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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 322   View pdf image (33K)
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FIT BIOGRAPHIES

friend of Gov. Robert Eden and served as clerk of
Caroline County from 1774 to 1777; John, who
married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Parran (?-
by 1783); William Fitzhugh, Jr. (1761-1839); and
Capt. Peregrine (ca. 1760-?), who resided in
Queen Anne's County in 1792, Washington
County in 1797, and Soder's Bay, Lake Ontario
from 1799 until death. Peregrine was an aide to
Gen. George Washington during the Revolution
and he married Elizabeth Crowley, daughter of
Samuel Chew (by 1734-1786). STEPDAUGHTER:
Elizabeth Rousby, who married George Plater
(1735-1792). PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: liter-
ate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican, Christ
Church Parish, Calvert County. SOCIAL STATUS
AND ACTIVITIES Esq., 1752; frequently entered
his horses in the Annapolis races. ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS: Fitzhugh was a close friend of George
Washington and of Thomas Sim Lee (1745-1 81 9),
who wrote letters of recommendation for Fitz-
hugh's sons when they were applying for military
offices. He became blind in later life. OCCUPA-
TIONAL PROFILE: planter; owned a gristmill, full-
ing mills, and a distillery in Calvert County, by

1783. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE:

Lower House, Calvert County, 1754-1757 (Griev-
ances 1-6; Arms and Ammunition 5, 6), 1758-
1761 (Elections 2; Arms and Ammunition 2); Up-
per House, 1769-1770 (appointed before the 2nd
session), 1771, 1773-1774; Convention, Calvert
County, 9th, 1776 (Elections); Lower House, Cal-
vert County, 1777, 1777-1778 (Manufactories 1;
speaker 2, 3), 1778-1779 (speaker 1-3), 1779-1780
(Grievances 1; Elections 3), 1780-1781 (elected to
the 1st session to fill vacancy), 1781-1782, 1782-

1783. OTHER PROVINCIAL OFFICES: Council,

1769-at least 1774 (appointed and qualified on
November 12, 1769); treasurer, Western Shore,
appointed 1772 and 1773; commissary general,
appointed 1773; chairman, Patuxent Association,
in office 1781. LOCAL OFFICES: justice, Calvert
County, 1752-at least 1769 (quorum, 1758-at
least 1769); recruiting officer, Calvert County, ap-
pointed 1780. MILITARY SERVICE colonel, by
1752; fought in the French and Indian War and
participated in the West Indian expedition.
STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: At the out-
break of the Revolution Fitzhugh declined to con-
tinue receiving his half pay from the British gov-
ernment for former military service, which would
have required him to remain neutral. WEALTH

DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: In July
1780 Fitzhugh's home was raided by the British
and by August 1781 he claimed 30 slaves had
gone off with the enemy. Assessed value

£957.15.0, including 13 slaves, 1783; listed as one
of the largest creditors against the estate of Robert
Eden (1741-1784), which owed him £1,642.5.2 in
1787. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 4,651 acres in
Talbot, Queen Anne's, and Calvert counties (all
acquired through his marriage to his second wife).

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST

ELECTION AND DEATH: owned 2,300 acres, 3 lots,
and mills in Calvert County, 1783; owned 2,500
acres in Washington County in 1785, of which at
least 1,500 acres were deeded to his sons prior to
his death. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: on February
10, 1798, in Washington County. PERSONAL PROP-
ERTY. TEV, $17,405.68 current money (including
34 slaves); FB, estate overpaid $385.06. LAND.
43,000 acres in Kentucky, 2 lots in Washington,
D.C., and an unspecified number of lots in Rich-
mond, Virginia, mentioned in his will. ADDI-
TIONAL COMMENTS: In his will Fitzhugh in-
structed his executors to petition for compensation
of losses caused by British raids on, and threats to,
his dwelling plantation during the Revolution.

FITZHUGH, WILLIAM, JR. (1761-1839)
BORN: in 1761 in Calvert County. NATIVE: second
generation. RESIDED: in Calvert County; "The
Hive," near Hagerstown, Washington County,
probably by the 1790s; Genesee, Livingston
County, New York, ca. 1800 until death. FAMILY
BACKGROUND. FATHER: William Fitzhugh (ca.
1722-1798). MOTHER: Ann (1727-1793), daughter
of Peregrine Frisby (1688-1739). BROTHERS:
George; Capt. Peregrine (ca. 1760-?); and John.
STEPSISTER: Elizabeth Rousby, who married
George Plater (1735-1792). STEPNIECE: Ann, who
married Uriah Forrest (1746-1805). OTHER KIN-
SHIP, his great-grandfathers were Nicholas Sewall
(ca. 1655-1737) and James Frisby (ca. 1651-1704);
his great-uncles were Thomas Frisby (1681-ca.
1715/16) and James Frisby (1684-1 7 19). MARRIED
Ann (Nancy) (1771-?), daughter of Col. Daniel
Hughes (?-1818), of Hagerstown, Washington
County, and wife Rebeccca Lux; stepdaughter of
both Susannah Schlatter, of Germantown, Penn-
sylvania, and Ann Elliott, of Carlisle, Pennsylva-
nia; granddaughter of Darby Lux (ca. 1698-1750);
niece of Samuel Hughes (ca. 1741-?), William Lux
(ca. 1730-1778), Darby Lux (?-1795), and
Elizabeth Hughes (?-1793), who married Richard
Potts (1753-1808). Her brothers were Robert
(1767-?), who married Susannah Purviance; Wil-
liam (1769-?); Samuel (1773-?), who married (first
name unknown) Holker; and James (1775-?), who
never married. Her sister was Rebecca (ca. 1777-
1800). Her first cousin was Richard Potts (1786-
322



 

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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 322   View pdf image (33K)
 Jump to  
  << PREVIOUS  NEXT >>


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