MATLACK, Timothy,
patriot, born in Haddonfield, N. J., in 1730; died near Hornesburg, Pa., 15
April, 1829. He had been a member of the Society of Friends, but at the
beginning of the Revolution left it for that of the free or “Fighting
Quakers,” and is described by Christopher Marshall as “one of the
most active spirits of the days of 1775-‘6.” When he first wore his
sword in the streets of Philadelphia, some of the orthodox Friends ridiculed
him, and inquired what its use was. “ It is to defend my property and my
liberty,” he replied.
He was one of the general committee of safety in
1776, a colonel of the battalion that served against the Delaware Tories, who in
June of that year had cut off the land communication to Dover. He was also a
deputy with Benjamin Franklin, Thomas McKean, Col. John Bayard, and others from
Philadelphia to attend the state conference of 14 June, 1776. He was a delegate
from Pennsylvania to the Continental congress in 1780-‘7, and for many years
was master of the rolls of the state, residing in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but,
on becoming prothonotary of one of the courts of Philadelphia, he returned to
that city.
This text Courtesy of National Archives:
On July 9 the action of Congress was officially approved by
the New York Convention. All 13 colonies had now signified their approval. On
July 19, therefore, Congress was able to order that the Declaration be "fairly
engrossed on parchment, with the title and stile [sic] of 'The unanimous
declaration of the thirteen United States of America,' and that the same, when
engrossed, be signed by every member of Congress."
Engrossing is the process of preparing an official document in a large,
clear hand. Timothy Matlack was probably
the engrosser of the Declaration. He was a Pennsylvanian who had assisted the
Secretary of the Congress, Charles Thomson, in his duties for over a year and
who had written out George Washington's commission as commanding general of the
Continental Army. Matlack set to work with pen, ink, parchment, and practiced
hand, and finally, on August 2, the journal of the Continental Congress records
that "The declaration of
independence being engrossed and compared at the table was signed." One
of the most widely held misconceptions about the Declaration is that it was
signed on July 4, 1776, by all the delegates in attendance.
John Hancock, the President of the
Congress, was the first to sign the sheet of parchment measuring 24¼ by 29¾
inches. He used a bold signature centered below the text. In accordance with
prevailing custom, the other delegates began to sign at the right below the
text, their signatures arranged according to the geographic location of the
states they represented. New Hampshire, the northernmost state, began the list,
and Georgia, the southernmost, ended it. Eventually 56 delegates signed,
although all were not present on August 2. Among the later signers were Elbridge
Gerry, Oliver Wolcott, Lewis
Morris, Thomas McKean, and Matthew
Thornton, who found that he had no room to sign with the other New Hampshire
delegates. A few delegates who voted for adoption of the Declaration on July 4
were never to sign in spite of the July 19 order of Congress that the engrossed
document "be signed by every member of Congress." Non-signers
included John Dickinson, who clung to the idea
of reconciliation with Britain, and Robert R.
Livingston, one of the Committee of Five, who thought the Declaration was
premature.
Research Links
Virtualology is
not affiliated with the authors of these links nor responsible for each
Link's content.
Timothy Matlack and the
Declaration of Independence
Timothy Matlack and His Engrossed Masterpiece. Timothy Matlack was the engrosser
called upon to handletter the original Declaration of Independence. ...
Bailey -
Timothy Matlack Obit & Photo
TIMOTHY MATLACK, [poss. descendent of Wm. MATLOCK & Mary HANCOCK. Obituary:
Continental
Congressman; b. Haddonfield, NJ March 28 1736; son of Timothy and ...
Timothy
Matlack & Mildred Ann Peay
John Peay (1775 - 1838). Mildred Lightfoot (~1773 - 1835). m. 8 May 1838 ... b.
d. br. b. 16 Aug 1807 d. 26 Jul 1854 br. spouses: 1, 2. ...
Matlack Family Genealogy
Forum
... looking for leroy matlack from pa - pat orzechowski 7/15/00: Decendants
of Timothy Matlack - Stephanie Matlack Coomer 7/14/00: ...
November 1997 Newsletter
... one of our distant cousins was the penman for the Declaration - Timothy
Matlack,
but heretofore unknown, this document contained the signature of a William ..
