| John Lee Carroll was born at Homewood, near Baltimore, in 1830. He was a direct descendant of Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of
Independence. His father was Col. Charles Digges Carroll and his mother a
granddaughter of Thomas Sim Lee, twice Governor of Maryland. He was of Catholic faith.
In 1851, at the age of 21, he was admitted to the Maryland State Bar. He was elected State Senator in 1867 and re-elected at the expiration of his term. After a bitter contest in 1875 he was elected Governor of Maryland over J. Morrison Harris of the "Know Nothing Party." His election was contested before the Legislature, but finally he was declared elected. During his administration from 1876 to 1880 occurred the famous Baltimore & Ohio Railroad strike, one of the greatest in railroad history. Federal aid had to be sought before the strike was broken. For several years Governor Carroll was President of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Gov. Carroll was twice married, first to Miss Anita Phelps of New York, daughter of Royal Phelps of the extensive importing house in trade with South America, and in 1877 to Miss Mary Carter Thompson of Staunton, VA, daughter of the late Judge Lucas P. Thompson. He had three daughters and three sons, Countess Mary Louisa de Kergorlay and Baroness Amelia Maria La Grange of Paris, Mrs. Mary Helen Robbins of New York, Royal and Phillip Acosta Carroll of New York, and Charles Carroll of Paris. John Lee Carroll died at his home in Washington, D.C. at 8:30 a.m., February 27, 1911 after a long illness. He was 81 years old. He was interred at Bonnie Brae Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. |
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