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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 914   View pdf image (33K)
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WOR BIOGRAPHIES

merchant, who purchased a 15-acre tract in Eng-
land with Mark Cordea of St. Mary's County on
February 1, 1676/77. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLA-
TIVE SERVICE: Lower House, Anne Arundel
County, 1699-1700 (elected to the 3rd session of
the 1697/98-1700 Assembly; Elections and Priv-
ileges 4). LOCAL OFFICES: justice, Anne Arundel
County, 1692-1697; coroner, Anne Arundel
County, 1694. MILITARY SERVICE: captain, 1694-

1701. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROP-
ERTY: gave 12 slaves to his wife and children by
deed of gift a week before his death. LAND AT
FIRST ELECTION: ca. 1,900 acres (including over
700 acres inherited by his wife from her father).

WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: On April 9, 1701; buried

at his plantation on the north side of the Severn
River, Anne Arundel County. His remains were
later removed to St. Anne's churchyard, Annap-
olis. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, £638.18.8 (in-

cluding 48 oz. plate); FB, £624.3.3. LAND: ca.
1,900 acres, probably all in Anne Arundel County.

WORTHINGTON, JOHN GRIFFITH (1764-
1797). BORN: on February 1, 1764, in Anne Arun-
del County; he and his twin brother were his fath-
er's youngest sons. NATIVE: fourth generation.
RESIDED: in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County.

FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Nicholas Wor-
thington (1734-1793). MOTHER: Catherine Grif-
fith (1732-1793). UNCLE: Brice T. B. Worthington
(1727-1794). BROTHERS: Thomas (1754-1823);
Charles (1756-died in infancy); Nicholas (1757-
1782); Charles (1759-?); and Brice John (1764-
1837). SISTERS: Elizabeth (1752-died young);
Catherine (1761-1814), who married in 1784 Baker
Johnson (1747-1811); Elizabeth (1766-1820);
Achsah (1768-?); and Sarah (1770-?). FIRST
COUSINS: Thomas Dorsey (?-1790); Eleanor Dor-
sey, who married Upton Sheredine (1740-1800).
CHILDREN. Probably none; principal heirs were his
brothers and sisters. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCA-
TION: literate. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES:
Esq., by death; fourth generation legislator. OC-
CUPATIONAL PROFILE: lawyer. PUBLIC CAREER.
LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House, Anne
Arundel County, 1789, 1790, 1791-1792, 1792,
1793, 1794, 1795. LOCAL OFFICES, justice. Or-
phans' Court. Anne Arundel County, commis-
sioned February 1791, resigned December 1791;
common councilman, Annapolis, 1790-1792.

WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY:

inherited 3 slaves from his uncle John Griffith,
1774. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION, at least 160 acres

in Anne Arundel County and 1 lot and house in
Annapolis (also inherited from his uncle John
Griffith, 1774). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND

BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: purchased

100 acres in Anne Arundel County, 1794. After
their father's death in 1793, John G. and his
brothers and sisters divided the estate of Nicholas
Worthington (1734-1793) and the land devised to
them by their grandfather Capt. Charles Griffith,
with John G. receiving title to about 400 acres in
Anne Arundel County. Before his death, he ap-
parently gave his share of the Griffith property,
perhaps 300 acres, to his sister Elizabeth. WEALTH
AT DEATH. DIED, on February 14, 1797, at "Sum-
mer Hill," Anne Arundel County, the home of
his brother Brice John Worthington. Buried in
the family graveyard at "Summer Hill." PER-
SONAL PROPERTY, requested that no inventory or
accounts be made. LAND: probably ca. 200 acres
in Anne Arundel County (mentioned in his will).

WORTHINGTON, NICHOLAS (1734-1793).
BORN: on March 29, 1734, in St. Anne's Parish,
Anne Arundel County; youngest son. NATIVE.
third generation. RESIDED: at "Summer Hill," near
Annapolis, Severn Hundred, Anne Arundel

County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Thomas

Worthington (ca. 1691-1752/53). MOTHER: Eliz-
abeth Ridgely (?-1734). BROTHERS: Brice T. B.
Worthington (1727-1794); Thomas (1731-died
young). SISTERS: Ann (1713-died young); Sarah
(1715/16-?); Elizabeth (1717-?); Katherine (1720-
1788); Rachel Ridgely (1722-?); Thomasine
(1724-?); and Ariana (1729-?). FIRST COUSINS:
Henry Ridgely (1728-i791); Elizabeth Ridgely,
(1737-by 1761), who married Thomas Dorsey (?-
1790); Sarah Ridgely (1745-?), who married
Charles Greenbury Griffith (1744-1792); and
Samuel Worthington (1734-1815). NEPHEW: Thomas
Dorsey (?-1790). NIECE: Eleanor Dorsey, who
married Upton Sheredine (1740-1800). MARRIED
on October 1, 1751, Catherine (1732-1793),
daughter of Capt. Charles Griffith (1693-1771)
and his second wife Catherine Baldwin (1705-
1733), of Anne Arundel County. Charles Griffith
married first, Mary Wolden Mercer (?-1721).
Catherine was the niece of John Baldwin (?-1752).
Her brother was John (1728-1774), who died
without progeny. Her half brothers were William
(1718-1793), who married Priscilla Ridgely;
Charles (1719/20-1803), who married Ann Dav-
idge. Her sister was Sarah (1730-?), who married
in 1751 Azel Warfield. Her half sister was Mary

914



 

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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 914   View pdf image (33K)
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