Governor Augustus Williamson Bradford

AUGUSTUS W. BRADFORD was born in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland on January 9, 1806. His education was attained at the Bel Air Academy, and at St. Mary’s College in Baltimore, from which he graduated in 1824. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1826, and then established his legal career in Bel Air and Baltimore. Bradford entered politics in 1844, serving as a presidential elector on the Henry Clay (Whig) ticket. He also served as clerk of the Baltimore County Court from 1845 to 1851, and was a delegate to the 1861 Peace Conference in Washington, D.C. Bradford was elected governor by popular vote on November 6, 1861 and was sworn into office on January 8, 1862. During his tenure, a treason bill was sanctioned that made supporting the Confederacy illegal and troops were raised for the war effort. After completing his term, Bradford left office on January 10, 1866. He later was appointed surveyor for the Port of Baltimore, a post he held from 1866 to 1869. He also was a 1872 presidential elector on the Horace Greeley (Democratic) ticket. Governor Augustus W. Bradford passed away on March 1, 1881, and was buried at Greenmount Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland.