George Plater III
Sixth Governor of Maryland
(1735 - 1792)

It is important to know that during the Revolutionary period of American history, there were many political leaders who worked quietly and nobly for freedom from the British. These statesmen were perhaps not as notable or heroic as Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and the other founding fathers, but they made significant contributions to the design of a new nation and a new government nonetheless. George Plater III is one such leader.

George Plater III was born at Sotterley on November 8, 1735 to a wealthy, aristocratic, politically connected family. His father, George Plater II, was a lawyer, the Naval Officer of the Patuxent, and one of the largest landowners in the colony. His mother, Rebecca Bowles Plater, was a wealthy woman in her own right.

George Plater III, first educated at home, was graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1752 and then entered the practice of law. In his early public career he served as Justice of the Peace, Naval Officer of the Patuxent, and a County representative that invited then Governor Eden, a representative of the English crown, to leave Maryland. Described as a man of quiet demeanor without extensive influence or distinction, George Plater nonetheless was a very intelligent, reliable representative of the people who was appreciated for his value as a lawyer and a lawmaker. He was a member of the convention to form a State Government, was a delegate to the Continental Congress, and was President of the Maryland convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution. In 1791, Mr. Plater was elected the sixth Governor of Maryland.

He was a devout member of nearby St. Andrew's Episcopal Church which was designed and built by his indentured servant, Richard Boulton. Col. Plater and Col. Billingsley owned pew # 1 which they purchased for 16 pounds in 1767. He served twenty-eight years on St. Andrew's Vestry.

He was married to the beautiful Elizabeth Rousby of Calvert County. Together, they had six children, Rebecca, George IV who would inherit Sotterley, John, Thomas, Edward, and Ann. Life for the Governor and Mrs. Plater and their family was opulent. Legend says that every receptacle in every bedroom was made from solid silver and marked with the family crest and that even the slaves who ate in the kitchen used silver forks. There was so much treasure to be found in the manor house, that eventually word got to the famed pirate, "Long Arm", who had been operating successfully in Virginia, and occasionally in the Chesapeake. On one cold and cloudy morning in November, Long Arm and his men anchored offshore, and thinking they would only encounter ladies and servants, headed for the house armed to the teeth. As luck would have it, the Governor was not in the fields that day, but having a post fox hunt breakfast with his friends. He saw the pirate's vessel from the large dining room windows overlooking the harbor, and went into action. He sent the women and servants to the woods, and he and his friends, heavily armed, stood at the ready. As Long Arm approached, the Governor threw open the door while his friends opened fire. They killed two men and seriously injured Long Arm, while the remaining crew scurried to the ship.

George Plater III died in Annapolis on February 10, 1792 three months after being elected Governor. He was eulogized in the Maryland Gazette on February 14, 1792:

"....he was a firm and dedicated advocate of the rights of man, and was distinguished by a warm and zealous adherence to the principles of the American Revolution. In private life, he lived amiably, and died an honest man, exempt from all suspicion of improper actions, warm in his affections, and unbounded in his philanthropy."

His body was taken to Sotterley, where he was buried. It remains a mystery just where the body is buried. It was originally reported that he was buried in the family vault, but there is none. It was later reported that he was buried in the rose garden, but his remains have yet to be discovered.