Talk:Belair Mansion (Bowie, Maryland)/Archive 1

Early history of the plantation.
I realize that this is not the major focus of the article, but some of the dates are incorrect, e.g., Henry Ridgely died in 1710 rather than 1698. According to other sources, he married Mary Duvall in 1695. Susan Chambless (talk) 18:19, 7 June 2013 (UTC)

Henry Ridgely emigrated to Maryland in June 1659. He had spent certainly a brief period of time in Virginia, where he courted Elizabeth Howard, usually stated to be a daughter of Matthew Howard, Sr., who was in Lower Norfolk County before coming up to the Severn with the non-conformists around 1649.

Ships sailing from European ports for Maryland invariably docked in Virginia to discharge cargo before sailing up the Chesapeake for Maryland ports. Thus emigrants for Maryland had the opportunity of spending some days in that Colony.

Henry Ridgely was of sufficient affluence to finance his passage and at the same time to cover the costs for four servants as well as his betrothed. In 1660 he received 5 lbs. tobacco by vote of the Assembly for some undisclosed public service. It was not until September 19, 1664, that he demanded land for his transportation into the Province and the transporting of his wife, Elizabeth Howard.

Children of Henry and Elizabeth Ridgely 1. Capt. Henry Ridgely, III, born Oct. 3, 1669. 2. Sarah Ridgely Brewer Odall [Odell].

In 1661 Henry Ridgely and James Warner, a neighbor of South River Hundred, received jointly a warrant for 600 acres of land which they called "Waldridge" on the north side of the South River which bordered the plantation "Broome."

The ability of Henry Ridgely was first recognized in 1679 when he was commissioned as Justice of the Peace for Anne Arundel. There are records of his serving in 1686, 1692 and 1696. In 1692 he was elected a delegate to the General Assembly from Anne Arundel County and continued to sit in the Lower House of the Legislative body through 1695.

In 1689 he received his first appointment as a commissioned officer of the Provincial Forces with the grade of captain "to regulate affairs of the militia." He was later promoted to "Major of the foot" and in 1697 it was ordered that "Major Henry Ridgely be Commissioned Lieutenant Collonell for Ann Arundel County" and that Captain John Hammond be appointed Major "in his stead." On June 4, 1697, Lieutenant Colonel Ridgely was ordered by the Governor and Council to execute an "Ordr dated 28 May last past." On November 26, 1697, he was ordered to raise 45 men in his county for defence. On April 15, 1698, he was asked to be relieved from his military duties "being aged & infirm."

Before August 9, 1695, Colonel Ridgely married the widow of Mareen Duvall who was Duvall's third or fourth wife but who had no issue by him. On that date Colonel Henry Ridgely had the High Sheriff of Anne Arundel County issue citations against John Duvall who had been granted letters of administration after his step-mother, Mary Duvall, had refused the executorship. In some manner Colonel Ridgely acquired the executorship and denounced the original appraisement of the personal estate.

The original value of the personal estate of Mareen Duvall as taken on February 14, 1694/5 was £948/5/8 plus 81,302 lbs. tobacco. Colonel Ridgely and his wife, Mary, filed an account on the estate on May 15, 1699, when most of the £948 and many pounds of tobacco had vanished. Mareen Duvall the Younger petitioned the court to appoint his brother, John Duvall, his guardian as "his mother-in-law [step-mother] with whom he doth live do take little care for his proficiency in learning and lesser of his plantation for his future good."

In September 1698, Henry Ridgely bought of Robert Carvile, of St. Mary's County, the plantation "Catton" in Prince George's County one mile from the west side of the north branch of the Patuxent River and bordering on the land of John Llewellyn, Gent. January 28, 1702/3, being a residence of Prince George's County, he bought of Thomas Larkin of Anne Arundel for £130 "Larkin's His Forrest." On March 8, 1702/3, Colonel Henry Ridgely, styled Merchant, bought of Robert Tyler, Gent., "Mary's Delight," of 500 acres, being a portion of "Darnall's Grove" in Prince George's County. On the same day Colonel Ridgely and Robert Tyler sold to Thomas Ricketts, of Anne Arundel, Planter, for £120 "Ridgely's and Tyler's Chance" in Prince George's adjoining "Willson's Plaines" now in possession of Mareen Duvall, Jr., beginning at the north west corner tree of a plantation laid out for Lewis Duvall which was also a portion of the aforesaid plantation.

On March 7, 1699/00, styled "Gent." for natural love and fatherly affections he deeded his son, Henry, "Broome" of 220 acres lying on the north side of South River and on the west side of Broad Creek and also 200 acres of "Waldridge" as well as "Ridgely" likewise on the north side of South River.

On June 8, 1703, being domiciled in Prince George's County he deeded to David Mackelfresh, Innholder, for £10 "Ridgely's Lot" in London Town on the south side of South River. He further disposed of his holdings in Anne Arundel County on November 9, 1705, when he sold to William Jones, sawyer, for £45 his grist mill with house and dam known as Proctor's Mill at the head of Broad Creek running out of South River. And on April 20, 1706, he deeded to Charles Carroll for £5 a lot at the port of Annapolis.

His will was written on April 30, 1705, in the presence of Richard Duckett, John Ratenbury, Thomas Renolds and Lewis Duvall, but was not probated in Prince George's County until July 13, 1710.

The wealth of Colonel Henry Ridgely eclipsed that of Mareen Duvall. The appraised value of his personal estate was £2,298/16/4 plus 5,167 lbs. tobacco. The effects had been appraised by Lewis Duvall and Robert Wheeler and manifested amply the ease and wealth of the Maryland gentry of that period. His wearing apparel was valued at £68/16/6 and the silver plate at £94. No seal or coat-of-arms was listed. Among the items were 24 pictures, a library of books, and 12 wax images in glass.

The inventory was taken room by room and displayed a ground plan with a hall, middle room, porch, parlour and kitchen – the latter presumably detached from the house. The second floor had a porch chamber, a parlour chamber and a hall chamber. There was a chamber over the kitchen, and as there was a cellar and cellar room, it is assumed that it ran under the mansion house. There was also an arbour in the garden. The out houses were: ye store house, ye wash house, ye pantry, ye milk house, ye quarters, ye small house, ye barn; Mingo's quarters, and Dick's quarters. An additional inventory was returned on November 15, 1710, appraised at £279/14/11. There were 31 Negro slaves.

Before 1712 Madam Duvall-Ridgely married the Rev. Jacob Henderson, a priest of the Church of England, and rector of Queen Anne's Parish. He was junior to her by several years.

—Anne Arundel Gentry: A Genealogical History of Some Early Families of Anne Arundel County, Maryland by Harry Wright Newman


 * It looks like there are two Henry Ridgelys, the father the immigrant referred to as Henry Ridgely who diedl in 1699 and the son, referred to Colonel Henry Ridgley. It was Colonel Henry Ridgely that married Mary.  See page 106.
 * Toddst1 (talk) 19:28, 7 June 2013 (UTC)

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