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Cresap; and Helen. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION:
literate. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent.,
1802. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: attorney, admitted
to the following courts: Frederick County in
March 1765; Prince George's County in June
1765. Planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SER-
VICE: Lower House, Washington County, 1787-
1788. LOCAL OFFICES: Committee of Observation,
Frederick County, elected 1775; justice, Washing-
ton County, 1777-1789, Allegany County, 1790-
at least 1800; commissioner of tax, Washington
County, 1777-at least 1779, Allegany County,
appointed 1792; justice, Orphans' Court, Allegany
County, appointed 1802. WEALTH DURING LIFE-
TIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed value
£187.0.0, including 3 slaves, 1783. LAND AT FIRST
ELECTION: 2,056 acres in Washington and Freder-
ick counties, plus 1 leased lot in Cumberland,
Washington County. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN
LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH:
acquired by purchase and patent 4,925 acres in
Frederick, Washington, and Allegany counties,
1788-1805. Included in this total are 9 fifty-acre
lots in Wills Town Hundred, Allegany County. In
1805, 6 of these lots were added to a 440-acre
tract he already owned, and he combined this with
a 451 -acre vacancy to form his dwelling planta-
tion. He sold a total of 1,403 acres in Washington,
Frederick, and Allegany counties (1,060 acres of
this was comprised of 1 large tract), 1793-1798.
WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED at "Mt. Pleasant,"
Wills Town Hundred, Allegany County; will pro-
bated on April 1, 1815. LAND: probably ca. 5,578
acres in Frederick, Washington, and Allegany
counties. His will mentioned 900 acres in Hardy
County, Virginia (later became part of West Vir-
ginia).
BRUCE, NORMAND (?-181 1). BORN, in Scot-
land. IMMIGRATED: in 1748 as a freeman from
Scotland. RESIDED: in St. Mary's County, 1748-
1765; Bruceville, Big Pipe Creek, Frederick
County, 1765-1811. FAMILY BACKGROUND.
BROTHER: possibly Andrew Bruce (?-1815). MAR-
RIED on November 19, 1761, Susanna Gardiner
(1742-1811), daughter of Philip Key (1696/97-
1764). Her brothers were Capt. Richard Ward
Key (?-1765); Edmund Key (?-1766); Dr. John
Key (?-1755); Francis Key (1731/32-1770);
Thomas Key (?-1772); and Philip Barton Key (?-
1756). Her nephews were Philip Key( 1750- 1820);
John Ross Key (1754-1821). CHILDREN. SON
Charles, who first resided in the Middle District,
Frederick County, but in early life left to live in
the West Indies. DAUGHTER: Elizabeth Key, who
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married John Scott. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCA-
TION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican.
SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Esq., 1761;
Gent., 1768; married into a very prominent family
with extensive landholdings in the colony. OCCU-
PATIONAL PROFILE: landlord; mill owner. PUBLIC
CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House,
Frederick County, 1780 (elected, but did not at-
tend; resigned on November 9, 1780). LOCAL OF-
FICES: sheriff, St. Mary's County, 1761-1764,
Frederick County, 1768-1771; justice, Frederick
County, commissioned 1768 and 1773-at least
1777; Committee of Observation, Frederick
County, elected 1774; justice, Orphans' Court,
Frederick County, commissioned 1777; commis-
sioner of tax, Frederick County, 1777-at least
1779; purchasing agent, Frederick County, ap-
pointed 1779; subscription officer, Continental
Loan Office, Frederick County, appointed 1779.
MILITARY SERVICE: colonel, 1776; commanded a
battalion of the Flying Camp. WEALTH DURING
LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: 24 slaves, 1790.
LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 20,648 acres in Freder-
ick, Montgomery, Prince George's and Washing-
ton counties (his wife inherited at least 1,399 acres
from her father). His father-in-law owned 5,000
acres in Frederick County, which was a factor in
inducing Bruce and his wife to move from St.
Mary's County to Frederick County. SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION
AND DEATH patented 3,016 acres in Frederick
and Montgomery counties, 1783-1796. WEALTH
AT DEATH. DIED: will probated on August 5, 1811,
in Frederick County. LAND: probably ca. 24,000
acres in Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George's,
and Washington counties.
BRUFF, WILLIAM (ca. 1741-1802). BORN: ca.
1741 in Talbot County; probably eldest son. NA-
TIVE: at least second generation. RESIDED: in
Queen Anne's County, 1764; Island Hundred,
Queen Anne's County, 1778; Baltimore Town,
1795. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Richard
Bruff (?-1760), of Talbot County. MOTHER: Ra-
chel, widow of (name unknown). BROTHER. Rich-
ard. STEPBROTHER: Jonathan (surname unknown).
SISTERS: Mary; Lucy; Rachel; and Rebecca. MAR-
RIED first, by 1765 Catherine (1743-?), daughter
of Maj. Nathan Wright (?-1767) and wife Mary
(?-1773); stepdaughter of (first name unknown)
Bruff; granddaughter of Charles Wright (?-1720);
niece of Robert IVorrest Wright (?-ca. 1746/47).
Her brothers were Tur butt Wright (ca. 1741-
1783); Robert (1756-?). Her sister was Mary
(1746-1754). MARRIED second, by 1794 Catherine,
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