Samuel Chew

AMUEL CHEW was born in Maryland, January 28th, 1831; son of Henry Banning and Harriett Ridgely Chew. He was a descendant

of John Chew, a cadet, of the family of Chew, of Chewton, Somersetshire, England, who landed on Hogg's Island, opposite Jamestown, Virginia, in 1622. His son Samuel was for a time a practising physician, and afterwards became a judge, and was Chief Justice of the District of New Castle. He was influential among the Quakers, Benjamin Chew, son of Dr. Samuel and Mary Galloway Chew, born November 29th, 1722, at West River, studied law with Andrew Hamilton in Philadelphia, and after Hamilton's death in 1741 he went to England, where he continued his studies at the Inns of court in London, having as a fellow student Sir William Blackstone. He returned to America, and was admitted to the Bar, in 1746. He began the practice of law at Dover.

He represented the three lower counties of Delaware in the house of delegates; was speaker of the Assembly from 1753 to 1758, and a member of the Boundary Commission on the part of the three lower counties. In 1754 he removed to Philadelphia and became Recorder of the City; Master of Rolls; Attorney-General of the Province; a member of the Provincial Council, and in 1774 was made Chief Justice of the Province of Pennsylvania.

At the opening of the Revolution, as Justice Chew had been appointed by Royal authority, he did not side with the revolutionists, and was released of his parole,

and he, with John Penn, the proprietary of Pennsylvania, was placed under arrest, but they were allowed to retire to Mr. Chew's property Union Forge, New Jersey, and were released from arrest the next year. From 1791 until the abolition of that court in 1806, he was president of the high court of Errors and Appeals.

In 1764 he built a spacious stone mansion in Germantown; during the battle of Germantown Colonel Thomas Musgrave of the British army, with six hundred men, threw themselves into the house and used it as a fort. It was cannonaded by Washington's army, but the stone walls resisted the assault and Maxwell's brigade was left to besiege the house, while the main American column passed on. His grandson, Henry Banning Chew, married Harriett Ridgely, daughter of Governor Charles Ridgely, of Hampton, Maryland.

Samuel Chew was educated by private tutors; studied law in Philadelphia, and was admitted to the Bar. He devoted a large part of his time to the management of his family estates, the preparation of marriage settlements, wills and trusts, and their subsequent administration. He was distinguished in manner, unselfish, and a refinement which comes of right thinking and consideration for others.

He married, June 20th, 1861, Mary, daughter of David Sands Brown, a prominent merchant of Philadelphia, and Elizabeth Brown. Mr. and Mrs. Chew had six children, Ann, wife of Vere Alston, former Judge of the Court of Appeals in Cairo, now residing at Ellwell Manor, England; Elizabeth, David Sands, Samuel, Benjamin, and Oswald Chew. Mr. Chew died January 10th, 1887.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX

TILDEN FOUNDATIONS

Samuel Chew

AMUEL CHEW, son of Samuel and Mary Brown Chew, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 28th, 1872. He was educated at the Penn Charter School and by private tutors, and was graduated from Harvard University in 1893. He then studied law in Philadelphia and was admitted to the Bar in 1895.

When the Spanish-American War broke out he was engaged in mining operations in the Klondike region. He returned in record-breaking time and joined his regiment, the First City Troop, and served throughout the war. The Philadelphia City Troop was organized at the beginning of the Revolution and became body guard of General Washington.

At the Bar he was noted for his earnestness of purpose, ability and kindly nature, which developed the deepest personal affection in those thrown into close contact with him.

When the World War started he tried to join the allied forces, but he was over age. He then joined the American Ambulance Corps and did heroic work. In the summer of 1917, while bringing out the wounded under heavy German fire over badly broken ground, he met with an accident which necessitated his return to America. In the early Autumn of 1918 he went abroad with the Red Cross, where he served in a legal capacity until after the Armistice was signed.

He had served as city solicitor, and was a member of the Racquet, Philadelphia, Radner Hunt, and numerous other clubs. Mr. Chew died July 5th, 1919.

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