William Kilty was a United States federal judge

United States federal judge

In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....

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Born in London, England, Kilty read law at the College of St. Omer to enter the bar

Bar (law)

Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...

. He also studied medicine under Edward Johnson, of Annapolis. In the American Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

, Kilty served in the 4th Maryland Regiment

4th Maryland Regiment

The 4th Maryland Regiment was organized on 27 March 1776 with eight companies from Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Somerset counties in the colony of Maryland. It was authorized on 16 September 1776 for service with the Continental Army and assigned to the main on 27 December 1776. It was assigned to...

 as a Surgeon's Mate from 1778 to 1780, and as a Surgeon from 1780 to 1783. He was appointed compiler of the Laws of Maryland from 1798 to 1800.

Kilty received a recess appointment

Recess appointment

A recess appointment is the appointment, by the President of the United States, of a senior federal official while the U.S. Senate is in recess. The U.S. Constitution requires that the most senior federal officers must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming office, but while the Senate is in...

 from Thomas Jefferson on March 23, 1801, to a new seat on the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia

United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia

The United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia is a former United States federal court, which existed from 1801 to 1863.-History:...

 created by 2 Stat. 103. Formally nominated on January 6, 1802, he was confirmed by the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 on January 26, 1802, and received his commission the same day. Kilty served for a times as Chief Judge of the court. His service was terminated on January 27, 1806 upon his resignation to become Chancellor of Maryland, an office that he held from 1806 until his death in 1821, in Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...

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Sources

• William L. Marbury, The High Court of Chancery and the Chancellors of Maryland (1905)