Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/179

 PACA

PACKARD

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PACA, William, signer, was born at Wye Hall, Harford county, Md., Oct. 31, 1740; sou of John and Elizabeth Paca. John Paca possessed large estates in Maryland, inherited from his father, and held office under the Proprietary governors. William Paca was graduated at Phila- delphia college, A. B., 1759, A.M., 1762; studied law in the office of Stephen Bordley, Annapolis, Md., and was licensed to practise in the mayor's court in 1761. He completed his legal studies in the Middle Temple, Lon- don, England, and was admitted to the provincial court, April 11, 1764. He opposed the •' Stamp Act," in 1765, and every, subsequent measure of British oppression. He was a member of the provincial assembl}- of Mary- land, 1771-74, and a delegate to the Continental congress from Maryland, 1774-79, where lie served on important committees. He was instructed by his constituents to agree to all measures that might be deemed necessary to obtain a redress of American grievances; but was restrained from openly advocating independence until June 28, 1776. when, the restrictions having been recalled, with his colleagues from Maryland lie voted in favor of the Declaration of Independence. July 4, 1776, and on Aug. 2, 1776, signed the instrument. He contributed liberally to the patriot cause and as a member of the committee of safety assisted in planning a naval armament to defend the ap- proach to Philadelphia, and in organizing the army. He was a state senator, 1777-79; chief- justice of Maryland, 1778-80; chief-justice of the court of appeals of Maryland in prize and ad- miralty cases, 1780-82, and president or governor of Maryland, 1782-85. He was influential in es- tablishing Washington college at Chestertown, Md., in 1788; was vice-president of the Maryland Branch Society of the Cincinnati, 1784-99; a member of the Maryland convention that ratified the U.S. constitution in 1788, and judge of the district court of the United States for Maryland, 1789-99. He was married first, in May, 1761, to Mary, daughter of Samuel and Henrietta Maria (Lloyd) Chew of Anne Arundel county, Md., and secondly, in 1777, to Anna Harrison of Philadel- phia, Pa. He died at Wye Hall, Queen Anne county, Md., in 1799.

PACHECO, Romualdo, governor of California, was born in Santa Barbara, Cal., Oct. 31, 1831. His father was a member of the staff of Echeau- dia, military governor of Alta California in 1825, and his motlier was Pomona Carillo of San Diego. After attending school in the Sandwich Islands, 1838-43, he studied under a private IfA tutor. Later he went to sea i J with his father-in-law, John I?'^, ^ -^Jm- Wilson of Dundee, Scotland, \ "^^^ ^- a sea captain, and after hia return engaged in agriculture. He was a state senator, 1851 and 1861; a repre- sentative in the state legislature, 1853-55 and 1868-70; county judge, 1855-59; state treasurer, 1863-66; lieutenant-governor of the state, 1871- 75, and acting governor in 1875, to succeed New- ton Booth, who was elected U.S. senator. He received the certificate of election as representa- tive to the 45th congress in 1876, but the seat was awarded to Peter D. W^igginton, Feb. 7, 1878. He was a representative in the 47th and 48th congresses, 1881-85, and in 1890 was appointed by President Harrison, U.S. minister to Guatemala and Honduras, retiring in 1893. He died in Oakland, Cal., Jan. 23, 1899.

PACKARD, Alpheus Spring, educator, was born in Chelmsford, Mass., Dec. 23, 1798; son of the Rev. Hezekiah (1761-1849) and Mary (Spring) Packard; grandson of Jacob and Dorothy (Per- kins) Packard, and of the Rev. Alpheus and Sarah (Frost) Spring, and a descendant of Samuel Packard, who emigrated from Windham, Nor- folk county, England, to America in the Dili- gence in 1638, with his wife and child, and set- tled first in Hingham and then in West Bridge- water, Mass. Alpheus removed to Wiscasset, Maine, with his parents, in 1802; was prepared for coUege^t Phillips' academy, Exeter, N.H., and was graduated at Bowdoin, A.B., 1816, A.M., 1819. He taught seliool in Gorham, Wiscasset and Bucksport, and was the principal of Hallowell Academy, Maine, 181 6-19; was at Bowdoin as tutor, 1819-24; professor of ancient languages and clas- sical literature, 1824-65, of rhetoric and oratory, 1842-45, and of natural and revealed religion, 1864-84. He was also librarian of Bowdoin, 1869- 81, and acting president, 1883-84. He was first married in 1827 to Frances E., daughter of Jesse Appleton, president of Bowdoin, and secondly in 1844 to Mrs. C. W. McLellan of Portland, Me. He was ordained to the Congregational ministry, May 16, 1850, and was a frequent preacher at the college and the neighboring churches. He wa; an early member of the Maine Historical society, and its librarian and cabinet keeper for forty-five