African Americans in Mid Maryland
website by Dorinda Davis Shepley
These are abstracts from Chancery Court Records of Frederick County, Maryland, located at Maryland State Archives in Annapolis.
[MdHR 17, 898-215A-1/4; Loc 1-35-5-35; dated 1784]
Injunction dissolved - (Docket 1794, Case #64).
Most of the file contains copies from a previous hearing.
Legh MASTERS is listed as from Annapolis in an agreement with
William BUCHANAN of Frederick County, dated 13 Jun 1770; sale
from Buchanan to Master included list of lands with houses,
outhouses, furnace, banks of ore, tenements, and mills.
Exception to the sale was household furniture and
SLAVES: three negro men, Bill, Caesar and Jack; one negro wench, Hess;
tenant then was Alexander McGEE.
In Aug 1787, bond was held for Buchanan by James CLARKE, Joseph Morgan
BOWEN and James SOMERVILL of Baltimore County.
Land - Robert’s Eden, Signature; same values maintained. (not recorded).
[MdHR 17, 898-834-1/5; Loc 1-36-1-1; dtd 22 Sep 1787] John THOMPSON d/ 5 Mar 1751, planter, will dtd 25 Sep 1748 (spelled Thomson) in province of MD ..widow – Yacomintye; leaving his children – …William THOMPSON b/ 11 Mar 1739 …Cornelius THOMPSON b/ 20 Mar 1741 …John THOMPSON b/ 13 Dec 1743 …Ann b/ 1 Sep 1746 (later m/ Angus McDONALD who died long before 1787) Numerous land was divided amongst all four children with his wife as executrix; witnesses were: William McKAY, Nicholas GARRETT and Mary MORFY. Land listed in Petition as John Thomson’s was Thompson’s Hop Yard, Derby Island, and Fair Island. Inventory of John Thompson dated 8 Aug 1751 listed as Negro slaves: Cate, Ben, Pegg, George, Peter and Nan. Also listed is James PEARRE as creditor with Mary PEARRE as nearest kin; and Christopher LOWNDES as creditor and Cornelius ELTING as nearest kin. Isaac ELTING was administrator of John THOMPSON’s estate but Isaac died 9 Jun 1756 (or 1 Oct 1756) leaving a will with Rudolph ELTING and Mary ELTING as executors. The will spelled the name as ELTINGE and was dated 18 Mar 1756 – ..widow, Mary and son, Cornelius (only child at writing of will but made provisions for others if be). Multitude of land tracts including: Darby Island, Mill Curn, Fair Island, Hills, Invention, Sinicor Foard (Seneca Ford?), Fortun, Mill Road, Isaac Eltinge, Eltinge Chains, Grubby Hill, and Partnership, all in Frederick County; and Frogg Island at mouth of Rock Creek. Mill is on land at Rock Creek that wife and Rodolphus ELTINGE as executors are asked to sell. Mentions sister, Elizabeth KERRIC and children of his deceased sister, Iacomintye THOMPSON, her children - ……………William, Cornelius, John and Anna. Witnesses: John KIMBOL, Thomas BEATTY Jr and William BARNS. Rudolph ELTING died 1 Sep 1760 leaving his widow, Sarah, as administrator as he had no will. Sarah ELTING took possession of all the property including that in trust for the children of John THOMPSON and received profits from it from the time of Rudolph’s death until about 1 Aug 1761 when she intermarried with Col. Josias CLAPHAM (also spelled CLAPPIN). And during this time, Mary ELTING intermarried with John CARY. Distribution of Isaac ELTING’s estate shows 1/3 to the widow; 1/3 to Elizabeth FERRIE, and the remaining 1/3 to the four Thompson heirs. On 26 May 1788, Commissioners of Montgomery County were appointed: Benjamin STODDART, William Hammond DORSEY, Charles WORTHINGTON and Thomas L. JOHNS. Copy of indenture for lease of 7 years for 600 pounds of tobacco yearly to Isaac ELTINGER, millar, by William TRACY, planter, both of Frederick County for Derby Island lying between Walter EVENS, Cornelius ELTINGER on Potomac River, witnessed by Rodof ELTINGER dated 2 Mar 1750. Isaac also had another indenture for lease dated 11 Mar 1751 with Thomas BREASTER, planter of Fairfax Co, Virginia. William JONES made agreement with Sarah ELTINGE for the plantation at the Mill on 17 Jul 1761. Zachariah ELLIS gave testimony at this time regarding Fair Island and walnut timber. Inventory of Isaac ELTINGER dated Jan 1758 included the following Negro slaves: Leach, Ann, Jack, Tom, Margaret, Hannah, Peter, Daw, Joe, Nann, Dinah, Cate and another Cate.
Philip Richard FENDALL vs Joseph Sim PATRICK Richard LEE, deceased, of Charles County Administrator was Philip Richard FENDALL of Alexandria, VA Patrick SIM was indebted to estate of Richard LEE and bill of sale was to be made by Sim for a 6-year-old bay gelding and all his slaves, some of which are named: John, Charles, Nat, MOSES, BILLY, JAMES, TOM, WILL, NAT s/o Billy, JACK s/o Nat, Nell, KATE, SAL, MARY, JENNY, HENNY, YOUNG HENNY, MAGDALEN, NANCY and BETT and all others in this possession. Patrick SIM executed bill of sale of Negroes to Joseph SIM and Patrick Sim SMITH with date of 6 May 1790. Fendall is disputing this document and advises it to be fraudulent as Patrick Sim was at Fendall’s house that day in Alexandria, Virginia and Joseph was in PG Co. (not recorded)
[MSA S 512-2808; MdHR 17, 898-2742-1/2; Loc 1/36/3/69 dtd 2 Aug 1799] Nicholas HAUER, Sr - Insolvency by Act of Assembly - Relief of Fundry advertised in Winter’s newspaper on 2 Aug 1799. On 5 Sep 1799, the following was listed as his property being sold - in Georgetown Lot# 91 (owed Peter MANTZ and William WISTER) Lots# 220, 15, 290, 62, 278, 279, 130, 205, 206 Molatto SLAVES - Watl and Charity (wife), and their children, Bet, Mill, Nich and Bet’s child Lot 2 and 13 in Middletown on Susquehana in Pennsylvania There was an enormous listing of his debtors and creditors; however, I found nothing to note any family relationships.
website by Dorinda Davis Shepley