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not qualify); committee of observation to watch
for British warships, Calvert County, 1780; Christ
Church Parish Vestry, 1781-1782. WEALTH DUR-
ING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed
value £1,445.3.4, including 35 slaves and 100 oz.
plate, 1783. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 394 acres
in Calvert County. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN
LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH:
acquired more than 653 acres in Calvert and Tal-
bot counties by 1785. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED:
after 1785, possibly in Talbot County; size of es-
tate unknown.
HANDS, THOMAS BEDINGFIELD (?-1811).
BORN: in Kent County, of age by 1767; only son.
NATIVE: at least second generation. RESIDED: in
Chestertown, Kent County. FAMILY BACK-
GROUND. FATHER: Thomas Bedingfield Hands (?-
1769), of Kent County, who was treasurer of the
Eastern Shore and justice of the Provincial Court.
MOTHER: Sarah (1721-1754), daughter of Alexan-
der McGahon. SISTERS: Margaret (1745-1794),
who married Thomas Smyth (1730-1819);
Elizabeth, who married on February 16, 1796,
(name unknown). MARRIED first, by July 1780
Mary. MARRIED second, in 1801 Mary Jackson, of
Chestertown, Kent County. CHILDREN. SONS: Bed-
ingfield (?-1821), who married Catherine (1782-
1849). Catherine subsequently married Richard
Ringgold; Alexander. DAUGHTER: Sarah, who
married William Barroll. PRIVATE CAREER. EDU-
CATION: studied law. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION:
Anglican, Chestertown Church, Kent County.
SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., 1767. OC-
CUPATIONAL PROFILE: lawyer, admitted to the
following courts: Annapolis Mayor's Court in
April 1765; Queen Anne's County in June 1765;
Baltimore County in August 1765; Kent County
by March 1766; Provincial Court in May 1767;
Cecil County by March 1771. PUBLIC CAREER.
LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Conventions, Kent County,
4th, 1775, 5th, 1775; Senate, Eastern Shore, Term
of 1776-1781: 1777 (elected on February 15, 1777,
to fill vacancy; probably declined to serve, but
date unknown). OTHER STATE OFFICE: Councils of
Safety, Eastern Shore, 2nd, 1776, 3rd, 1776, 4th,
1776 (declined). LOCAL OFFICES: Chester Parish
Vestry, Kent County, in office 1800-1811; visitor,
Kent County Free School, in office 1801. WEALTH
DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed
value £1,337.10.0, including 27 slaves and 378 oz.
plate, 1783; assessed value $9,099.00 (combined
real and personal property), 1804-1811. LAND AT
FIRST ELECTION: 400 acres in Kent County (inher-
ited from his father), plus 2 water lots and 1 land
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lot in Chestertown, Kent County. SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION
AND DEATH: purchased 520 acres in Kent County,
plus 4 lots in Chestertown, Kent County, 1777-
1798. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: ca. June 1811.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: requested no appraisal of
his estate. LAND: probably 1,000 acres in Kent
County, plus 2 lots in Chestertown, Kent County.
HANDY, BENJAMIN (?-ca. 1763). BORN: prob-
ably in Somerset County, a minor in 1735; possi-
bly eldest son. NATIVE: third generation. RESIDED:
in Somerset County; Worcester County, by
1748/49. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER:
Ebenezer Handy (?-ca. 1735/36), son of Samuel
Handy (?-1721) and wife Mary Sewell. MOTHER
OR STEPMOTHER: Betty. UNCLE AND GUARDIAN:
Isaac Handy (?-1762). BROTHERS: John; Robert.
SISTERS: Mary Elizabeth; Mary. OTHER KINSHIP:
his first cousin was John Handy (ca. 1724-1756).
MARRIED first, his first cousin Priscilla (?-by
1748/49), daughter of John Handy, Gent. (1695-
1745) and wife Jane Dashiell (1698-?); stepdaugh-
ter of Thomas Gillis; granddaughter of Thomas
Dashiell (1666-ca. 1756). Her brothers were John
Handy (ca. 1724-1756); Charles, of Newport,
Rhode Island, 1755; Samuel (?-by 1760), who
married Sarah; and Levin. Her sisters were Easter
(ca. 1720-1748), who married first, Robert Da-
shiell (?-1744/45), son of George Dashiell (?-
1733/34), and second, Day Scott (1746-by 1773);
Ann (?-by 1761); and Mary (1740-1766), who
married William Geddes, Esq. Her first cousins
were Thomas Dashiell (1733-1771); Joseph Da-
shiell (1736-ca. 1787); and George Dashiell (1743-
?); and John Dashiell (ca. 1740-1817), a possible
legislator. Her other relatives included her great-
grandfather James Dashiell (ca. 1634-1697). MAR-
RIED second, by 1756 Elizabeth. CHILDREN. SON:
John. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RE-
LIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant. SOCIAL STATUS
AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., 1748/49. OCCUPATIONAL
PROFILE: planter, 1751; owned a sawmill in part-
nership with Thomas and George Martin, 1763.
PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower
House, Worcester County, 1756-1757 (elected to
the 4th session to fill vacancy), 1757-1758 (Arms
and Ammunition 2), 1758 (appointed sheriff be-
fore the 1st session). LOCAL OFFICES: justice,
Worcester County, ca. 1747-1763 (quorum, 1754-
1763); sheriff, Worcester County, 1758-1761; col-
lector of the excise tax, Worcester County, in of-
fice 1758; collector of the land tax, Worcester
County, in office 1759. MILITARY SERVICE: cap-
tain, by 1756; major, by 1758. WEALTH DURING
401
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