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1, 2; Accounts 2). LOCAL OFFICES. St. Peter's Par-
ish Vestry, Talbot County, 1732-1735, 1758-1761,
possibly St. Michael's Parish Vestry, Talbot
County, 1742-1744, elected 1752; sheriff, Talbot
County, 1734-1736, 1748-1751; justice, Talbot
County, 1737-1748, 1751-at least 1759, ap-
pointed 1761 (county records not usable 1760-
1762), by 1762-1766 (quorum, 1741-1748, 1751-
at least 1759, appointed 1761, by 1762-1766).
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST ELEC-
TION: probably 945 acres in Talbot and Queen
Anne's counties (125 acres in Talbot County and
200 acres in Queen Anne's County acquired
through his marriage, probably 200 acres in Tal-
bot County from his father, remainder through
purchase). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BE-
TWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: Sold 200 acres
in Talbot County, 1740; received 235 acres in
Queen Anne's County as a gift from his mother,
1741; sold 117 acres of his wife's Queen Anne's
County land, 1744; purchased probably 55 acres
in Queen Anne's County in 1745 and sold it in
1752; purchased 50 acres in 1747, acquired 600
acres in 1748, and purchased ca. 73 acres in 1750,
all in Talbot County; sold 80 acres in Queen Anne's
County in 1755 and 280 acres in Talbot County
by 1756; by 1757 acquired at least 386 acres in
Talbot County through marriage to his second
wife, and established her life estate to this land
in 1765. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: in April 1767
in Talbot County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: will
mentioned 17 slaves and plate; sons were directed
by his will to pay £110.0.0 toward his outstanding
debts; no inventories or accounts found. LAND:
probably 1,208 acres in Talbot and Queen Anne's
counties, plus his wife's life estate in at least 386
acres in Talbot County. IDENTIFICATION PROB-
LEMS. It is possible that the Lower House service
for William Thomas in the 1762-1763 Assembly
should be attributed to his son William Thomas
(?-1789). William, Jr., however, had no further
legislative service. In addition, William, Sr., was
still serving as a county justice in the 1760s, and
he had served on the Committee on Arms and
Ammunition in earlier assemblies. As a result it
was determined probable that William, Sr., sim-
ply resumed his legislative career in the 1762-
1763 Assembly after a fourteen-year hiatus.
THOMAS, WILLIAM (1714-1795). BORN: in
1714, in Charles County; fourth son. NATIVE: fourth
generation. RESIDED: on "Deep Falls," near
Chaptico, St. Mary's County. FAMILY BACK-
GROUND. FATHER: John Thomas (1682-1757) of
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Charles County, a planter, son of James Thomas
(?-ca. 1701) and wife Teratia (Teresa). STEP-
MOTHER: by 1734, probably Anne, widow of Wil-
liam Atkinson. BROTHERS: John, who married
Mary Wilson; Leonard; and James. SISTERS: Jane
(?-by 1757), who married Edward Swann; Eliz-
abeth (?-by 1757), who married Benjamin Wood.
MARRIED by 1751 Elizabeth (ca. 1714-1808),
daughter of Thomas Reeves (?-ca. 1752) of St.
Mary's County and wife Mary. Her sister (first
name unknown) married Thomas Hobson. CHIL-
DREN. SONS: Maj. William (1758-1813), of St.
Mary's County, a member of the Lower House,
1791-1792, 1792, 1793, 1795, 1796, 1797, and the
Senate, 1804-1813, who married in 1782 Cath-
erine, daughter of Richard Boarman; Col. John
(?-by 1808) of Charles County, a member of the
Lower House from Charles County, 1793, 1794,
1795, 1796, 1797, who married Ann; George
Thomas (?-1789); and James (?-1781). DAUGH-
TER: Elizabeth (Betsy) (?-by 1808), who married
William Courts (ca. 1753-1792). PRIVATE CAREER.
EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: son
William served as an Anglican vestryman in All
Faith Parish, St. Mary's County, 1800. SOCIAL
STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., by 1767; Esq., by
1789. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: planter. PUBLIC
CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House, St.
Mary's County, 1760-1761 (elected to the 3rd
session of the 1758-1761 Assembly), 1768-1770
(Public Offices 2, 3; Grievances 3), 1771 (Public
Offices), 1777. MILITARY SERVICE, major, St.
Mary's County Militia, by 1754; attended as ad-
jutant, 25th Battalion, St. Mary's County Militia,
1776. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROP-
ERTY: wife inherited 4 slaves and two-thirds of
the personal estate of her father, 1752; 30 slaves,
1790; assessed value, St. Mary's County only,
£763.12.6, including 18 slaves and 24 oz. plate,
1793. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION. 688 acres in St.
Mary's and Charles counties (341 acres in St.
Mary's County through marriage, 19 acres in St.
Mary's County by patent, and 328 acres in Charles
County inherited from his father). SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND
DEATH: purchased 246 acres in St. Mary's County,
1764 and 1765; sold all his Charles County land,
1767; purchased 652 acres in St. Mary's County,
1767-1791; sold at least 598 acres to his son Wil-
liam, Jr., in 1791. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: on
March 25, 1795, in St. Mary's County; buried at
"Deep Falls," St. Mary's County. PERSONAL
PROPERTY: TEV, £5,020.9.9 current money (in-
cluding 48 slaves, 26 oz. plate, and more than 34
814
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