Arthur Middleton (politician, 1742)
Arthur Middleton (born June 26, 1742 in Middleton Place, his father's country estate on the Ashley River near Charleston , Province of South Carolina , colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain ; † January 1, 1787 in "The Oaks" near Charleston, South Carolina , USA ) was a British-American politician and is one of the Founding Fathers of the United States as a signatory to the Declaration of Independence .
Life
Middleton, a grandson of Colonial Governor Arthur Middleton of the same name , was educated in Great Britain at Westminster School , Hackney College and Trinity Hall . He studied law at Middle Temple and traveled extensively throughout Europe where his taste for literature, music and art was developed and refined.
In 1764, Middleton and his bride Mary Izard settled on the Middleton Place plantation in the US state of South Carolina . His wife was a cousin of the future US Congressman for South Carolina Ralph Izard . Also, Ralph Izard's son was married to a niece of Middleton's. Ardently interested in Carolina's politics, Arthur Middleton was a more radical thinker than his father Henry Middleton . He was a leader of the American Party in Carolina and one of the most ardent members of the security and secret committees. In 1776 Arthur Middleton was elected to succeed his father in the Continental Congress , becoming one of the signatories of the United States' Declaration of Independence. Despite the time he spent in England, his attitude towards the loyalists has been described as ruthless.
Middleton served with the defenders of Charleston during the Revolutionary War. After the city fell to the British in 1780, he was sent as a prisoner of war along with Edward Rutledge to St. Augustine . until it was replaced in July of the following year.
Arthur Middleton died at the age of 44 and was buried in the family crypt in the gardens at Middleton Place. The plantation then passed to Henry Middleton , his eldest son, who also made a career in politics.
Web links
- Arthur Middleton in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
- Arthur Middleton in the database of Find a Grave (English)
- Works by Arthur Middleton in the Gutenberg project (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Middleton, Arthur |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British-American politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 26, 1742 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | near Charleston , Province of South Carolina |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 1, 1787 |
| Place of death | near Charleston , South Carolina |