Learn about Daniel of St. Thomas
Jenifer Elementary School
We are glad that you are searching for real estate information on our site. This information is located on a page that is not maintained by DMS Properties, LLC Residential Real Estate Services. Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School is located on Jenifer School Lane in the community of Waldorf, MD.
The school is named for Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer. He was born in 1723 at Coates Retirement (now Ellerslie) estate. That is located near the community of Port Tobacco in Charles County. Little is known about his childhood or education.
As an adult, though, Jenifer came into possession of a large estate near the City of Annapolis. It was called Stepney and is where he lived most of his life. He never married. His friendships included George Washington. As a young man, Jenifer served as agent and receiver-general for the last two proprietors of Maryland. He also served as justice of the peace in Charles County and later for the western circuit of Maryland.
In 1760, Jenifer sat on a boundary commission that settled disputes between Pennsylvania and Delaware. He later became a member of the provincial court. From 1773 to 1776, Jenifer sat on the Maryland royal governor’s council. Despite his association with conservative proprietary politics, Jenifer supported the Revolutionary movement. He served as president of the Maryland Council of Safety from 1775 to 1777. He then served as president of the first state senate from 1777 to 1780. Jenifer sat in the Continental Congress from 1778 to 1782. He held the position of state revenue and financial manager from 1782 to 1785.
A conservative nationalist, Jenifer favored a strong and permanent union of the states and a Congress with taxation power. In 1785, he represented Maryland at the Mount Vernon Conference. Jenifer was one of 29 delegates who attended nearly every session of the Constitutional Convention. He did not speak often, but backed Madison and the nationalist element. Jenifer lived only 3 more years and never again held public office. He died at age 66 or 67 in Annapolis in 1790. The exact location of his grave is unknown, but is possibly at Ellerslie estate.