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Studies in Primary Sources of the Lower Eastern Shore: Inventories of Somerset County, MD 1666-1720 A Locator Index With User Introduction by Edward F. Jones Salisbury University The Edward H. Nabb Research Center For Delmarva History and Culture 1101 Camden Ave. Salisbury, MD 21801 (410) 543-6312 http://nabbhistory.salisbury.edu ACKNOWLEDGMENT This work has been undertaken for two purposes. First, it is intended to encourage a greater understanding of the colonial period in old Somerset County, Maryland. By examining the list of inventories an economic view of this early period emerges. Through further study of this list, the impact of slavery and indentured servitude surfaces. Secondly, this publication is intended as a help to those in search of their family roots. The compiler would like to express a debt of gratitude and thanks to George Gering and Barry Neville, instructors at SSU, for their research that allowed this work to emerge. An expression of thanks to Rebecca Miller, Director of the Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture, for help in the transcription of names and for her words of encouragement. Dr. G. Ray Thompson, chair of the history deparment at SSU, offered a voice support and ever helpful advice as the progress of this work was undertaken. Edward F. Jones Jr. Lecturer of History Salisbury State University Salisbury, MD August 22, 1996 LOCATOR INDEX TO SOMERSET COUNTY, MARYLAND INVENTORIES 1666 - 1720 Inventories provide a listing of possessions that an individual has accrued over a lifetime. Upon one's death an inventory was taken of all possessions within the property. The purpose of these inventories was to allow creditors the opportunity to find out if the estate could cover any outstanding debts the recently deceased person possibly owed. The inventory also allowed for the person who inherited the possessions of the deceased to find out what the inheritance brought to their own personal property and, more importantly, the debt that passed on by the deceased to his heirs. The inheritor of the estate was also responsible for any debt owed by the deceased. For the researcher, inventories provide an enormous amount of information that provide specific details of a persons life. The details provided by the inventories also include numerous infonnation other than just an individual's personal possessions. Researchers can ascertain the approximate time of death of an individual. Inventories provide the next of kin and sometimes list the wife. The inventories will list the executor; many times the duty is carried out by a wife, son, or brother. The names in the inventories provide additional clues to unknown family members. Also included are the appraisers of the inventory, usually leading members of the particular county. The appraisers are important in the inventory process as these people described and assigned values to the inhabitants' possessions. It is the appraisers upon whom the researcher relies to provide detailed infonnation. The process of taking an inventory was quite subjective and, as with any appraisal, some appraisers were better than others in providing details. The appraiser may have also undervalued the estate to benefit of surviving members of the family. These details become quite apparent when the appraisers describe indentured servants and slaves, both of whom were listed as property. Either or both groups may be found listed with livestock or at the end of the inventory. Both indentured servants and slaves were highly valued. The slave, however, was by far and away the most valued property. Within the inventories it is not uncommon to find slaves valued at forty to sixty percent of an individual's wealth. The appraiser may give the names and ages of the slaves and servants or just group them all together and assign a value. When these people are grouped together researchers lose out, these people are lost to us historically. The inventory gives a listing of all possessions of an individual. The condition of the possessions are many times described and the material culture of the time may be ascertained. Inventories illuminate the lifestyle of the colonial people. They tell us something about the way colonists lived, what they ate, how they dressed, what, if anything they read. The inventory tells us about the comparative wealth of the inhabitants of the county. How the inventories were valued provide an analysis to exactly what wealth meant, an economic window into the life of the inhabitants opens for us to view. The earliest inventories were valued in pounds of tobacco . As colonial wealth increased so did the way inventories were valued. Later the estate was appraised in pounds sterling currency of England or the province of Maryland. What follows is a listing of all inhabitants who left inventories in colonial Somerset County, in the period of 1666 - 17 20. Worcester County inhabitants are also included as it did not become i independent until 1742. The following sources were used to piece together all the inviduals who left inventories. Within the lists the terms Liber/Folio gives the book the inventory is found (Liber) and the page within the book (Folio). SOURCES LIBER DESCRIPTION BOOK V2 - VS MD Prerogative Court Testamentary Proceedings volume 2 thru 5 1657-1678 WB3 MD Prerogative Court Will Books 1 - 39C MD Prerogative Court Inventories li - 7i MD Prerogative Court Inventories AW MD Somerset County Judicial Records EB14 MD Somerset County Inventories JW15 MD Worcester County Inventories Aside from the listing of the book and page number the following information is given; DATE - The first piece of information is the date the inventory was appraised. The inventories are arranged in chronological order. NAMES - The name is given using the first name then last name. The spellings have been given as they appear in the inventory. ESTATE - There are two types of values given, the first with the number sign# the estate is valued in pounds of tobacco, the other value without the sign gives the value in British currency or pound sterling. SL - The number of slaves found in the inventory. IS - The number of indentured servants found in the inventory. ii Date Liber/Folio Name Estate SL IS 07/30/66 V2.204 James Barnaby --/--/66 V2.116 Marke Minshall #25999 11/20/67 A W70/7 l.13 9 William Baiss #16110 07/15/68 V3.23 John Nutthall 624.00.06 14 1 09/20/68 V3.226 Thomas Hussman --/--/-- V3.13 Henry Sewall #4710 03/22/72 V5.286 John Molson #8960 --/--/74 1.183 John Westlock #946 01/15/75 1.585 Thomas Winfield #6030 02/22/75 4.250 John Teague #4050 08/18/75 1.475 William Morgan #2370 01/23/76 3.119 Thomas Shills #20537 2 03/04/76 3.37 Samuel Dickison #1650 03/31/76 2.102 William Lucas #1142 04/29/76 2.99 William Keene #9302 12/15/76 3.121 Richard Ackworth #79354 3 04/24/77 4.127 William Caswell 70.17.05 07/27/77 4.550 James Nicholson 2 10/22/77 5.160 Nicholas Hudson #8874 12/04/77 4.545 James & Sarah Jones #64352 --/--/77 4.272 Henry Boston #64094 1 Date Liber/Folio Name Estate SL IS --/--/77 4.311 Thomas Stone 5 2 02/25/78 6.654 Samuel Jones #10424 04/04/78 5.278 John Markham #2020 04/20/78 EB14.236 David & Jane Williams #10793 6.1 II II II 04/30/78 5.329 Nicholas Rice #94660 3 7 6.354 II II 04/13/79 6.502 Nathaniel Parsons #2113 05/16/79 6.498 John Paramore, Sr. 07/01/79 6.247 Samuel Boston 08/25/79 6.138 Robert Hardy #7470 12/09/79 6.546 William Wilson #2409 03/11/80 7B.147 Daniel Curtis Capt. #21672 1 06/13/80 7A.194 David Dale #6923 07/23/80 7A.313 Ambrose Dixon #44452 3 11/15/80 7A.319 Stephen Bond #11201 02/13/81 7C.271 Robert Ridgely #24828 3 04/06/81 7B.98 Thomas Walker Capt. 2 6 9.279 II II 09.07.05 addition 11/19/81 7C.298 David Lensey #10600 1 2 Date Liber/Folio Name Estate SL IS --/--/-- EB14.238 George Johnson 32.02.03 8.36 II " 03/10/82 8.32 Charles Ballard 495.02.05 5 7 08/02/82 8.259 Edward Dickerson 10.15.09 10/09/82 8.263 Thomas Fields #6568 09/15/84 8.152 Robert Richardson 268.17.04 2 3 11/24/84 8.326 William Innis Sr. 126.16.00 12/20/84 EB14.239 Andrew Jones 164.07.09 4 3 8.343 " " 9.11 " " --/--/84 8.179 Thomas Evandon 89.13.06 01/27/85 9.26 John Waller Sr. 70.19.04 07/12/85 EB14.242 John Evans 220.00.02 2 5 9.93 II II 08/22/85 EB14.241 William Furnace 201.12.11 1 8.423 " " 01/13/86 10.16 Thomas Profitt 41.03.00 06/02/86 9.34 Edward Furlong 92.15.05 07/06/86 9.116 John Truman 07/09/86 9.46 William Cannady #4433 08/29/86 9.113 Edward Stevens 36.09.04 3 Date Liber/Folio Name Estate SL IS 09/20/86 9.185 John White 199.05.11 3 3 A W90/9 l.130 " " 08/30/86 9.187 Henry Haimond -------- 12/08/86 9.279 Hierome Batty 26.05.03 --/--/86 9.329 Archbold Ereskin 85.12.06 1 02/27/87 10.13 Edward Smith 171.06.05 3 1 03/18/87 9.333 Alexander Innis 12.02.09 ,, 9.449 " 03/28/87 9.256 Peter Parson 60.12.05 1 05/24/87 9.336 William Elgate 80.10.05 1 06/02/87 9.336 RondclefRevell Sr. 35.01.05 2 08/12/87 9.428 Roger Patrick 26.16.02 08/19/87 9.456 Edward Smith Jr. 62.07.07 1 09/24/87 9.447 John Shipway 33.12.06 --/--/87 9.440 Thomas Carey --/--/87 9.446 Cornelius Johnson 51.18.04 01/21/88 10.15 Henry Bishop 47.09.04 1 04/17/88 10.12 William Walton 89.09.02 06/28/88 10.16 Katherine Ravell 30.05.00 1 --/--/88 10.56 William Stevens 766.10.05 10 3 07/19/88 10.173 John Clarke 08.08.00 4 Date Liber/Folio Name Estate SL IS 08/02/88 10.104 N athaniell Dougherty 66.13.06 08/10/88 10.76 Robert Wilson 113.11.00 2 08/10/88 10.100 John Murphy 23.11.00 08/10/88 10.100 John Sterry 41.00.00 08/13/88 10.100 Thomas Osborne 43.00.00 08/14/88 EB14.250 Ambrose Dixon 326.03.00 11 1 10.98 " " 08/28/88 10.109 Thomas Cottingham 98.11.07 09/30/88 10.97 Edward Watkins 05.17.06 10/01/88 10.141 Alexander Addison 28.12.03 10/16/88 JW15.1 John Roberts 76.05.08 10.133 " " 11/05/88 EB14.247 Thomas Willin 54.09.09 10.142 " " 11/10/88 EB14.248 Samuel Jackson 11/10/88 EB14.246 Jenkin Moris 40.11.10 10.143 " " 11/19/88 JW15 .3 Ann Smith 70.00.00 1 10.138 " " AW91/92.40 " " 76.12.00 11/30/88 EB14.247 William Hathley 34.19.09 5 Date Liber/Folio Name Estate SL IS 03/19/89 A W89/90.122 Joseph Freeman #8665 10/02/89 8.263 Thomas Fields 02/03/90 AW91/92.79 Thomas Profitt 55.04.07 02/04/90 AW91/92.73 Isaac Noble 73.05.04 04/19/90 AW91/92.9 James Price 40.04.06 05/27/90 AW91/92.45 William Colebourne 255.05.06 5 06/02/90 AW91/92.12 Oney McClemmy 29.07.00 07/10/90 JW15.8 Jonathon Towers 39.01.09 13A.334 ti ti 07/17/90 AW91/92.22 Samuel Cropper 23.04.00 2 07/21/90 AW91/92.20 William Jones 70.01.11 11/15/90 13A.198 John Cropper 96.19.06 1 3 AW90/91.7 " " 11/28/90 AW91/92.92 Alexander Holland 07.11.06 --/--/90 AW91/92.82 Richard Drittam 02/03/91 AW91/92.118 Edward Beauchamp 14.11.00 08/08/91 AW91/92.99 Benjamin Keyser 44.11.00 08/22/91 AW91/92.97 Josiah Seaward 75.15.04 3 11/09/91 A W91/92.123 John Galbraith 175.08.06 1 11/14/91 A W9I/92.173 William Hearn 244.17.00 9 03/07/92 10.304 Mathew Dorman 39.14.10 6