Meet the Ancestors: William Kitty (1757-1821)

William Kilty (1757-1821)

William Kilty was born in London, England, in 1757 and emigrated to the Maryland colony with his father, John Kilty (1730-1785), and his brother, John Jr. (1751-1811). He studied medicine while living in Annapolis and served as a surgeon’s mate for the 5th Maryland Regiment during the Revolutionary War until he was promoted to regimental surgeon. He was taken prisoner at the Battle of Camden, but was released and returned home to Annapolis in 1781. He served until 1783 and returned to Maryland, where he was admitted as an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati. He soon sailed to France, where he received a law degree from the College of St. Omer and was admitted to the Maryland bar upon his return. While in private practice, he condemned the functioning of the government under the Articles of Confederation and helped to compile the laws of Maryland after the Constitution was ratified. President Thomas Jefferson appointed him as the Chief Judge of the U.S. Circuit Court of the District of Columbia in 1802, where he served until he resigned in 1806 to become Chancellor of Maryland. As such, he joined a committee of prominent citizens who drafted a resolution condemning the British for their actions against U.S. shipping, which ultimately led to the War of 1812.

William married Elizabeth Middleton (1757-1807) in 1790 and apparently had no children, although the 1810 census lists three enslaved people who lived with them at 133 Charles Street in Annapolis. He died on October 10, 1821, and is buried with his brother, who had died in 1811. They share an obelisk near the top of the Elizabeth Bordley Hill.