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SERVICE: Lower House, Anne Arundel County,
1778-1779 (Laws to Expire 2; Manufactories 1),
1779-1780 (Tax Commissioners 2). LOCAL OF-
FICES: Queen Caroline Parish Vestry, Anne
Arundel County, in office 1754-1757, 1766, 1772;
justice, Anne Arundel County, 1764-at least 1779;
judge, Court of Appeals for Tax Assessment, Anne
Arundel County, commissioned 1786; justice,
Orphans' Court, Anne Arundel County, com-
missioned 1791 (resigned). MILITARY SERVICE:
captain, company of rangers on the western fron-
tier of Maryland, 1755; captain, Elkridge Troop
of Horse, Anne Arundel County Militia, ca. 1755-
1761; major, Anne Arundel County Militia, 1761-
1773; It. colonel, Anne Arundel County Militia,
appointed 1773. Ridgely was active in the orga-
nization of militia companies in northern Anne
Arundel County in 1774 and 1775, but did not
serve as an officer. In May 1776 he petitioned the
Convention to exempt him from militia duty.
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY
assessed value £1,451.0.0, including 29 slaves and
112 oz. plate, 1783. Ridgely borrowed over
£400.0.0 sterling from his brother-in-law, Brice T.
B. Worthington (1727 -1794), in 1768, and by 1770
owed him over £2,300.0.0 sterling and £90.0.0
current money for that debt, plus money that
Worthington had paid in Ridgely's name to Sil-
vanus Grove, a London merchant, and others.
By 1789 Ridgely was also indebted to his sons-
in-law, Dr. C. A. Warfield and Thomas Snow-
den, for almost £1,200.0.0 sterling and £755.0.0
current money on direct loans and bonds secured
by them. In 1770, Ridgely directed that 21 of his
slaves and 110 head of livestock, plus 10,000 acres
of land, be sold by Brice T. B. "Worthington (1727-
1794) to pay his creditors. This sale was appar-
ently not made, and in 1789 Ridgely again in-
structed his sons-in-law, Warfield and Snowden,
to sell 22 slaves and 140 head of livestock, as well
as ca. 7,600 acres of land, to pay off his creditors.
Most of this property was the same as that de-
scribed in 1770, and again the sale was not made.
LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: ca. 12,000 acres in Anne
Arundel and Frederick counties (at least 307 acres
in Anne Arundel County inherited from his father),
ca. 10,000 acres of which was under a 1770 mort-
gage to his brother-in-law Brice T. B. Worthington
(1727- 1794). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BE-
TWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: purchased 933
acres in Anne Arundel County and divested him-
self of 1,794 acres in Anne Arundel County (in-
cluding a gift of 750 acres to his daughter); owned
6,015 acres in Anne Arundel and Montgomery
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counties, 1783; mortgaged over 7,600 acres in 1789.
WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: between May 8 and Sep-
tember 17, 1791, in Anne Arundel County. PER-
SONAL PROPERTY: TEV, £872.8.1 current money
(including 29 slaves, a parcel of old books, 2 stills,
blacksmith tools valued at £8.0.0); FB, estate ov-
erpaid £45.4.12, with further debts outstanding
of more than £1,600.0.0 current money. His slaves,
plus livestock and most other goods, were under
mortgage to Worthington. LAND: probably ca.
4,700 acres in Anne Arundel and Montgomery
counties encumbered by mortgages.
RIDGELY, JOHN (by 1724-1771). BORN: by 1724,
possibly on June 14, 1723; eldest son. NATIVE:
fourth generation. RESIDED: on "Ridgely's De-
light" near Baltimore Town, Baltimore County.
FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Charles Ridgely (by
1705-1772). MOTHER: Rachel Howard (?-1750).
STEPMOTHER: as of ca. 1750 Lydia Warfield
Stringer. BROTHERS: Charles (1727-died young);
William (died young); and Charles Ridgely (1733-
1790). STEPBROTHERS: Samuel Stringer; Richard
Stringer. SISTERS: Pleasance (1724-1777); Ach-
sah (1731-1785); and Rachel, who married Darby
Lux (?-1795). STEPSISTERS: Ann Stringer; Lucy
Stringer. FIRST COUSIN: Charles Ridgely, of Wil-
liam (?-1810). NIECES: Rachel Goodwin (?-1819),
who married second, Jesse Hollingsworth (1732/
33-1810); Prudence Carnan (1755-1822), who
married Harry Dorsey Gough (ca. 1745-1808).
MARRIED by 1746 Mary (1725-ca. 1786), daughter
of Caleb Dorsey (1685-1742) of Anne Arundel
County, Gent., and wife Elinor Warfield (1683-
1752). Mary was the granddaughter of John Dor-
sey (ca. 1645-1714/15). She was the niece of Rich-
ard Warfield (ca. 1677 -1755); Alexander Warfield
(1678-1740). Her brothers were Basil (1705-1763),
who married Sarah Worthington; John (1708-?),
who married Elizabeth Dorsey; Caleb (1710-
1772), who married Priscilla Hill; Samuel (1712-
1739); Richard (1714-?), who married Elizabeth
Beale Nicholson; Edward Dorsey (1718-1760);
Joshua (1720-1744); and Thomas Beal (1727-?),
who married Ann Worthington. Her sisters were
Achsah (1704-1741), who married first, Amos
Woodward (?-ca. 1735), and second, Edward
Fottrell (?-1742); Sophia (1707-?), who married
Thomas Gough; Elinor (1715/16-1760), who
married first, Thomas Todd (?-1739), and sec-
ond. William Lynch (?-1751); and Deborah (1722-
1807), who married Ely Dorsey (?-1794). Her
first cousins were Rachel Howard (?-1750) and
Lydia Warfield Stringer, both of whom married
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