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TWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: purchased at
least 100 acres by 1783, and 12 acres in 1793;
patented three tracts totalling 56 acres, 1793-1797,
one of which, encompassing 7 and one-half acres,
was sold in 1797; assessed for 688 acres in 1798;
purchased rights to one-quarter of an estate with
an unspecified amount of land in Spesutia Upper
Hundred, 1801; sold at least 108 acres along the
post road, 1804 and 1806; purchased an unknown
quantity of land in 1807, of which he patented 17
acres in 1807, and added an adjoining patent of
3 acres, also in 1807. All of Smithson's land was
in Harford County. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: on
January 17, 1809, in Harford County. PERSONAL
PROPERTY: size of estate unknown. LAND: at least
800 acres in Harford County. Smithson's principal
heirs were two of his brother Daniel's children,
Elizabeth Smithson, who married Henry Dorsey,
of Edward, and William Smithson.
SMOOT, JOHN (1748-1793). BORN: in 1748,
probably in Charles County. NATIVE: at least sec-
ond generation. RESIDED: in Charles County;
Dorchester County by 1770; at his dwelling plan-
tation "Rehoboth," Dorchester County, by 1787.
FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Edward Smoot (?-
1795). MOTHER. Mary Magdalene (?-by 1795).
BROTHERS. Edward (?-by 1794); William Groves;
Henry, of Dorchester County; Alexander; and
Benjamin Stoddert. SISTERS: Lydia, who married
Clement Kenedy; Jennett; and Mary. MARRIED
first, by 1770, Elizabeth Douglass (1748-1787),
who was probably related to John's business part-
ner and friend, Alexander Douglass. MARRIED
second, on April 9, 1790, Elizabeth Parker, a
young woman of no property who was house-
keeper in the Smoot home. John and Elizabeth
Parker's first child was born out of wedlock. To
protect the children of John's first marriage, Eliz-
abeth signed a contract stating that she would
receive only £300.0.0 of his estate if she survived
him. ADDITIONAL COMMENT: a Chancery Court
case involving John's estate revealed that his cir-
cumstances greatly improved and his estate grew
considerably following his marriage to his first
wife, Elizabeth Douglass. CHILDREN. SONS. John
(?-of age by 1800), eldest son, ward of Dr. John
S. Crapper after his father's death; Henry (?-
died a minor between 1787 and 1790); Robert
(before 1790-?), the son of John and Elizabeth
Parker; Joseph (after 1790-?); and John Henry
(1794-?), who was born five months after his
father's death. DAUGHTERS: Catherine (?-1795),
who married Dr. John Sydenham Crapper; and
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Amelia Lee (?-ca. 1788). PRIVATE CAREER. ED-
UCATION: literate; requested in his will that his
sons be kept in school either until they came of
age or their education was completed. RELIGIOUS
AFFILIATION: Anglican, probably Great Chop-
tank Parish, Dorchester County. SOCIAL STATUS
AND ACTIVITIES. Esq., by 1780. OCCUPATIONAL
PROFILE, planter; merchant by 1770. His partner
in trade in the firm of Smoot & Douglass was
Alexander Douglass. Their business was in the
town of Vienna, Dorchester County. PUBLIC CA-
REER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House, Dor-
chester County, 1777 (elected to the 1st session
of the 1777 Assembly to fill vacancy), 1777-1778,
1778-1779 (Claims 3), 1779-1780 (Claims 1, 2),
1781 (elected, but did not attend; resigned during
the 1st session of the 1781-1782 Assembly), 1782-
1783. LOCAL OFFICE: justice, Dorchester County,
appointed 1777, 1780, 1782-1789, 1791. MILI-
TARY SERVICE, captain, Upper Battalion of Mi-
litia, Dorchester County, by 1778. STANDS ON
PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: manumitted two slaves,
1787. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROP-
ERTY, assessed value £994.0.0, including 30 slaves,
12 oz. plate, and a saw mill in Nanticoke, 1783;
41 slaves, 1790. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 1,203
acres in Dorchester and Charles counties (pur-
chased 1,156 acres and patented 47 acres). SIG-
NIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELEC-
TION AND DEATH: purchased at least 2,937 acres
in Dorchester County (826 acres of this was con-
fiscated British property), plus 3 lots in Vienna
Town purchased with his business partner, 1780-
1793; sold 147 acres in Dorchester County, 1790-
1792. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: on September 5,
1793, in Dorchester County; buried in Great
Choptank Parish, Dorchester County. PERSONAL
PROPERTY: size of estate unknown, but included
books, slaves, stock in the firm of Smoot & Doug-
lass, one-fourth ownership of Payns Mills and the
sloop Peace and Plenty. LAND. ca. 3,993 acres in
Dorchester and Charles counties (at least 2,659
acres were in Dorchester County as specified in
his will, plus 47 acres in Charles County which
he probably still held; his remaining real prop-
erty, ca. 1,334 acres, was mentioned in his will
as the "residue of all my lands"). ADDITIONAL
COMMENT: Smoot wrote his will on August 27,
1787. At that time he was a widower with four
children, and he devised his entire considerable
estate to them. On April 9, 1790, John married
his housekeeper, Elizabeth Parker, and had two
more sons. Following his second marriage he de-
clared his will null and void, breaking the seal on
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