop land. He is credited with the founding of Frederick.

Dulany's son, Daniel Dulany the Younger played a prominent role in Maryland during the American Revolution.

Dulany died on December 5, 1753 in Annapolis. At the time of his death he owned 47,000,000 acres of land.