Thomas Sim Lee's property at Needwood, shown above, was just one of the homes to many generations of the former governor's offspring. His daughter, Elizabeth (1783-1862), settled close by with her husband, Outerbridge Horsey (1777-1842). Thomas Sim Lee's youngest son, John Lee (1788-1871), eventually built his own house at Needwood as well. John's married, Harriet Carroll, a relative of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, one of several times these two prominent Roman Catholic political families intermarried. Later, Mary Digges Lee, granddaughter of Thomas Sim Lee, and her husband S. L. Gouverneur established their home in the vicinity.      Right: Bible records of the Lee and Horsey families Click on image to view entire Bible Lee Bible Collection, MSA SC 5782

Old Horsey Whiskey Bottles and Crate James H. Bready Collection, MSA SC 5646

Outerbridge Horsey II (1819-1902) founded a distillery on the portion of Needwood he inherited from his father. Old Horsey, a Maryland rye whiskey, was produced by the Outerbridge Horsey Company, which began production in the 1840s. The company's whiskey was renowned for its aging process, in which barrels of whiskey were transported via ship around Cape Horn to San Francisco and then sent back to Maryland by the railroad. The items shown here were donated to the Maryland State Archives by James H. Bready, one of the foremost experts on the Maryland whiskey industry.

 

The inventory taken after the death of Outerbridge Horsey, below left, assessed his estate's value at $16,323.93; it included his farming utensils, horses and farm stock, furnishings, and 33 slaves.

Click to view entire document Inventory, Outerbridge Horsey, 1843 MSA C807		Silver coffee urn Thomas Sim Lee Courtesy of a private collection

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