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Edward Digges (ca. 1621-1675/76), son of Sir
Dudley Digges (1583-1639), who immigrated to
Virginia in 1650, served as councilor in 1654 and
by 1670-1675/76, was governor of Virginia from
1655 to 1658, Virginia's agent in England in 1658,
and a member of the Council for Foreign Planta-
tions from 1661 to 1664. MOTHER: Elizabeth Page.
BROTHER: Dudley (1665-1710), a burgess from
Warwick County, Virginia, in 1695/96, who
served on the Virginia Council in 1698. SISTERS:
Mary; Ann. MARRIED ca. 1679 Elizabeth, widow
of Jesse Wharton (?-1676); daughter of Henry Se-
wall (?-1665) and wife Jane Lowe; stepdaughter of
Charles Calvert, 3rd Lord Baltimore (1637-
1714/15). Her brother was Nicholas Sewall (ca.
1655-1737). Her sisters were Jane, who married
Philip Calvert (1626-1682); Anne, who married
first, Benjamin Rozer (?-1681), and second, Ed-
ward Pye (?-1696); and Mary. CHILDREN. SONS:
Edward (?-1714), who married in 1699 Elizabeth
(?-1704), daughter of Henry Darnall (ca. 1645-
1711); William, who married Elinor, widow of
Philip Darnall (1671-1705) and daughter of
Thomas Brooke (ca. 1659-1730/31); John; Dudley;
Charles, married Susannah Maria, daughter of
Henry Lowe (?-1717); and Nicholas. DAUGHTERS:
Jane; Elizabeth, who married Anthony Neale, son
of James Neale (ca. 1615-1684); Ann, who married
Henry Darnall (1682-1759), son of Henry Darnall
(ca. 1645-1711); and Mary. PRIVATE CAREER. ED-
UCATION literate, probably had extensive school-
ing. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant, but his
wife was Catholic. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVI-
TIES: appointed to the Maryland Council immedi-
ately after his marriage to the proprietor's step-
daughter; he was the only Protestant on the
governor's Council in 1689. OCCUPATIONAL PRO-
FILE: merchant; planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLA-
TIVE SERVICE: Upper House, 1681-1682 (ap-
pointed by the 3rd session), 1682-1684 (Accounts
1-3), 1686-1688 (Accounts, chairman 2). OTHER
PROVINCIAL OFFICES: Council, 1679/80-1689;
justice, Provincial Court, 1679/80-1689; joint
chancellor and commissary general, 1682/83-
1685; Board of Deputy Governors, 1684-1689;
joint collector of Patuxent, 1684-1685; Land
Council, 1684; joint secretary, 1685-1689. MILI-
TARY SERVICE colonel, 1679-1689. OUT OF COL-
ONY SERVICE: justice, York County, Virginia,
1671; sheriff, York County, Virginia, 1679; captain
of horse, 1674. STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE IS-
SUES rejected the appeal of Protestants in 1689 to
lead the resistance against the proprietor, whom
he subsequently defended against the rebel Protes-
tant Associators; resumed his residence in Virginia
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after the rebellion of 1689 and his plantation there
became a refuge for some of his Catholic col-
leagues and relatives from Maryland; brought be-
fore the Virginia Council on charges of plotting to
restore King James II, 1693. WEALTH DURING
LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: had consid-
erable acreage in Virginia; had ca. 4,000 acres in
Maryland, which he began to sell in 1692.
WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: will probated on July
24, 1697. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, £798.8.7
sterling (including 29 slaves and books). LAND:
over 3,000 acres.
DIXON, AMBROSE (?-1687). IMMIGRATED: by
1661/62 as a free adult from Northampton
County, Virginia. RESIDED: in Annemesex Hun-
dred, Somerset County. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
he was living in Virginia by 1645, where he pa-
tented 600 acres of land in Northampton County
with Stephen Horsey (ca. 1620-1671), probably in
1652. MARRIED by 1652 Mary, widow of Henry
Peddington (?-1647). CHILDREN. SON: Thomas
Dixon (?-1720), who married first, Christiana Pot-
ter, and second, Susanna. DAUGHTERS: Elizabeth
(?-1687), who married Robert Dukes; Sarah, who
married Edward Beauchamp; Grace, who married
John Richards; Mary, who married Thomas Cot-
tingham; Alice (1663/64-?), who married Henry
Potter; and Hannah (1666-1667). PRIVATE CA-
REER. EDUCATION: illiterate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIA-
TION: Quaker; religious persecution drove him to
Maryland, where his home became an important
meeting place for Quakers. OCCUPATIONAL PRO-
FILE: caulker; planter; innkeeper, 1670. PUBLIC
CAREER. LEGISLATIVE PROFILE: Lower House,
Somerset County, 1671 (did not sit). LOCAL OF-
FICE: surveyor of highways, Somerset County,
1666. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT
FIRST ELECTION: 550 acres, WEALTH AT DEATH.
DIED: buried on April 12, 1687. PERSONAL PROP-
ERTY: TEV, £326.3.0 sterling (including 11 slaves
and 1 servant). LAND: 550 acres.
DIXON, THOMAS (?-1720). BORN: in North-
ampton County, Virginia; only son. IMMIGRATED.
by 1661/62 as a minor with his parents from Vir-
ginia. RESIDED: in Annemesex Hundred, Somerset
County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Ambrose
Dixon (?-1687). MOTHER: Mary. SISTERS:
Elizabeth (?-1687); Sarah; Grace; Mary; Alice
(1663/64-?); and Hannah (1666-1667). MARRIED
first, in 1672 Christiana Potter. MARRIED second,
Susanna. CHILDREN. SONS: Ambrose (1673-?);
Thomas (1677/78-1747); and William (1686-?).
DAUGHTERS: Adria (1675-?); Mary (1683-?); Di-
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