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1794). FIRST COUSINS. Samuel Wilson (1735-1790);
and Henry Waggaman (1753-1809). MARRIED on
May 21, 1771, Sarah Stoughton (1753-?), daugh-
ter of Thomas Sloss (?-1797) and wife Mary
Stoughton (1724-?). Sarah was the granddaugh-
ter of William Stoughton (1692-1759). Her sisters
were Ann Stoughton (1751-?), who married in
1768 the Rev. Edward Gantt, M.D. (ca. 1741-
1837), son of Thomas Gantt (ca. 1710-1785); and
Mary Stoughton (1765-1822), who married Levin
Winder (1757-1819). CHILDREN. DAUGHTER: Ann
(1773-?). PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Presbyterian, Manokin
Presbyterian Church, Somerset County, until 1769;
membership terminated in 1769; marriage and
daughter's birth were recorded in Somerset Par-
ish register (Anglican), 1771, 1773. SOCIAL STA-
TUS AND ACTIVITIES. Gent., by 1773. OCCUPA-
TIONAL PROFILE, probably planter. PUBLIC CAREER.
LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House, Somerset
County, 1777-1778. LOCAL OFFICES: elder, Man-
okin Presbyterian Church, Somerset County, 1762,
1769; justice, Somerset County Court, 1777-1785;
justice, Orphans' Court, Somerset County, 1778-
1783; commissioner of the tax, Somerset County,
appointed 1777, 1779, 1781, 1782. WEALTH DUR-
ING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed Value
£3,208.0.0, including 88 slaves and 102 oz. plate,
1783. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 1,696 acres in
Somerset County (acquired by inheritance, pur-
chase, and patent). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND
BE TWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: inherited
1,086 acres after the deaths of his two brothers,
Thomas and George, and purchased 33 acres, all
in Somerset County. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: be-
tween June 12 and November 8, 1791, in Som-
erset County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: size of estate
unknown. LAND: at least 2,815 acres in Somerset
County. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: His principal
heirs were his sister Elizabeth, wife of Henry Jack-
son (?-1794), and their children.
WILSON, SAMUEL (1735-1790). BORN: in 1735
in Manokin Hundred, Somerset County. NATIVE:
third generation. RESIDED: at "Great Hope," in
Manokin Hundred, Somerset County, one-half
mile from Washington Academy, which was
erected on his plantation. FAMILY BACKGROUND.
FATHER David Wilson (1704- 1750). MOTHER: Betty
(?-by 1747). STEPMOTHER: by 1747, Abigail (?-
1764), widow of William Waters (?-1732/33).
BROTHERS: Ephraim (1726-1778); David (1737-
?); Denwood (1740-1803); and James (?-1810).
STEPBROTHER: Richard Waters. SISTERS: Betty;
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Ann; and Esther. STEPSISTERS: Elizabeth Waters;
Sarah Waters. FIRST COUSIN: Levin Wilson (1735-
1791). NIECES: Henrietta Wilson (?-1835), who
married Arnold Elzey (ca. 1758-1818); Esther
Wilson, who married William Morris (?-ca. 1799).
MARRIED first, in 1760, Peggy (Margaret) (?-by
1765), daughter of Col. John Custis V (?-1747)
and wife Anne Kendall of Accomack County,
Virginia. Her brothers were John (?-by 1760);
Hancock (?-by 1760). MARRIED second, ca. 1765,
Mary (ca. 1734-by 1790), daughter of John Gale
(?-ca. 1744) and wife Milcah Hill. Mary was the
stepdaughter of the Rev. Thomas Airey and the
niece of both Levin Gale (ca. 1704-1744) and
George Gale (?-ca. 1772). Her brothers were Henry
(ca. 1740-?); Levin (ca. 1743-?); and George
(ca. 1731-1765). Her sister was Betty (ca. 1737-
?). Her first cousin was Levin Gale (ca. 1730-
1791). Her nephew was John Gale (1753-1813).
Her niece was Milcah Gale (1751-1780), who
married Robert Harrison (1740-1802). CHILDREN.
SONS: John Custis, who married in 1807 Eliza-
beth, daughter of Peregrine Tilghman (ca. 1741-
1807); Samuel. DAUGHTER: Milcah Gale. PRIVATE
CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILI-
ATION. Presbyterian, Manokin Presbyterian
Church, Somerset County. SOCIAL STATUS AND
ACTIVITIES: Gent., by 1768; Esq., by 1790. OC-
CUPATIONAL PROFILE: planter; attorney; owned
sawmills by 1790. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE
SERVICE: Lower House, Somerset County, 1757-
1758, 1758-1761 (Public Offices Cv 1, 1), 1765-
1766 (Bills of Credit 2; Public Offices 3, 4; Laws
to Expire 4), 1768-1770 (Laws to Expire 2; Claims
2), 1773-1774 (Claims 1); 3rd Convention, Som-
erset County, 1774; Senate, Eastern Shore, Term
of 1776-1781: 1777, 1777-1778, 1778-1779, 1779
(did not attend; resigned from the 1779-1780 As-
sembly on November 8, 1779). ADDITION AL COM-
MENT: During the November-December 1758 ses-
sion of the 1758-1761 Assembly, Wilson made a
bitter verbal attack on Philip Hammond, a fellow
House member. After not being allowed to ex-
plain or justify his words, Wilson refused to ask
the pardon of Hammond, saying that "Mr. Ham-
mond was a Person of so very infamous a Char-
acter, and guilty of so many Vices, that he could
not suffer his Lips to belie his Heart...." The
House, in an act of censure, ordered Wilson com-
mitted to the custody of the sergeant at arms on
December 12, 1758. The censure was renewed by
the House on December 18, 1758, and again on
April 6, 1759. A motion to expel Wilson so that
"the county may have benefit of being Repre-
900
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