Thomas Notley (1634-1679)
MSA SC 3520-943
Biography:
BORN, in 1634, probably in England.
IMMIGRATED: in 1662, as a free adult from Barbadoes.
RESIDED: in St. Mary's County.
FAMILY BACKGROUND.
BROTHER: John (?-1675).
SISTER: Katherine Grudgefield of London.
PRIVATE CAREER.
EDUCATION: literate, probably had considerable schooling.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Catholic; converted to Protestantism. George
Fox claimed to have converted Notley to Quakerism during his missionary
trip of 1671-1673.
SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: arrived with capital; was perhaps related
to Walter Notley, Gent., of Fermanagh, Ireland, who obtained 20,000 acres
in Maryland in 1638; served as personal attorney for Charles Calvert, 3rd
Lord Baltimore (1637-1714/15) in 1669; no record of any wife or children.
OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: planter; merchant; attorney, admitted to the
following courts: Chancery Court in the 1660s and 1670s, Provincial Court
in 1666/67, appeared as an attorney in Charles County Court in 1663 but
was not sworn in.
PUBLIC CAREER.
LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House, St. Mary's County, 1663-1664, 1666
(speaker), 1669, St. Mary's City, 1671-1674/75 (elected to the 2nd
session of the 1671-1674/75 Assembly; speaker 2-4), St. Mary's County,
1676 (speaker 1; appointed to the Council by the 2nd session of the 1676-1682
Assembly); Upper House, 1678 (appointed before the 2nd session of the 1676-1682
Asembly; died before the 3rd session).
OTHER PROVINCIAL OFFICES. Council, 1676-1679; deputy lt. governor,
1676; deputy governor, 1676-1679; justice, Provincial Court, 1676-1679;
joint
receiver general, 1676-1678/79; deputy receiver general, 1669-1670.
LOCAL OFFICE: alderman, St.Mary's City, 1671.
STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: was a strong asserter of proprietary
privileges and rights; representation was established for St. Mary's City
in 1671 to ensure his election to the Assembly; his promotion to deputy
governor in 1676 was later attributed to the role he played in having the
Assembly bestow on the
proprietorship hereditary rights to the tax of 2 shillings per hogshead
on all tobacco exported.
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME.
LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 500 acres.
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: 1,800
acres in 1671; 2,750 acres in 1676.
WEALTH AT DEATH.
DIED: in April 1679 in St. Mary's County.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, at least £1,346,19.10 and 34,560 pounds
of tobacco (including 29 slaves, 7 servants, and books). LAND: more than
2,750 acres.
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