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ERS: Charles (1729-1729); William Rumsey (1729/
30-1777); Charles Rumsey (1736-1780); andBen-
jamin Rumsey (1734-1808). SISTERS: Margaret
(1732- ?); Henrietta. MARRIED on January 31, 1771,
Martha (1735-?), widow of (first name unknown)
Giles, daughter of John Hall (1701-1774) and
wife Hannah Matthews Maxwell Johns (1711-
1782). Martha was the granddaughter of both
John Hall (ca. 1658-1737) and Roger Matthews
(ca. 1685-1740). She was the niece of John Mat-
thews (1714-1783). Her brothers were John Hall,
Jr. (1737-1770); Josiah (1739-1739); Aquila
(1742-1743); Benedict Edward Hall (ca. 1744-
1822); and Josias Carvil Hall (1746-1814). Her
sister was Mary (1740-?), who married Benjamin
Rumsey (1734-1808). Her first cousins were Aquila
Hall (1727-1779); Martha Hall, who married
Walter Tolley (?-1783); Blanche Hall (ca. 1742-
1800), who married John Beale Howard (by 1739-
1799); and Sophia White (?-1780), who married
Aquila Hall (1727-1779). CHILDREN. DAUGHTERS:
Harriet (Henrietta) (1772-1839), never married;
Mary (1774-1837), never married; Charlotte (?-
1819), who married in 1798 Edward Aquila How-
ard; and Martha, who married Archibald Git-
tings. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RE-
LIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican, St. John's Parish,
Baltimore and Harford counties. SOCIAL STATUS
AND ACTIVITIES: Esq., by 1782. OCCUPATIONAL
PROFILE: planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE
SERVICE: Lower House, Harford County, 1780
(elected, but did not attend; resigned during the
1st session of the 1780-1781 Assembly). LOCAL
OFFICES, justice, Harford County, 1778-1801;
justice, Orphans' Court, Harford County, 1778-
at least 1791; commissioner of the tax, Harford
County, commissioned 1777, 1778, 1779, 1781,
1782, 1783, and 1790; judge, Court of Appeals
for Tax Assessment, Harford County, appointed
1786; St. John's Parish Vestry, by 1792-1808;
register, St. John's Parish, 1808-1820 (resigned).
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY:
assessed value £759.13.4, including 21 slaves and
34 oz. plate, Harford County, 1783; 41 slaves,
Harford County, 1790; 20 slaves, Harford County,
1800. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: CH. 2,000 acres in
Cecil and Harford counties (obtained by deed of
gift). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN
FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: acquired ca. 500 acres
by gift and purchase in Cecil and Harford coun-
ties, 1782-1799; Rumsey sold all his Harford land
to his daughters Harriet and Mary, 1819. WEALTH
AT DEATH. DIED: funeral held on March 18, 1828,
in Harford County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: size of
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estate unknown. LAND: ca. 300 acres in Cecil
County.
RUMSEY, WILLIAM (1698-1742/43). BORN: on
April 1, 1698, probably at Head of Bohemia, Ce-
cil County; second son. NATIVE: second genera-
tion. RESIDED: at Head of Bohemia, Cecil County.
FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Charles (?-1717),
an immigrant; ordinary keeper; planter. MOTHER:
Katherine (Catherine) (1675-1710). BROTHERS:
Charles (?-1726), who married Margaret; Ed-
ward (?-1770), who married on July 10, 1727,
Margaret. SISTERS, five, names unknown. ADDI-
TIONAL COMMENT: William's great-nephew was
James Rumsey (1743-1792), an inventor, who
patented a steamboat. MARRIED on May 15, 1728,
Sabina (Sabrinah) (?-1779), daughter of Ben-
jamin Blaidenburgh and wife Margaret. She sub-
sequently married by May 25, 1751, Nathaniel
Rigbie (1695-?). Sabina died in Harford County.
CHILDREN. SONS: Charles (1729-1729); William
Rumsey (1729/30-ca. 1777); Benjamin Rumsey
(1734-1808); Charles Rumsey (1736-1780); and
John Rumsey (ca. 1742-1828). DAUGHTERS: Mar-
garet (1732-?); Henrietta. PRIVATE CAREER. ED-
UCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: An-
glican, St. Stephen's Church, North Sassafras
Parish, Cecil County. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIV-
ITIES: Gent., by 1741; Esq., at death. OCCUPA-
TIONAL PROFILE: planter; surveyor. William is said
to have assisted in locating the temporary line
between Maryland and Pennsylvania in 1739; he
is also credited with laying out Frederickstown,
Cecil County. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERV-
ICE: Lower House, Cecil County, 1738, 1739-
1741 (Bills of Credit 1-3). OTHER PROVINCIAL
OFFICE, naval officer, Cecil County, 1733-ca. 1742.
LOCAL OFFICES: deputy surveyor, Cecil County,
in office 1728 and 1732; justice, Cecil County,
1729-ca. 1742 (quorum, 1732-ca. 1742); coro-
ner, Cecil County, in office 1730; churchwarden,
North Sassafras Parish, Cecil County, 1733; dep-
uty commissary, Cecil County, 1733/34-ca. 1742;
North Sassafras Parish Vestry, Cecil County, 1734-
1736. MILITARY SERVICE, called captain. WEALTH
DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: Ca.
6,797 acres in Cecil and possibly Baltimore coun-
ties (150 acres from father). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES
IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH:
acquired 1,992 acres in Cecil and Harford coun-
ties, 1739-1742. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: Will
probated on March 14, 1742/43, in Cecil County.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, £13.8.8 sterling,
£3,290.4.2 current money, and £2.7.0 Pennsyl-
709
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