SOMERSET COUNTY, MARYLAND

CIRCUIT COURT

CLERKS

Circuit Court Clerks

County Court Clerks

Somerset County Courthouse, 30512 Prince William St., Princess Anne, Maryland, November 2011. Photo by David H. Armenti.

COUNTY COURT CLERKS

Appointed by Secretary in Maryland:
1666-1688 Edmund Beauchamp (displaced)
1688-1689 William Aylward (forced out by Protestant Associators)

Appointed by act of Convention:
1689-1691 Edmund Beauchamp (died Sept. 26, 1691)

Appointed by County Court:
1691-1692 John West

Appointed by Secretary in Maryland:
1692-1697 John West (resigned)
1697-1705 Peter Dent (displaced)
1705-1723 Alexander Hall (resigned)
1723-1749 Thomas Hayward, Sr.
1749-1777 Thomas Hayward, Jr.

Appointed by County Court Justices (Constitution of 1776, sec. 47):
1777-1793 Thomas Hayward, Jr.
1793-1807 William Done
1807-1813
1813-1815
1815-1822 John Done
1822-1839 George Handy

Appointed by Governor to 7-year terms (Chapter 224, Acts of 1836, confirmed by Chapter 160, Acts of 1837):
1839-1844 Levin Handy (resigned)
1845-1851 William T. G. Polk

CIRCUIT COURT CLERKS

Elected by Voters to 6-year terms (Constitution of 1851, Art. IV, sec. 14):
1851-1865 Levin Woolford (D)

Elected by Voters to 6-year terms (Constitution of 1864, Art. IV, sec. 29):
1865-1867 Levin Woolford (D)

Elected by Voters to 6-year terms (Constitution of 1867, Art. IV, sec. 25):
1867-1869 Levin Woolford (D)
1870-1877 Levin L. Waters (D)
1877-1879 Levin L. Waters, Jr.
1879-1885 Benjamin F. Lankford
1885-1897 H. Fillmore Lankford
1897-1907 Oliver T. Beauchamp
1907-1913 Stephen F. Dashiell
1913-1926 W. Jerome Sterling

Elected by Voters to 4-year terms (Constitution of 1867, Art. XVII, added by Chapter 227, Acts of 1922, ratified Nov. 7, 1922):
1926-1930 George W. Lawson
1930-1938 J. Millard Tawes (D)
1938-1957 Benjamin Lankford Barnes (D) (died Oct. 1957)
1957-1958 Grace J. Barnes (D)

Elected by Voters to 4-year terms (Constitution of 1867, Art. IV, sec. 25, amended by Chapter 99, Acts of 1956, ratified Nov. 6, 1956):
1958-1964 Grace J. Barnes (D)
1964-2014 I. Theodore Phoebus (R)
2014- Charles T. Horner (R)

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