Judge John Beale Bordley (1727-1804)

Son of Hon. Thomas Bordley (1677-1726) and his 2nd wife Ariana Vanderheyden, of Matthias of New York and Md. He was born in Annapolis in the Bordley Residence (c. 1718). Studied in Mr. Peale’s school in Kent County and became friends with Charles Willson Peale whom he later helped send to England to study under Benjamin West and who painted his portraits (a full length in National Gallery, Wash, D.C. a kit-kat size in Coll. of Mrs. Roland Morris of Phila.) (See Hist. of the Phila. Soc. for the Promotion of Agriculture, John Okie). He studied law under his half-brother Hon. Stephen Bordley (1709-64) of Annapolis; member of the Tuesday Club, Annapolis in 1750’s; Lived in Joppa, Balto. County 1750’s; in Baltimore Town 1766-; in Phila and Wye Island 1770 until his death. Elected to Am. Philosophical Soc. (Phila.) 1783; founded Phila. Soc. for Promotion of Agriculture 1785 with Robert Morris. John Cadwalader, Dr. Benj. Rush, Edward Shippen, George Clymer (a Signer), etc. He read extensively, enjoyed mathematics and landscape painting and published books and pamphlets among which: A summary view of courses of Crops in Husbandry of England and Maryland, Phila. 1784; Yellow Fever (Phila 1793); Money, Coins, Weights and Measures (1789); National Credit and Character (1790) and Essays and Notes on Husbandry and Rural Affairs (Phila. 1799). He also wrote on diet, conservation, lead poisoning. (Many of his published works in Yale Univ. Library). He was an experimental agriculturist, amateur mathematician and animal breeder. He ran a self-sufficient farm at "The Vineyard" 1600 acres of Wye Island which his first wife Margaret Chew of Samuel inherited from her brother, Philemon in 1770. (The other half went to her sister who married Gov. Wm. Paca). He kept livestock, had brick kilns, a brew house and a windmill and produced his own salt, gunpowder, and fabric, his portrait in National Gallery was identified by the Ginsing weed he grew there). He practiced law in Cecil, Harford and Baltimore Counties. He was a Judge of the Provincial Court (Md) 1766-76); Quorum 1766 and 1773; Judge, Admiral[t]y Court 1767-76; Judge, Assize Court, Western Shore 1767-8; Judge Assi[z]e court, Eastern Shore, 1768-; Commissioner to boundary line Md. –Del. 1768-; Council 1768-1774; Judge, General Court 1777-. He was appointed by his friend Pres. Washington a commissioner to receive subscriptions to the Bank of the United States 1791. He opposed jailing debtors, condemned slavery, declined to serve on Council of Safety 1775 and retired from politics but supported the Revolution with supplies, etc. He owned 8500 acres in Q.A. Talbot, Kent, A.A., Cecil, Harford, Montgomery and Frederick Counties, 5 lots in Annapolis. He also had and in Bear Creek and Chester Co., Pa. and a house and stable on Union St. Phila. (see Biographical Dict. of Md. Legislature 1635-1789, Papenfuse) On a trip to England Judge Bordley had the College of Arms paint him the Bordley Coat of Arms. The Cock was used in lieu of the usual Indian Goat Salient with branch of trefoil in mouth as crest. (The Cambridgeshire Bordley family to whom it was granted had become extinct). This arms descended to Mrs. Roland Morris of Phila. and is now in Md. Historical Society (see P. 30 Heraldic Marylandian, H.W. Newman) (See The Victoria History of Cambridgeshire).