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as collateral for payment of debts. By 1792 he
had declared bankruptcy under the Act of As-
sembly for Insolvent Debtors, his total landhold-
ings at that time being 500 acres. By 1808 he had
recovered the 500 acres, plus his personal prop-
erty. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: On April 29, 1819,
at his seat in Kent County after a short illness.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, $10,040.16 (includ-
ing 20 slaves, books); FB, estate overpaid $35.69.
LAND: ca. 511 acres in Kent County.
SMYTH, THOMAS, JR. (1757-1807). BORN: on
April 30, 1757, in Kent County. NATIVE: fourth
generation. RESIDED: in Chestertown, Kent
County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Thomas
Smyth (1730-1819),son of Thomas Smith (ca. 1710-
ca. 1741/42). MOTHER: Sarah (1730-1761),
daughter of Richard Gresham (?-ca. 1773). STEP-
MOTHER: Margaret (1745-1794), daughter of
Thomas Bedingfield Hands (?-ca. 1768), Esq.,
and wife Sarah. STEPUNCLE. Thomas Bedingfield
Hands (?-1811). HALF AUNT: Martha Smith (?-
1799), who married by May 11,1770, Emory Sud-
ler (1725-ca. 1797). BROTHERS OR HALF BROTH-
ERS: James, a physician; Henry (?-by 1818); and
Richard Gresham (?-by 1795). HALF BROTHER:
William (ca. 1777-1819). SISTERS OR HALF SIS-
TERS. Elizabeth (?-by 1818); Sarah, who married
Matthew Tilghman (1760-1801). HALF SISTER:
Maria (1784-1823). MARRIED first, by 1782, Mary
(?-by 1795), daughter of Emory Sudler (1725-
ca. 1797). MARRIED second, ca. 1795, Anna Maria
Garnett, who was still living in 1836. CHILDREN.
DAUGHTER: Juliana (1781-1807), who married in
1800 Richard Wayne, Jr. (1771-1822). PRIVATE
CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILI-
ATION: probably Anglican. SOCIAL STATUS AND
ACTIVITIES: Gent., by 1795; fourth generation
legislator. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: merchant; may
have been in business with his father and brother
Richard. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE:
Lower House, Kent County, 1782-1783. LOCAL
OFFICES: justice, Kent County, appointed on No-
vember 17, 1779, but did not qualify; justice, Or-
phans' Court, Kent County, appointed on No-
vember 17, 1779, but did not qualify; collector of
the tax, Kent County, at least 1781. MILITARY
SERVICE: captain, Flying Camp, August 17, 1776;
major. ADDITION AL COMMENT: On March 25, 1836,
the treasurer of the Western Shore agreed to pay
Anna Maria Smyth one-half the pay of a major
during her widowhood provided she file a relin-
quishment of claim for any arrears due her late
husband. STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: sub-
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scriber to Washington College, Chestertown, 1783.
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY:
assessed value £745.10.0, including 16 slaves and
40 oz. plate, 1783. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 1,110
acres in Kent County and probably 1 lot in Ches-
tertown (505 acres from his grandfather; 285 acres
of his brother William's land, which he owned
jointly with his father; 320 acres through mar-
riage). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN
FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: Owned 260 acres of
his brother Richard's land by 1794, which he sold
that same year; purchased his insolvent father's
house and lot in Chestertown in 1795, but resold
it in 1796. He sold one other lot in Chestertown
in 1792. In 1785 and 1795 he sold the 285 acres
that he owned with his father and the 250 acres
of land acquired through his marriage. WEALTH
AT DEATH. DIED: on January 3, 1807. LAND: prob-
ably ca. 575 acres in Kent County.
SOMERVELL (SOMERVILLE), ALEXANDER
(1734-1783). BORN: on August 9, 1734, in Christ
Church Parish, Calvert County; youngest son.
NATIVE: second generation. RESIDED: in Calvert
County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Dr. James
Somervell (ca. 1692-1751), a physician who stud-
ied at the University of Edinburgh. He was cap-
tured by the English at the Battle of Sheriff Muir
in 1715 and transported to America ca. 1716 in
the ship Good Speed. MOTHER: Sarah (?-1755),
daughter of Thomas Howe and wife Rebecca
Mauldin. James and Sarah were married on Jan-
uary 1, ca. 1722. She was his second wife. BROTH-
ERS: John (1726-1763), a merchant of Calvert
County; James (1731-1773), a merchant, of Cal-
vert County, who married Susannah, daughter of
Gideon Dare and wife Susanna Parrott Parker.
SISTER: Rebecca (1724-?), who married Jesse
Bourne of Calvert County. NEPHEW. John So-
mervell (1756-by 1830). MARRIED on December
2, 1759, Rebecca (1741-1812), daughter of Wil-
liam Dawkins (?-1746/47) and wife Dorcas
Mackall. Her sisters were Elizabeth; Ann; Dor-
cas; and Barbara, who married Brian Taylor.
CHILDREN. SONS: Thomas (1760-?); William (1763-
?), who married in 1795 Elizabeth W. Ireland.
DAUGHTER: Rebecca (1765-1837), who married
in 1786 James Duke (1765-1825). PRIVATE CA-
REER. EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIA-
TION: Anglican, Christ Church Parish, Calvert
County. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Esq., by
1778. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: planter; possibly
merchant. Somervell inherited a warehouse from
his brothers. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERV-
757
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