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est. LAND: probably at least 2,500 acres in Anne
Arundel and Baltimore counties; 1,867 acres were
sold in 1792 to raise £26,000.0.0 current money
needed to pay outstanding debts.
RIDGELY, CHARLES, OF WILLIAM (?-1810).
BORN: in Anne Arundel County, of age by 1771;
younger son. NATIVE: fourth generation. RE-
SIDED in Anne Arundel County until ca. 1772;
Baltimore County, 1773 until death. FAMILY
BACKGROUND. FATHER: William Ridgely (?-1755)
of Anne Arundel County, son of Charles Ridgely
(?-1705). MOTHER: Elizabeth, daughter of Lewis
Duvall and wife Martha Ridgely. UNCLE: Charles
Ridgely (by 1705-1772). BROTHERS: Samuel; Wil-
liam, who married Elizabeth Dorsey (1742-?).
SISTERS Martha, who married Henry Gaither
(1724-1783); Margaret, who married Samuel
Farmer; Deborah, who married Lancelot Dorsey;
Elizabeth, who married Aquilla Duvall; Rachel,
who married Joseph Howard (?-1777); Mary;
Eleanor; Anne, who married Brice Howard; Sarah;
Delilah; and Asenah. FIRST COUSINS: Charles
Ridgely (1733-1790) John Ridgely (by 1724-1771);
and Rachel Ridgely, who married Darby Lux (?-
1795). MARRIED by July 1773 Ruth (?-by 1810),
only child of Samuel Norwood (?-1773) of Bal-
timore County. CHILDREN. SONS Samuel Nor-
wood, who married Deborah Dorsey; Charles
Carnan, who married Elizabeth Dorsey (1787-
1866); William Augustus; John Coleman; Thomas
Perkin; Benjamin Franklin; George Washington;
and probably Robert (?-1804). DAUGHTERS: Ju-
lia, who married Dr. Alexander Barren; Susan-
nah; Elizabeth, who married Robert Richardson;
and Ruth (1800-?), who married Dr. John Balt-
zell. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate; di-
rected in his will that his sons have an "English
education." RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican,
St. Paul's Parish, Baltimore County. SOCIAL STA-
TUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., by 1775; Esq., by
1778. Distinguished by contemporaries as
"Blackhead Charles Ridgely." OCCUPATIONAL
PROFILE: merchant; planter. From at least 1771
until ca. 1778, Ridgely was a merchant in part-
nership with Vachel Denton Howard (1751-1778),
brother of Ephraim Howard (1745-1788), with a
store in Anne Arundel County "for retailing goods,
wares, and merchandize." They imported goods
from England and by 1778 were in debt to John
and Gilbert Buchanan of London, merchants, for
£1,923.4.10 sterling. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE
SERVICE 5th Convention, Baltimore County. 1775;
Lower House. Baltimore County, 1781 (elected
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to the 2nd session of the 1780-1781 Assembly;
Manufactories 2; Public Taxes 2), 1781-1782
(Elections 1), 1782-1783 (Manufactories 2), 1783
(Grievances), 1784, 1785 (Grievances, Claims),
1788 (Claims), 1789 (Elections; Claims), 1790,
1791-1792, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1796, 1798,
1799, 1803. OTHER STATE OFFICES: Constitution
Ratification Convention, Baltimore County, 1788;
associate judge, 3rd District of Maryland, ap-
pointed 1791, resigned 1791; Maryland Senate
elector, Baltimore County, 1791, 1796. LOCAL
OFFICES: Committee of Observation, Baltimore
County, 1776; justice, Baltimore County, 1777-
at least 1780, 1782-at least 1787, 1789, 1792-at
least 1797, 1799-1800; justice, Orphans' Court,
Baltimore County, 1783-1784, 1787, 1789-1790,
1799-1800. STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES:
pledged £300.0.0 to defray the expenses of the
"present campaign," 1781; described by George
Lux as "clever and respected at Annapolis," 1782.
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY
assessed value more than £ 668.0.0, including 13
slaves, in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties
(not including his dwelling plantation), 1783; 13
slaves in Anne Arundel County, 1798. ANNUAL
INCOME: rents from 2 plantations totalled ca.
$335.00 per year by 1810. LAND AT FIRST ELEC-
TION: probably ca. 1,292 acres in Anne Arundel,
Baltimore, and Frederick counties (at least 452
acres in Anne Arundel and Frederick counties
inherited from his father; ca. 740 acres in Balti-
more County acquired through marriage; 100 acres
in Anne Arundel County by purchase). SIGNIFI-
CANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELEC-
TION AND DEATH: purchased 132 acres in Anne
Arundel County, 1792; obtained 500 acres in Anne
Arundel County as a result of a Chancery Court
case over a debt owed him by the estate of his
former partner Vachel Denton Howard, 1799;
enlarged his home plantation, formerly owned by
his father-in-law, to 500 acres, and purchased a
small amount of additional land for one of his
father-in-law's other plantations, all in Baltimore
County by 1798; sold his Frederick (then part of
Montgomery) County land after 1783. WEALTH
AT DEATH. DIED: in October 1810 in Baltimore
County; buried October 19, 1810, at his home
plantation. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, $16,984.80
(including 64 slaves, more than 35 books, and
plate valued at $8.75); FB, $1,215.31 as calcu-
lated before payment of legacies, overpaid $384.69
according to records. LAND: 1,946 acres in Anne
Arundel and Baltimore counties encompassed in
6 separate plantations.
686
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