Joseph Gilpin (300)

Joseph Gilpin (1 August 1725–30 March 1790) was a politician, and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1770. Born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Gilpin and his family relocated to Cecil County, Maryland in his childhood. He inherited a large tract of land and began building a county seat for Cecil County. Influential in his Maryland sphere, he became one of the first to call for independence. He served as a representative at the Provincial convention in Annapolis (1775), joined the convention to draft a constitution for the state of Delaware (1776), became a delegate to the Provincial convention (1777), the Maryland Assembly (1777), and began serving as presiding Justice of the first court of Cecil County, which he held until his death. He also attended the Maryland convention for the ratification of the United States Constitution (1787), and the Philadelphia conference regarding the restoration of public credit (1780). He died in his home of Cecil County. His brother, Thomas Gilpin (1727-1778, APS 1768), was also a prominent Member.