Alexander Contee Hanson Sr. (October 22, 1749 – January 16, 1806) was an attorney who served as Chancellor of Maryland from 1789 until his death.
Early life
Alexander Contee Hanson was born in Maryland on October 22, 1749. He was the eldest son of John Hanson and Jane (née Contee) Hanson. His father was a Revolutionary War financier and statesman, who was a signer of the Articles of Confederation and first President of the Congress created by those Articles. Alexander Hanson was educated at the College of Philadelphia and read law in Annapolis. His brother, Peter Contee Hanson, died in the battle of Fort Washington during the War.
His paternal grandparents were Samuel Hanson and Elizabeth (née Storey) Hanson.
Career
After his legal education, he planned to travel to England to be ordained for the ministry of the Protestant Episcopal Church, but his voyage ended in a shipwreck. He was rescued and taken to Philadelphia, where he became the Assistant Private Secretary to General George Washington. Hanson's cousin, and the future appointee to the Chancellorship, Colonel Robert Hanson Harrison was Washington's Chief Secretary.
In 1776, Hanson fell ill, and after two months service, had to leave General Washington's service. Hanson visited headquarters just after the battle of Brandywine, and was present when the two armies, just on the eve of battle, were separated by a violent rain. Still very ill, Hanson accompanied Washington to a farmer's house, where Washington offered him his bed. Alexander Hamilton lay down on the floor in the corner, and afterwards Colonel Hanson would good-humoredly remark that he "never saw a man look so like a cat".
On February 12, 1778, Hanson returned to Annapolis with Governor William Paca and Nicholas Thomas. Hanson was then appointed Judge of the General Court under the Constitution of 1776. In 1784, with Samuel Chase, he was appointed to digest Laws of Maryland from 1763. This work was done by himself and is known as "Hanson's Laws."
Pamphlet writings
During this period, Hanson took great interest in public affairs, and wrote a number of valuable pamphlets on both State and Federal questions, which attracted much notice. These pamphlets, which have been collected by the Maryland Historical Society, are as follows:
Political Schemes and Calculations, 1784, on public credit; Considerations on the Proposed Removal of the Seat of Government, February 1786, what he considered to be his masterpiece in this field of literature; Remarks on the Proposed Plan of an Emission of Paper and on the Means of Effecting it, December 1786; Remarks on the Proposed Plan of a Federal Government, 1787, which, as the preceding, was written over the signature of "Aristides"; Address of the Visitors and Governors of St. John's College to the Senate of Maryland, 1794.
These papers have been collected in the original prints and bound together by the Maryland Historical Society. All of them contain notes made by Chancellor Hanson in his own handwriting, from time to time up to his death. These throw a great deal of light upon public questions and the character of the public men of that day. In this same volume is a valuable manuscript from the hand of Charles W. Hanson, son of Senator Alexander Contee Hanson, and grandson of the Chancellor, giving a sketch of his life and much information about his family.
Court Judge
Hanson's reputation as a Judge rests principally upon his services upon the General Court Bench, because, although he was for nearly 18 years Chancellor of the State, there is no report of his decisions. The only record of his labors is what is given in the Court of Appeals' Reports when cases were taken from the High Court of Chancery to that Court on appeal. Here sometimes an opinion will be found, but more generally a short statement of his decree.
He delivered many opinions in the General Court, which are reported in Harris & McHenry's Reports, and these have been said to "amply attest his learning and ability". Marbury writes: