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ICE: Lower House, Calvert County, 1773-1774;
Conventions, Calvert County, 1st, 1774 (ap-
pointed, but did not attend), 3rd, 1774, 5th, 1775,
6th-8th, 1775-1776; Lower House, Calvert
County, 1777 (elected to the 1st session of the
1777 Assembly to fill vacancy), 1777-1778 (re-
signed during the 3rd session of the 1777-1778
Assembly). LOCAL OFFICES: sheriff, Calvert
County, 1769-1772; justice, Calvert County,
commissioned 1773; collector of gold and silver
coin, Calvert County, appointed 1776; commis-
sioner of the tax, Calvert County, commissioned
1779, 1781, 1782, and 1783; Christ Church Parish
Vestry, by 1781-1782. MILITARY SERVICE, en-
sign, by November 11, 1757; lieutenant colonel,
Calvert County Militia, elected January 6, 1776,
resigned December 19, 1776. In 1765 Somervell
received £20.0.0 currency from the Lower House
for his services in the French and Indian War.
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY:
assessed value £879.7.6, including 28 slaves and
3 oz. plate, Lower Cliffs and St. Leonard Creek
Hundreds, Calvert County, 1782. LAND AT FIRST
ELECTION: 394 acres and a half of a lot and ware-
house in St. Leonard's Creek Town, Calvert
County (inherited 294 acres and the half interest
in a lot and warehouse). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES
IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH:
acquired 96 acres in Calvert County and the other
half of the lot and warehouse in St. Leonard's
Creek Town. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: in 1783 in
Calvert County; size of estate unknown. ADDI-
TIONAL COMMENTS. in the tax assessment of 1783,
Somervell's widow was charged with 490 acres in
Calvert County and 1 lot and warehouse in St.
Leonard's Creek Town. Her personal property
had an assessed value of £1,018.50 (including 27
slaves and 3 oz. plate).
SOMERVELL (SOMERVILLE), JOHN (1756-
by 1830). BORN: on May 15, 1756, in Christ Church
Parish, Calvert County; eldest son. NATIVE, third
generation. RESIDED: in Christ Church Parish (later
became the 2nd District), Calvert County. FAM-
ILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: James Somervell (1731-
1773), a merchant of Calvert County. MOTHER:
Susannah, daughter of Gideon Dare and wife Su-
sanna Parrott Parker. UNCLE: Alexander Somer-
vell (1734-1783). BROTHERS: Howe (1762-?);
Capt. James (1758-1815) of Prince George's
County, who married in 1783 Ann Magruder,
daughter of Thomas Truman (?-1777) of Prince
George's County. SISTERS: Susannah; Sarah (1760-
?). PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RELI-
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GIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican, Christ Church Par-
ish, Calvert County. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIV-
ITIES: Esq., by 1790. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE:
probably planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE
SERVICE: Lower House, Calvert County, 1789,
1802. LOCAL OFFICES: assessor, Hunting Creek
Hundred, Calvert County, 1782; justice, Calvert
County, commissioned 1787 (did not qualify), 1798,
and 1799; churchwarden, Christ Church Parish,
Calvert County, 1781-1782, 1797; Christ Church
Parish Vestry, Calvert County, 1782-1787, 1798-
1799, 1801-1807, 1810-1813, 1816-1818. WEALTH
DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed
value £217.0.0, including 2 slaves, 1783; 11 slaves,
1800; 26 slaves, 1810; 27 slaves, 1820. LAND AT
FIRST ELECTION: ca. 200 acres in Calvert County
(inherited from his father). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES
IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH:
acquired ca. 300 acres in Calvert County. WEALTH
AT DEATH. DIED: by 1830, probably in Calvert
County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: size of estate un-
known. LAND: ca. 500 acres in Calvert County.
SOMERVILLE, WILLIAM (1755-1806). BORN:
on December 25, 1755, in St. Mary's County.
NATIVE: second generation. RESIDED: in St. Mary's
County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: John So-
merville (?-1788), a merchant who immigrated
from Kennox in Ayreshire, England. After his
marriage he became a planter. MOTHER: Susanna,
daughter of George Clarke (ca. 1692-1753) and
wife Susanna Attaway. BROTHERS: John (1754-
1806), moved to North Carolina, who married in
1773 Mary, daughter of John Goodloe; George
Clarke (?-1791) of St. Mary's County, a physi-
cian, who never married. MARRIED first, in 1779,
his first cousin Elizabeth, daughter of William
Chesley and wife Anne Clarke. MARRIED second,
in 1788, Elizabeth (1770-1792), daughter of Col.
Vernon Hebb of St. Mary's County and wife Ann
Hopewell. Elizabeth was the granddaughter of
Hugh Hopewell of St. Mary's County and wife
Elizabeth. She was the niece of James Hopewell
(?-1817). Her brother was William. CHILDREN.
SONS. William Clarke (1790-1826), never mar-
ried; Henry Vernon (1792-1837), who married
in 1815 Rebecca Tiernan (1795-1863). DAUGH-
TER: Elizabeth (?-1802), who married in 1798
George Plater (?-1802), son of George Plater
(1735-1792) and wife Hannah Lee (?-1763). PRI-
VATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS
AFFILIATION: Anglican, St. Andrew's Parish, St.
Mary's County. OCCUPATION AL PROFILE: planter.
PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower
758
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