[4][5] Kilty sailed to France where he received a degree from the College of St. Omer, then returned to Maryland and read law.
[3] Shortly after taking office, President Thomas Jefferson on March 23, 1801, offered Kilty a recess appointment to the new Chief Judge seat on the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia authorized by the controversial Judiciary Act of 1801, 2 Stat.
[1] When Chancellor Alexander Contee Hanson died in office, the Governor of Maryland, Robert Bowie had first offered the position as Chancellor of Maryland to Gabriel Duvall (then serving as the federal Comptroller of the Treasury), who declined, and then to Robert Smith (the acting Attorney General of the United States), who also declined.
[3] His opinions as Chancellor were noted to be "generally very concise, not laden with citations of authorities like Bland's, but showing close familiarity with English equity jurisprudence".
The work received high commendation from the Court of Appeals and the profession generally, but the Assembly took no action on his report other than ordering the printing of one thousand copies.
[7][3] In Dashiell vs. Attorney-General, 5 H. & J., 403, the court said that "the book was compiled, printed and distributed under the sanction of the State for the use of its officers and is a safe guide in exploring an otherwise very dubious path".
This morning, shortly after the meeting of the court, Colonel Ashton, a member of the bar, stated to the court that the death of William Kilty, late Chancellor of Maryland, had just been announced to the public; that penetrated with deep regret himself at the loss of a citizen and officer of such distinguished talents and such eminent virtues and usefulness, he could not forbear to hope that this court, of which Chancellor Kilty had been formerly the chief judge, and this bar, which could bear such ample testimony to his work and excellence, would not deem it out of place to show, by some public act, their general sorrow for the melancholy event, and their high respect for the memory of the deceased.
It was resolved that the members of the bar of the court wear crape on their left arm for a month.Kilty married Elizabeth Middleton (1757-1807)[8] In 1790, Kilty lived with her and a slave in Prince George's County, Maryland.