Charles J. M. Gwinn

Charles J. M. Gwinn
Attorney General of Maryland
In office 1875–1883
Preceded by	Andrew K. Syester
Succeeded by	Charles B. Roberts
State's Attorney of Baltimore
In office January 5, 1852 – January 8, 1856
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Milton Whitney Sr.
Member of theMaryland House of Delegates fromBaltimore
In office 1849–1849 Serving withSidnor S. Donaldson,Oliver F. Hack,John Marshall,andCharles S. Spence
Preceded by	Multi-member district
Succeeded by	Multi-member district
Personal details
Born	Charles John Morris Gwinn (1822-10-21)October 21, 1822 Baltimore,Maryland, US
Died	February 11, 1894(1894-02-11)(aged 71) Baltimore, Maryland, US
Resting place	Green Mount Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Matilda Johnson ​ (m.1858)​
Children	Mary
Signature

Charles John Morris Gwinn(also spelledGwin;October 21, 1822 – February 11, 1894) was an American lawyer and politician who served asattorney general of Marylandfrom 1875 to 1883. A member of theDemocratic Party,Gwinn also served as the firststate's attorney of Baltimorefrom 1852 to 1856 and as a member of theMaryland House of DelegatesfromBaltimorein 1849.

Gwinn was born in Baltimore; his father was a merchant. After attending theUniversity of MarylandandPrinceton University,he was admitted to thebarin 1843 and served a one-year term in the House of Delegates in 1849. He was a delegate to the convention that formed theMaryland Constitution of 1851and the first state's attorney ofBaltimoreelected under that constitution. He took office in January 1852 and served one four-year term, declining to seek reelection in 1855 and being replaced by Milton Whitney Sr. After serving as state's attorney, he returned to law, where he was leadcounselfor theBaltimore and Ohio Railroadand counsel for several other people and companies. He was elected attorney general of Maryland in1875and re-elected in1879.He left office in 1883 and died ofpneumoniain his Baltimore home in 1894.

Early life

Gwinn studied law alongsideJohn H. B. Latrobe.

Charles John Morris Gwinn was born October 21, 1822, inBaltimore,Maryland, to Charles, a merchant, and Eliza. He had three younger sisters, all of whom died unmarried and childless: Elizabeth M., Sarah M., and Emily Ann. He attended theUniversity of Maryland,graduated fromPrinceton Universityin 1840, and studied law alongside lawyer and inventorJohn H. B. Latrobe.

Early legal and political career (1843–1856)

Gwinn was admitted to thebarin 1843. His political career began as a member of theMaryland House of DelegatesfromBaltimorein 1849,serving alongsideSidnor S. Donaldson,Oliver F. Hack,John Marshall,andCharles S. Spence.Next year, he was a Baltimore delegate to the convention that formed theMaryland Constitution of 1851.He was elected as the firststate's attorney of Baltimorein 1851,defeatingWhigcandidate S. Teackle Wallis and taking office on January 5, 1852. While state's attorney, he was anelectorforFranklin Pierceduring the1852 presidential election.Towards the end of Pierce's term, Gwinn was sent as a diplomat to Europe. He did not seek a second four-year term;his successor Milton Whitney Sr. took office on January 8, 1856.

Later legal career (1856–1875)

Gwinn was counsel forArunah Shepherdson Abell(left)andJohns Hopkins(right).

After serving as state's attorney, Gwinn returned to law in 1856. He became the leadcounselalongside Latrobe for theBaltimore and Ohio Railroadand a counsel for several people, includingArunah Shepherdson AbellandJohns Hopkins,and companies, includingC&P Telephone;Robert Garrett & Sons, a bank; and theWestern Union Telephone Company.He helped draft Hopkins's will and later helped foundthe hospitalandthe universitynamed after Hopkins, which he was one of the first trustees of.

Attorney general of Maryland (1875–1883)

James Black Groomeruled in favor of Gwinn during the contested1875 election.

In the1875 electionforattorney general of Maryland,Gwinn won the Democratic nomination at the Democratic State Convention on July 22, receiving 60 of 110 votes on the fourth ballot against four other candidates: Daniel Clarke fromPrince George's County,Charles C. Goldsborough fromTalbot County,W. H. Tuck fromAnne Arundel County,and Frederick J. Nelson fromFrederick County.In the general election held on November 2, Gwinn was declared the winner against the now-independentS. Teackle Wallis, which Wallis challenged, citing "fraud, intimidation, and violence" against him in Baltimore, which Gwinn won with 36,749 votes against Wallis's 22,473. Democratic governor of MarylandJames Black Groomeand the Maryland Court of Appeals (now theSupreme Court of Maryland) ruled in favor of Gwinn on December 6 and 21, respectively.He was re-elected in1879.

Personal life

Gwinn was a member of theEpiscopal Church.He married Matilda Elizabeth Bowie Johnson, a daughter of U.S. SenatorReverdy Johnson,atSt. Paul's Episcopal Churchon January 26, 1858. They had one child, Mary "Mamie" Mackall Gwinn, in 1861; she married Alfred Hodder in 1904 and died childless in 1940.

Gwinn was adelegateto severalDemocratic National Conventions,including1860,1868,1880,and1884.

Death

After a period of illness starting on February 1, Gwinn died ofpneumoniaat his Baltimore home on February 11, 1894.His last public appearance was at the Maryland Court of Appeals (now theSupreme Court of Maryland) on February 2. After his death, governor of MarylandFrank Brownordered the flags at theMaryland State Houseto be athalf-mast.He is buried atGreen Mount Cemetery.