Charles Carnan Ridgely

Charles Carnan Ridgely (1760-1829), son of John and Achsah Ridgely Carnan, sister of Captain Charles Ridgely (1733-1790), was educated and trained in business by his uncle. When Capt. Ridgely died childless in 1790, Charles Ridgely Carnan inherited the Hampton estate, iron furnaces, and additional property, on the condition he change his surname to Ridgely. Charles Carnan Ridgely eventually owned more than 25,000 acres of land in northern Maryland and over 300 slaves. In addition to his vast agricultural, industrial, and commercial interests, he served as a representative from Baltimore County in the Maryland legislature from 1790-1795, as a state senator from 1796-1800, and as a three-term governor of Maryland, ending in 1819. Known throughout his life as General Ridgely, Charles Carnan Ridgely’s military record culminated with his appointment as a brigadier general in the state militia in 1796. His original 1820 portrait by Thomas Sully was donated by John Ridgely, Jr. to National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1945.