|
|
County. MARRIED first, Mary. MARRIED second,
Elizabeth. She subsequently married ca. 1664
Thomas Wynn. CHILDREN. SON: Philip. DAUGH-
TERS: Elizabeth; Grace. PRIVATE CAREER. EDU-
CATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Cath-
olic. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: called servant
of Leonard Calvert (ca. 1606-1647), but probably
his assistant, 1644; left Maryland briefly with Cal-
vert in 1646 and then assisted him in regaining
the province; steadily acquired property after 1653;
Mr., by 1650. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: planter.
PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower
House, St. Mary's Hundred, St. Mary's County,
1658, St. Mary's County, 1662. LOCAL OFFICES:
justice, St. Mary's County, 1658-1662; sheriff,
St. Mary's County, 1662-1663. WEALTH DURING
LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: ca. 850 acres
in St. Mary's and Charles counties. SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND
DEATH: acquired 500 acres in Charles County.
WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: will probated on Sep-
tember 5, 1663, in St. Mary's County. LAND: ca.
1,350 acres in St. Mary's and Charles counties.
WILLIAMS, ELISHA (1735-?). BORN: in 1735
in Prince George's (later became part of Fred-
erick) County; probably fourth son. NATIVE: at
least second generation. RESIDED: in Sugarland
Hundred, Frederick (later became part of Mont-
gomery) County, 1776. FAMILY BACKGROUND.
FATHER: Thomas Williams (1693-1749) of Prince
George's County, son of Baruch Williams and
wife Eleanor Hilleary. MOTHER: Eleanor Prather
(ca. 1699-after 1749), daughter of Thomas Prather
and wife Martha Sprigg, stepdaughter of (first
name unknown) Yoakley of Charles County. UN-
CLE: John Smith Prather (1706-1763). BROTHERS:
Walter; William (probably by 1732-1769), who
married Barbara (surname unknown); Thomas
(1748-1785), Prince George's County tax collec-
tor, commissioned in 1776 as a colonel of the 25th
Battalion of Prince George's County; and Bar-
men, who married Lucy Sprigg. SISTERS: Martha;
Elizabeth; Elinor, who married Richard Duckett;
and Mary. MARRIED by 1759 Ann (1736-after
1778). CHILDREN. SONS: John (1762-?); Thomas
(1764-?); Jarred (1766-?); and Elisha (1770-?).
DAUGHTERS: Hazel (1758-?); Mary (1759-?); and
Martha (1773-?). PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION.
literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican, Prince
George's Parish, Frederick (later Montgomery)
County. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent.,
by 1778. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: carpenter in
1761; planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERV-
|
ICE: 9th Convention, Frederick County, 1776
(election voided on August 15, 1776, because the
Frederick County election judges were appointed
by a county commission contrary to the resolves
of the 8th Convention; subsequently reelected and
seated); Lower House, Montgomery County, 1777,
1777-1778. LOCAL OFFICE: justice, Montgomery
County, appointed 1777, 1778. MILITARY SERV-
ICE, captain, Seventh Regiment, commissioned
December 10, 1776, resigned November 28, 1778.
STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: signed a pe-
tition ca. 1758 as a member of Prince George's
Parish in Frederick County requesting an act to
divide the parish; contributed £600.0.0 in Sep-
tember 1776 to raise militia for a company in the
Lower District of Frederick County, subscribed
an additional £150.0.0 in January 1777. WEALTH
DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 719
acres in Frederick (later became Montgomery)
County. Patented in the early 1760s ca. 1,561
acres (including ca. 303 acres, half of a tract he
held with his brother), and purchased 341 acres.
Subsequently sold 1,183 acres in moderate sized
tracts with nearly all of the transactions being
concluded in the 1760s. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN
LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: sold
at least 657 acres in Montgomery County, 1778.
WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: after 1778; size of estate
unknown. ADDITIONAL COMMENT: By November
1778, Elisha had sold virtually all of his land and
does not appear again in Maryland records. There
is a strong possibility that he may have joined
other family members out of the state. His cousin,
Thomas Prather, settled in Louisville, Kentucky,
and became a merchant by 1794; Prather became
known for his philanthropies and is said to have
been one of the first millionaires of his time. An
uncle, Philip Prather, settled in Guilford County,
North Carolina, in 1756.
WILLIAMS, JOHN (1739-1797). BORN: on May
28, 1739, in Coventry Parish, Somerset County;
eldest son. NATIVE, at least second generation.
RESIDED: in Great Annamessex Hundred, Som-
erset County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Capt.
John Williams, Sr., (?-1760) of Somerset County.
MOTHER: Elizabeth Polk (?-1775). BROTHERS:
Josiah (1742-?); Benjamin (1747-?); Jacob; and
Samuel. SISTERS: Priscilla (1733/34-?), who mar-
ried in 1762 Samuel Curtis; Mary (1736/37-?),
who married by 1760 William Polk; and Hannah,
who married by 1760 (first name unknown) Hirm-
erson (Hermison, Harman). FIRST COUSIN: Wil-
liam Strawbridge (?-by 1796). MARRIED Eliza-
891
|
|
