Benjamin Chew was the son of Samuel Chew, a physician and first Chief Justice of Delaware, and Mary Galloway Chew (1697–1734). He was born in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, at his father's plantation of

Third Street House
In 1771, Chew purchased the former house of his client, Governor John Penn, on South Third Street; Penn

Prior to the American Revolution, Chew was friends with both George Washington and John Adams, and was a strong advocate for the colonies. As a lifelong pacifist, however, Chew believed that protest and reform were necessary to resolve the ongoing

Chew wed Mary Galloway (1729–1755), his first cousin, on June 13, 1747, at West River, Maryland. They had five daughters (Mary (1748–1788), Anna Marie (1749–1812), Elizabeth

Mentored by Andrew Hamilton from an early age, Chew was highly effective in defending civil liberties and settling boundary disputes; he represented the descendants of William

Benjamin Chew was Speaker of the Lower House for the Delaware counties (1753–1758); Attorney General and member of the

• In 1906 a portrait of Benjamin Chew was dedicated and installed in the Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg, honoring his role as Chief Justice.
• Chew Avenue in Philadelphia is named in his honor.