I do not intend this to be the definitive Addison family genealogy; its purpose is only to explore the individuals from whom our specific family line descends. Bold face type indicates individuals who are ancestors of my particular line, most of whom are connected by marriage with the Addison family. Their lines have been posted and linked to this one. If any reader has corrections or additions to this particular Addison line, I would appreciate
hearing from you via e mail to kwg at cwru.edu, substituting @ for "at".
To see the sources click on the bracketted number. Citations and notes can be found at the bottom of this page. You can also see an explanation of the numbering system used on this page.
English Ancestors
The
Rev. Launcelot AddisonA,
M.A. is the progenitor of our line. He was a priest of the Established
Church, residing at Mauldismeaburn, in the parish of Crosby Ravensworth, four miles
north by east of Orton, in Westmorland.[1] The parish was one of the huge northern ones, containing 8,942 acres in the fertile valley of the Birkbeck and Lyvennet rivers. The source of the Lyvennet is Black Dub where Charles II and the Scottish army halted in 1641. The area was famous for its breed of hogs, whose hams had particularly fine flavor. There were also extensive
limestone quarries. By the mid nineteenth century the ancient manorial mansion, probably in use when Launcelot would have called there in the course of his pastoral duties, had disintegrated to a “tower building embosomed in trees, and formerly moated”.[2] Launcelot
may have been the son of William Addison, but this is not entirely
clear.[3]
According to Effie Gwynn Bowie, quoting from Burke's Peerage, the Rev. Launcelot "of the Hill" Addison had arms. For those who enjoy decoding heraldic short-hand, the description is: "ERM.; on a band GU., 3 annulets OR; on a chief AZ. 3 leopards faces of the third. Crest: A unicorn's head erased, transpierced by an arrow in bend sinister gutté. Motto: "vulnus opemque fero." (I carry a wound [or weapon] and a remedy.) The Addison arms motto refers to a Saxon superstition of the Middle Ages that the horn of the unicorn was not only an offensive weapon but also had a valuable remedial quality."
Launcelot had the following children (order uncertain, may be incomplete):[4]
i. Thomas Addison1, merchant
at Whitehaven, Cumberland, England.
ii. Henry Addison, merchant at Whitehaven, Cumberland, England.
iii. Launcelot Addison II, Dean of Litchfield, chaplain to King Charles II. Papenfuse, et al calls this son "probable", rather than proved.
iv. Anthony Addison, rector of St. Helen's Church, Abingdon, Berkshire,
and chaplain to the Duke of Marlborough.
v. John Addison, emigrated to Maryland.
Immigrant Generation
John
Addison1 was born in Westmorland, England, and died in England in 1705 or 1706. His father was the Rev. Launcelot Addison, M.A. John and his brothers may have been educated in the local school founded in 1630.[5] As a younger son, John’s economic prospects were limited, so he emigrated to Maryland as a free adult in 1674, on the Vine out of Liverpool, under Mr. William PREESON.[6] He settled in St. Mary’s County. By 1677 he was married to Rebecca WILKINSON, the daughter of the Rev. William Wilkinson, first Anglican priest accredited to the Province, and widow of Thomas DENT (ca. 1630-1676), who had served in the Lower House as a representative from St. Mary’s County. Rebecca was born in 1612 and died in 1663. By her first marriage she had four sons, and two daughters: Margaret and Barbara Dent. Barbara’s granddaughter, Christian SIM, married John
Addison’s great grandson, Walter SMITH, and thus is our ancestor, too.[7]
As a member of a socially ascending family in England,
John was styled Gentleman by 1670, before he emigrated. After
the coup in Maryland
following the “Glorious Revolution”, he was called Esq. in 1692. By
1687 he had moved his family to Charles County, where he owned
at least 3,289 acres. After 1695 he and his family were established
in Prince George's County,
where they became a politically powerful dynasty, members of the
Anglican church.[8]
During the settling of St. Mary’s County the Choptico, Nanjemoy,
and Piscattaway Indians had been friendly and helpful. In 1675 they sided
with the English against their hereditary foes the Susquehannocks. But
the defeated Susquehannocks continued to raid and harass the Piscattaway
settlement. They appealed to the Governor for protection. The Calverts
seemed to have dealt fairly with the Native Americans, and the Governor
moved them closer to St. Mary’s City to protect them. But about that
time John COODE led his successful rebellion against the Calverts. The
new regime was hostile to the Indians,
and began circumscribing them with regulations limiting their movements.
Our ancestor John Addison was a merchant, Indian trader, and planter.
A story has come down that illuminates his attitude toward the Native
Americans. A young slave was brutally attacked by some Indians in
retaliation for a trading deal in which they felt cheated. The young
man lived four days, during which time he told his master, James STODDERT,
that he did not know any of the Indians, they were not the local
Piscattaways. Nevertheless, Col. John Addison questioned
the Piscattaway chief about the murder.
The incident was a final straw, convincing the Piscattaway to move out of
St. Mary’s County. The chief explained that Addison assumed
his people were guilty, that Addison said “there could be noe murder
committed but what they either did it, or knew of it, and that they were
but a hand full of men & went to and againe doeing mischiefe in
the woods like wolves.”[9]
The Native Americans also felt the wrath of the English settlers who
blamed them for killing pigs, who cheated them with dishonest land
deals, who destroyed their cornfields, and who called them rogues
and dogs. The Indians moved out, and then the Governor
belatedly realized that Maryland’s tie with the lucrative fur trade was
severed. In vain did he invite them back, sending a delegation including Thomas BROOKE[10] The
end of this shameful story was that the remnant of 300 Piscattaways moved eventually to
Conoy Island in the upper Potomac. About 1720 they surrendered
to their ancient enemies, the Iroquois, who moved them to Pennsylvania,
and then on to Ohio.
There they disappeared as a distinct tribal group. All that remains
in Maryland are some
of their names for their native places: Chesapeake,
Potomac, Patuxent,
Wicomico, Pomunkey, Mattapany, Choptico,
Nanjemoy, Manahowic,
Machodoc, and others.[11]
Most men of property were called upon
by their neighbors to witness their wills or serve as executors
for their estates. John was named executor and residuary legatee
in the nuncupative will of Nicholas PRODDY of Charles
County on 2 February
1676.[12] He witnessed the
will of John BROADRIB of Talbot
County on 13 September
1680.[13]
Perhaps John’s political sympathies
supported his economic interests. These might be glimpsed in the
smuggling from which he hoped to make a profit. A ship in which
he owned a share, the Liverpool Merchant, was seized
and its cargo sold for violation of the Navigation Acts, 1679-1682.
Smuggling was not uncommon in the Chesapeake Bay. John might have found it easier
to justify such flagrant flouting of the law by siding with the party that attacked
the government that passed and tried to enforce the Navigation Acts.[14]
For whatever motives, John espoused the Protestant republican Whig cause. In March 1689/90, acting on information from a Mr. HOLLIDAY (probably not our ancestor), and others, he addressed a letter to John WEST of Virginia painting an alarming picture of 9,000 Frenchmen and Seneca Indians surrounding Capt. BOURNE’s plantation in Anne Arundel County. It was sheer prevarication and provocation, intended to stir up dissension that would open the way for a coup against Cecil CALVERT, Lord
Baltimore.[15] John's active support
of the rebellion in Maryland following the Glorious Revolution in England
led to his first Provincial office as a delegate from Charles
County, 1689-1692, in the Protestant Associators' convention.
From 1690-1692 he was on the Grand Committee of Twenty. He then served
in the Upper House of the legislature in 1692-93, 1694-97, 1697/8-1700,
1701-04, 1704-05 (but he died before the fourth session). He served
in the Provincial Council from 1692 to his death in 1705.[16]
In June 1700 John, along with Col. Henry JOWLES, Thomas BROOKE, Thomas TASKER,
and John HAMMOND signed a letter from the Council refuting charges and complaints made by Friends and Roman
Catholics against the injustice of being forced to support the establishment
of the Church of England while being barred from participating in government
because of their religious principles.[17]
John’s public career actually had begun
earlier with a term as justice in Charles
County from 1687 to
1692. But it gathered momentum when he was on the winning side in
the struggle against the proprietary. He was named coroner of Charles
County in 1691. The
next year he served as justice on the Provincial
Court, and in 1693 was a judge in the
Court of Chancery. He was named associate chancellor in 1696, and
associate commisary general 1699-1700.[18] He
was said to have been Chancellor and Keeper of the Great Seal from 1696 to
1699.[19]
As for his military career, John was appointed “Captain of the Foote” of Charles County in 1692, then later was appointed Captain of the Horse.[20] From 30 July 1694 till his death in 1705 John was a Colonel in the militia, first in Charles County, then after Prince George’s County was created he was put
in command of its Militia on 17 August 1695.[21]
John was an Anglican, as were his father
and brothers. By the mid-nineteenth century the family could boast of six
generations within the Anglican fold.[22] In 1692 the Maryland
legislature ended Maryland’s
freedom of religion and established the Church of England. On 3
October 1693 John, Thomas BROOKE, and five other men signed the test
oath swearing they did not believe in transubstantiation.[23]
John served in the Piscattaway Parish
Vestry from 1693 to 1705. Its first meeting was held in the Addison
home. The men decided to purchase 78 acres, part of “Lisle Hall”
at Broad Creek, and construct a church building there. They levied
a poll tax of 40 pounds of tobacco on each adult, payable to John Addison
and William HUTCHINSON to build the church.[24] The so-called Broad
Creek church, was more officially known as St. John’s.[25]
John was the “leading spirit” of St. John’s Parish, and his grandson
was its “beloved rector” in later years.[26]
As
part of the establishment, perhaps reflecting a belief in the
importance of liberal education, John was a generous subscriber to
King William's School. He also served as one of the original trustees
when it was established by the Assembly in 1696.[27] The building on the south side of the State House
(where the DeKalb statue now stands) was completed in 1701. In 1785 it
became St. John's College.[28]
John died between November 1705 and
April 1706, while on a visit to England.[29]
His estate inventory was valued at £1,840.0.1 sterling,
and included fourteen slaves and one indentured servant, plus a balance
of just under £1,000 sterling in the hands of London merchants.
He owned 6,478.5 acres at the time of his death.[30]
In addition to Rebecca’s six children by her first husband, John and
Rebecca (Wilkinson) Dent Addison had one son:[31]
i. Thomas Addison, b. 1679; d. 1727; m(1) Elizabeth
TASKER; m(2) Elinor SMITH.
Second Generation
Thomas Addison2 was born in 1679 in St. Mary’s County, Maryland and died in Prince George's County in 1727. He was his father’s only son, although he had six older step brothers and sisters. By the time he was eight years old his family had moved to Charles County. When he was seventeen he moved to St. Elizabeth’s, Oxon Hill Creek, in Prince George’s County. As befitting the son of a wealthy family which considered itself upper class, Thomas was educated at Oxford University in England.[32]
The Register of Piscataway Parish has the following entry: "Thomas Addison, ae. about 22, son of Col. John Addision and Elizabeth TASKER, ae. 15, dau. of Thomas Tasker, Esq. were joined in Holy Matrimony on Tuesday ye 21 of April, 1701." They had two little girls, then Elizabeth died on 10 February 1706/7, at the age of twenty.[33]
Thomas married secondly 17 June 1709 Elinor SMITH, 19-year-old daughter of Col. Walter Smith of Patuxent River.[34] Elinor’s brother, Richard Smith, married her step-daughter (Thomas’s daughter by his first wife), Elinor Addison, and they also became our ancestors. Elinor is also spelled Eleanor in some sources. I do not know which she preferred, herself.
Thomas was a surveyor, planter, and merchant. He owned 800
acres in 1704, and at least 8,294 in 1706 after his father died.[36] He had 2,300 acre “Addison’s Choice” surveyed on the east side of the Monocacy River, presumably as a speculative investment. Following the pattern of his own privileged upbringing, after his death his son John became constable of Monocacy Hundred in 1734. A decade later John signed a petition requesting the establishment of Frederick County.[37] But that is getting ahead of the story.
Thomas and Eleanor were hospitable hosts, making their home, “Oxon Hill”, which overlooked the Potomac opposite the modern city of Alexandria, “one of the notable great houses of that day.”[38 It was built by Thomas’s father John, and supposedly named after Thomas’s alma mater.[39] Oxon Hall burned to the ground in 1895.[40] When late twentieth century highway construction cut deeply into Oxon Hill land, archaeologists did some quick excatvation and salvaging of objects. I think they found a well or privy pit. in any event, the material has recently been turned over to the Maryland Archaeological Laboratory, which is cleaning and curating the objects. I look forward to the report which will shed new light on the lives of the folks at Oxon Hill. In the meantime there are a few objects on display at the MAL at Jefferson Patterson State Park.
His father’s high status opened doors for young Thomas.
At the age of eighteen in 1696-97 he was surveyor for Prince George’s County. He served as justice in Prince George’s
County for the 1704-05 term, then as Sheriff
for 1705-07/8. He was one of the few men appointed to the Provincial Council
without prior experience in the Assembly, serving from 1708 till his death
in 1727. He served in the Upper House in 1710-11 (joining the third session
of the 1708-11 Council), 1712-14, 1715, 1716-18, 1719-21/2, 1722-24, and
1725-26 (dying before the start of the fourth session).[41]
In 1697 Thomas was a deputy naval officer for the Potomac.
By 1713 he was a lieutenant colonel in the militia, and the next
year was made full colonel.
In 1700 the Assembly passed an act for free schools. Each
county had a board consisting of the Anglican priest and seven
“school visitors”. Some of the priests and visitors were good, some
were drunk, and some were worse. Following his father’s example of
encouraging education, Thomas was appointed by the Governor to be
a visitor to the free schools of the county.[42]
In November 1721 Thomas and his brother-in-law Daniel DULANY were approached by the Governor to become joint land commissioners for Prince George's County, sharing in the profits with Col. William HOLLAND. They both agreed. A few months later their brother-in-law Thomas BROOKE joined as a fourth commissioner, making it nearly a family operation.[42a]
The cordial relations were strained after Charles CARROLL lost the post of Agent and Receiver General in a clash with the Protestant Association in 1717, and Dulany had an imbroglio with the Prince George's County land commissioners. He angrily called Thomas “a Little Rascalous Fellow.” Addison took this personally, as a reflection on his official conduct and tendered his resignation to Governor HART, saying “I can’t but think myself a meer pageant of paistboard while I sitt in those Stations and must Suffer such Barbarous affronts.” Hart asked the Council for redress, “Considering . . . that the said Col.
Addison is an honest Protestant and Lover of the King and Country and that the said Daniel Dulany is a noted favourer of the Papists.” But Council did nothing. Land commissioners were likely to be regarded by all planters
as rascals, and the Councillors preeminently were planters.[43]
Thomas’s will was signed 9 April 1722 and probated 28 June 1727. His estate was inventoried
at £5,722.11.8 and included 71 slaves and three indentured
white servants. The final balance after his debts were paid was £5,369.18.8.
He owned between 14,000 and 15,000 acres at the time of his death.
Thomas bequeathed one quarter of the residue of personal property
to his wife Elinor, with the other three
quarters going to her five children. He specified that if she married
a Catholic, his overseers were to take the children and their estate
and see that they were brought up in the Church of England. He named
as overseers Benjamin TASKER (his first wife’s brother), James BOWLES
(his son-in-law), and George NOBLE. A codicil of 2 November 1725 specified that 2,300 acre “Addison’s Choice” on the Monococy be divided equally between Thomas, Henry, and Anthony. Other bequests are mentioned below.[44]
The Addison family has been held up by historians as one of the most successful in the balancing act demanded of a wealthy family to ensure that each child received a fair portion while keeping the family wealth relatively intact. The family was biologically fortunate in not having a number of fecund sons among
whom to divide the wealth. As the only son himself, Thomas received
all of his parents’ wealth. He, in turn, left the bulk of his estate
to his eldest son, John. His son Henry received clerical training at
Oxford. Henry married an extremely wealthy widow, who happened to be his first cousin. The remaining two sons were childless and bequeathed their estates to their brothers and nephews.[45]
Elinor lived for many years as a widow. On 31 [sic] September 1727 Elinor Addison, widow, of Prince George’s County, conveyed 250 acres, which was half of “Bear Neck” to her brother Richard SMITH of Calvert County. This was Elinor’s half of 500 acres granted 10 November 1695 to her father, Walter Smith, deceased.[45a] She gave her son Henry a Bible and prayer book in which he wrote, “Presented to me by the honored Lady, my Mother”. As of 1913 it was still in his family.[46] Her death was reported in the Maryland Gazette. She died at her home at Oxon-Hill, on the "Potowomack" River; on Monday, 19 January 1761, in her 72nd year. Elinor’s will, dated 17 December 1759, bequeathed land and enslaved humans to her son Thomas, a mourning ring and guinea to her daughter Ann HALL, a silver tea pot to daughter Ann MURDOCK, enslaved people to her sons John and Henry. She also left things to her sister Elizabeth BALL, and to granddaughters Catherine SIM, Eleanor Addison, Ann Addison, and Eleanor Addison (daughter of her son Henry).[47]
Children of Thomas and his first wife, Elizabeth (Tasker) Addison:[48]
i.
Rebecca Tasker Addison3,
b. Monday, 3 June 1703, about 11:00 a.m.; m(1) James BOWLES (?-ca. 1727/8), his second marriage; m(2) 10 June 1729 Hon. Col. George PLATER (1695-1755). Both these men served in the Maryland legislature. Rebecca and George resided at the elegant plantation, "Sotterly", St. Mary's Co., in which she held a life interest. After her death George bought it from Rebecca’s heirs. Their son George was Governor of Maryland.[49]
ii.
Elinor Addison, b. Monday, 20 Mar. 1705, about 9:30 a.m.; m(1) Bennett LOWE (d. 1722), son of Col. Henry Lowe (d. 1717) and his wife Susanna Maria (BENNETT); m(2) Col. Richard SMITH (d. 1732) son of Walter Smith, her step grandfather; m(3) Posthumous THORNTON; m (4) Corbin LEE (d. 1774). Her first two fathers-in-law and her fourth husband served in the Maryland legislature.[50]
Children
of Thomas and his second wife, Elinor (Smith) Addison:[51]
iii.
Ann Addison, b. Tuesday, 18 Feb. 1711/2; d. 24 Mar. 1753; m. William MURDOCK
(d. 1769) who served in the Md. Legis.;
his first wife was Margaret DULANY, sister of Rebecca who m. Ann’s
brother Thomas Addison. Ann and William had a daughter Catherine Murdock
(ca. 1735-29 Nov. 1771) who m. Joseph SIM, brother of our Christian (Sim) LEE who m (2) Walter
SMITH. Other children were John Murdock (b. 10 Feb. 1729), Addison Murdock (b. 31 July 1731, d. ca. 1792), John Murdock (b. 16 May 1733, d. 3 Aug. 1791, m. Ann BELT), Ann Murdock (m. Rev. Clement BROOKE), Eleanor Murdock (m. 7 Mar. 1757 Benjamin Hall, son of Francis and Dorothy [LOWE]), and Mary Murdock (d. 1792).[52]
iv. John Addison, b. 15 Aug. or 16 Sept. 1713; d. 1764; m. Susannah WILKINSON (she d. May 1773); Burgess, Prince George's Co. 1745-57; styled Capt., 1756, then Col. served in the Maryland legislature. He inherited the bulk of his father's estate, specifically 1,430 ac. “Saint Elizabeth”, 512 ac. “Discontent”, 545 ac. “Barnobie”, 100 ac. “Canton”, 226 ac. “Force”, 340 ac. “Gleening”, 370 ac. “Locust Thicket”, and 340 ac. “Maddox Folly”. Shortly after his wife died he added a codicil to his will, leaving all his persosnal property to his daughter Ann Addision, and named her executrix. John and Susanna's children: Ann, m. Overton CARR of Va.; Thomas, d. 24 Sept. 1774, m. 3 Dec. 1767 Rebecca DULANY, eldest daughter of Walter of Annapolis; Anthony, mariner, m. 6 June 1794 Rebecca MURDOCK; John, m. 24 Jan. 1787 Lucy WATKINS; Eleanor, m. the Rev. Jonathan BOUCHER.[53]
v. Thomas
Addison, Jr., b. 1715; d. Thurs., 27 Nov. 1770 at his house on
the Potomac, in his 56th year. His obituary in the Maryland Gazette said he was "sometime Major of His Majesty's 35th Regiment of Foot.
He left the bulk of his property to his nephew, Thomas Addison, Esq.
of Oxon-Hill."[54] It is this nephew, called Thomas Addison, Jr., who was the son of the dec'd Thomas's brother John, who is often confused with this Thomas. It is the nephew, Thomas, Jr., who m. Mon. evening 30 Nov. 1767 Rebecca DULANY, niece of his uncle Henry's wife, eldest daughter of the Hon. Walter Dulany, Esq. They res. at Oxon Hall and drove a coach and four with liveried outriders. Thomas Jr. inherited 850 ac. "Gisborough", 300 ac. "Berry", 260 ac. "Pasture", 336 ac. "Prevention"; and everything south west of a line drawn through 393 ac. "The Union", 209 ac. "Barwick upon Tweed", 236 ac. "Brother's Joynt Interest", 106 ac. "Nonsuch", and 300 ac. "North Britton". Thomas Jr. was educated at Oxford, and was rector of St. John's for 30 years.
vi. Henry
Addison, b. 1717; d. 31 Aug. 1789 in Prince George’s Co.; m. 1 Aug. 1751
his wealthy first cousin Rachel DULANY, widow of William KNIGHT;
she was the second daughter of Daniel Dulany (1695-1755) and his wife Rebecca (SMITH), sister of Henry 's mother; Rachel d. 19 Oct. 1774.
Daniel served in the Maryland legislature. Henry matriculated at Queen's College, Oxford at the age of 16 on 3 Mar. 1734/5; was awarded a B.A. in 1738 and an MA in 1741. He was an Anglican priest, serving as rector of St. John's Parish, Prine George's Co. from 1751 till his death.[55]
Inherited from his father 400 ac. "Chichester",
289 ac. "Addition", 428 ac. of "Friendship" at the Eastern branch,
owned jointly with Mr. Abington; 400 ac. of "Friendship" near the
Falls of the Potomac, and tracts northeast of the line dividing tracts
with his brother Thomas. Rachel d. Wed. 19 Oct. 1774.[56]Henry was a Tory during the American
Revolution, but returned after the War. Henry and Rachel had 3 children: Anthony, b. 25 Apr. 1754; Daniel, b. 10 Oct. 1756; Eleanor, b. 8 July 1759, m. Garland CALLIS.[57]
vii. Anthony
Addison, d. 1753; unmarried. Inherited from his father 400 ac.
"Whitehaven", 400 ac. "Philip and Jacob", and 1,200 ac. of "Friendship"
near the Falls of the Potomac. He kept his estate in the family
by bequeathing it to his brothers and nephews.
Third Generation
Elinor
Addison3, the
second daughter of Thomas and his first wife, Elizabeth (TASKER) Addison
was born 20 March 1705 at Oxon Hill Creek, Prince George's
County; her date of death is unknown. Her mother died when she was
only a year old. Her father remarried when she was four, and she eventually
had five step-siblings.[58]
In 1727 her father bequeathed to Elinor and her sister Rebecca £500
each along with some personal property. If the legacies could not be paid,
then three tracts and £200 were to be divided between them in lieu
of the £500 apiece. The tracts were named “Batchelors Harbour” (850 acres), “Swan Harbour” (345 acres), and 396 acres of “Strife” held with Mr. PARKER at Mattawoman.[59]
Elinor had
her portrait painted. This crude copy shows a small reproduction, given
to me by Charlotte Price Curlin of Auburn, Calif., that was printed in
Some Family Bible Records. I do not know where the original
is. If anyone has a better reproduction, preferably in color, or knows
the location of the original, I would appreciate very much if you would
communicate with me.
Elinor
married first, Bennett LOWE, son of Henry Lowe (d. 1717) and his wife Susannah
Maria BENNETT, daughter of Richard Bennett, and widow of John DARNALL.
Henry was a planter and merchant who had served in the Lower House
of the Assembly from St. Mary’s County in 1701-04. He was dismissed
from the fifth session that year for refusing the oath. He was also
dismissed from the provincial Court. Although Henry was a nominal Protestant,
his wife and daughter were Roman Catholics and he refused to take Governor
Seymour’s oaths. His son Henry was an Anglican, as was Bennett,
presumably. The family were strong supporters of the proprietary, unlike
the Addisons.[60]
Bennett’s aunt was Jane Lowe whose second husband was Charles CALVERT, Third Lord Baltimore. His uncle was Vincent Lowe, a Catholic member of the Council who was quite unhappy about the efforts of Friends to gain legislative
relief from taking oaths. In response to some particularly unpleasant
remarks from Vincent Lowe, Friends instructed their delegate, John EDMONDSON,
to get a letter from Robert RIDGELY, the Clerk of the Assembly, exonerating them. Ridgely complied, and Vincent had to cease his slanderous attacks.[61] Bennett died in 1722.
Elinor
married for the second time, Richard SMITH, son of Walter,
who had also served in the Maryland legislature. As Richard was a Vestryman
of All Saints’ Parish from 1723 to 1729, and Elinor’s
father had been active there until his death, presumably Elinor was also
a member of that Anglican church. They had five children. Richard died in
1732.[62]
Elinor married a third time, Captain Posthumous THORNTON of Calvert
County. He died in
1738.[63]
Elinor married a fourth and final time on 31 January 1754, in St. John's Parish, Baltimore County, Corbin LEE. He was the son of Philip Lee (ca. 1681-1744) and his second wife Elizabeth LAWSON, widow of Henry SEWALL (d. 1722). Philip's first wife had been Sarah (BROOKE), widow of
William DENT (ca.
1660-1704), and daughter of our Thomas BROOKE.
Corbin's grandfather was Col. Richard Lee (1646-1714) of Virginia.
Corbin and his father Philip were Anglicans. Corbin was an ironmaster,
and possibly also a planter. He was elected to the Lower house in 1762-63
and 1765-66.[64]
Corbin’s
financial affairs became somewhat complicated. He inherited 200 acres from
his father, inherited 354 acres jointly with his sister Lettice
from their brother Hancock, and purchased 813 acres by 1762. By 1770 he
had purchased 2,484 acres in Baltimore County, two lots
at Fells Point, one lot in Baltimore Town, and two lots in Joppa Town.
He sold the land he held with Lettice,
and two years later gave her (now widowed) the 200 acres from his father.
He sold 480 acres in Baltimore County, and then mortgaged
the remaining 2,934 acres except for the town lots. He had debts of
£983.7.8 sterling and £909.14.8 in current money. Corbin
died in Baltimore Town
in 1774. A petition to grant letters of administration was filed
in court 18 April 1774,
but his widow and relatives refused to take out letters of administration.
However, John Lee, Corbin’s brother
and heir, released all the mortgaged property
shortly after Corbin’s death. But £700 sterling was still
owed to the estate of Stephen BORDLEY, so in frustration its executor,
Beale Bordley, petitioned the court himself,
but was refused. Then the Revolutionary War intervened. Elinor stated again 8 March 1785 she did not intend
to sign for administration of her husband’s estate. All the land
that remained was two lots at Fells Point, one lot in Baltimore Town, and one lot in Joppa Town.[65]
Children of Richard and Elinor (Addison) Smith (order uncertain):
[66]
i. Walter Smith,
m. Christian SIM; d. Jan. 1755.
ii. Richard Smith.
iii. John Addison Smith of Baltimore Town, d. 8 May 1776; m. 17 Oct. 1765
Sarah ROGERS.[67]
v. Rebecca Smith, m. Roger BOYCE (d. 1772); she d. 1775.
vi. Rachel Smith.
The story continues with the Smith and Sim families.
If you have corrections or additions, please send an e mail to kwg
at cwru.edu, substituting @ for "at".
This page was most recently updated 3m/28/2008.
See some other colonial Maryland families that link one way
or another with these Addisons:
Bale,
Brooke,
Browne,
Dent,
Dorsey,
Ely,
Hall,
Hatton,
Holliday,
Howard,
Isaac,
Molton,
Norwood,
Owings,
Randall,
Ridgely,
Sim,
Smith,
Stone,
Tasker.
Warfield.
and Wilkinson.
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