Details:

Early Frederick County, Maryland court document dated June 13, 1803, identifying “Francis Key” - undoubtedly Francis Scott Key, who began practicing law in Frederick County in 1801 - as attorney for the defendant in a civil debt action. The partially printed and manuscript-completed legal form records the case of David Levy, Senior v. Joseph Kingla, with Matthias Bartgis and John Baltzer acknowledging themselves as special bail for the defendant.

Most notably, at the conclusion of the document the clerk directs the matter “To the Honorable the Judges of Frederick County Court,” followed by the manuscript notation naming “Francis Key, Esquire, to appear for Defendant.” The document is additionally signed by the court clerk, providing an early record of Key’s legal practice more than a decade before the War of 1812 and over ten years prior to composing the words that would become “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Before achieving lasting fame as the author of the United States national anthem, Francis Scott Key established himself as one of Maryland’s leading attorneys. Admitted to the bar in 1801, he practiced extensively in Frederick and Georgetown, representing clients in both civil and criminal matters. Documents from the earliest years of his legal career are considerably scarcer than later examples associated with his patriotic legacy and offer a tangible connection to the formative period of his distinguished legal career.

Overall good condition with expected age toning.

Francis Scott Key (1779-1843) was an American attorney, poet, and author of the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner.” A prominent Maryland lawyer, Key argued numerous cases before state and federal courts and later served as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. During the War of 1812, while witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in September 1814, he wrote the poem “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” which was later set to music and ultimately adopted as the national anthem of the United States in 1931.

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Reference sku: 11500 1416971-1