Samuel Meredith letters and documents

Samuel Meredith of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (1741–1817) was an officer during the Revolutionary War and served as the first Treasurer of the United States.



Samuel was the son of merchant Reese Meredith and Martha (Carpenter) Meredith. After being educated privately in Philadelphia and Chester, Pennsylvania, Samuel Meredith joined his father’s business in Philadelphia. Prior to the American Revolution, Samuel Meredith was a signer of the non-importation resolutions adopted in Philadelphia in 1765. He attended the Provincial Convention as a deputy from Philadelphia in 1775. During the Revolutionary War, Meredith served as an officer of the 3rd Battalion of Associators, also known as the “Silk Stocking Company.” He served with distinction in the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, and Germantown. Because of his outstanding service, he was promoted to brigadier- general of the Pennsylvania militia on April 5, 1777. He resigned from the army in 1778 and returned to his business.

Between 1778 and 1783, Meredith served three terms in the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly, and in 1786 was elected to the Congress of Confederation, in which he served until 1788. After serving less than a year as surveyor of the Port of Philadelphia, Meredith accepted an appointment as the first Treasurer of the United States, at the urging of George Washington. He began his duties on September 11, 1789 and served until his health and financial matters required his retirement on October 31, 1801. During his tenure in office Meredith lent the government more than one hundred thousand dollars, a sum that was never repaid. Upon his retirement, Samuel Meredith returned to his estate in Wayne County, Pennsylvania and managed his land. He died at this estate in 1817.

Samuel Meredith married Margaret Cadwalader on May 19, 1772. Together they had seven children. One daughter, Martha Meredith, married John Read, Jr., a lawyer and senator. One son, Thomas Meredith, was also a lawyer and helped manage his father’s estate.

Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1961. Vol. 6.Graham, S. M. Meredith. A Short History of the Three Merediths, [n.d.]