Will of Philip THOMAS (1674) Anne Arundel County, Maryland This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives Stella Cotrill ************************************************************************ USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. ************************************************************************************************* *********************************************************************************************** *********************************************************************************************** " WILL OF PHILIP THOMAS " *************** ANN ARUNDEL COUNTY, Maryland 9th September,1674. 10th July, 1675 *********************************************************************************************** To sons, Philip and Samuel and their heirs 500 acres. "The Clifts" in Calvert County, equally. Daughter Martha, 3 grandchildren, viz.: Mary, daughter of John Meers, Philip and Elizabeth, children of William Cole, and to the Quakers personalty, 5 children, viz.: Philip, Samuel, Sarah, Elizabeth and Martha, personalty, equally. Wife, Sarah, execx, and residuary legatee of estate including 120 acres "Fuller's Point," Ann Arundel County, and 1200 acres, "The Plains," on Patapsco River, Baltimore County, the latter tract to pass to son, Samuel aforesaid. ************ Test: Jno. Ricks. Marmaduke Noble. ************************************************************************************************ Zimmerman, Waters, and Allied Families, Page 59 *********************************************************************************************** PHILIP THOMAS. Arms. Thomas, London--"Ar, a chevron or and sa, betw three ravens close of the last. Crest. On a branch of a tree lying fessways (at the dexter end some sprigs vert) a raven, wings expanded sa."(*) An interesting figure in the family line is Philip Thomas, the grandfather of Sarah Arnold, second wife of Samuel Waters, Sr. (Jericoe, 1696.) The "Thomas Book" contains a long account of him and of his supposed descent from Sir Rhys ap Thomas, and for this descent, I refer my readers to that book. But I give an abridged account of our ancestor for the benefit of those of the family, who may not have access to it. "Philip Thomas of the mercantile house of Thomas and Devonshire at Bristol, Eng., was son of Evan Thomas of Glamorganshire, Wales, born 1580, died 1650. This was the earliest ancestor of the family of whom there is documentary proof." . . . Philip Thomas in 1651 removed to the Province of Maryland, and the earliest land patent in his name, dated Feb. 19th, 1651/2, conveys to him 500 acres of land called 'Beakeley' or 'Beckly' on the west side of Chesapeake Bay " in consideration that he hath in the year 1651 transplanted himself, Sarah his wife, Philip, Sarah and Elizabeth, his children, into our province.'" He would appear to have come directly from Bristol to Maryland. Between 1658 and 1661 he had patented to him 100 acres called 'Thomas Towne,'1665 a patent of 120 acres called 'Fullers Poynt' in 1668 a patent of 300 acres called 'The Planes' and numerous other patents of unnamed tracts. This land lay mostly in Ann Arundel County near what is now known as West River. Fullers Poynt between the Severn and South Rivers is now called Thomas Point and is the site of a lighthouse. A man of character and resolution, the emigrant soon acquired influence among his neighbors and affiliating himself with the Puritan party, he became one of the leaders in the conflict with Lord Baltimore, the Proprietary, and his representatives in the Province. When Cromwell and the Parliamentary party were supreme in England their sympathizers in Maryland broke out in open rebellion (under Colonel Richard Bennett) and Philip Thomas with a commission as Lieutenant was of the muster in Ann Arundel County, Md. After the surrender of the Governors party to the revolutionists, Philip Thomas, Mar. 20th, 1656/7 was appointed one of the six High Commissioners of the Provincial Court, the father of his son-in-law, John Mears, being another. When Oliver Cromwell ordered them to restore the government to the Proprietary he was one of the Commissioners to make the surrender, which was effected Mar. 24, 1658/9. After this he does not seem to have taken an active part in the political affairs of the Province." In April, 1672, George Fox, the founder of the Society of Friends arrived in Maryland,landing at the Patuxent just in time to reach a "very large meeting and held for four days to which besides Friends came many other people divers of whom were of considerable quality in the world's account." He remained in America until after the next "general meeting" at West River which commenced May 3rd, 1673 and lasted four days. In describing this meeting he says, "divers of considerable account in the government and many others were present, who were generally satisfied and many of them reached, for it was a wonderful glorious meeting." It is probable from the tenor of Philip Thomas's will, that he was one of those "reached" by George Fox as were a number of his family whose names are enrolled upon the early records of the Society of Friends. It is certain that the wife of Philip Thomas became a Quakeress and a preacher. Further on, the writer gives an extract of his will. " The clause making the 'body of Quakers' a final court of appeal in the event of any dispute concerning its provisions was a common clause amongst the Society of Friends." Philip Thomas**** married in England, Sarah Harrison, who died in 1687. ************************************************************************* The following pedigree is from the "Visitation" of London, Volume I,353: ************************************************************************* Michael Harrison, of the County of Lancaster, came & lived at Kendall, County,Westmoreland. Christopher Harrison, of London,=Eliza, da.of Tho. Cooke, of merchant Taylor.Wakefield,in Com. Yorke. Edmund Harrison, of London,=Jane, eldest da. of Thomas embrotherer to or late sou- Godfrey, of Sellinge in Kent, eraigne King James and now Esq. King Charles ao 1634. Godfrey Harrison, Sonne and heire. Sarah Harrison. Arms.--Harrison, Atcliffe, Co. Lancaster, and Elkinton, Co. Northampton, granted 10th Sept.,1616. Or, on a cross az, five pheons of the field. Crest.--An arm vested az, purfled or, cuffed ar, holding in the hand a broken dart ppr pheoned gold. Burke's General Armory. The children of the marriage of Philip Thomas and Sarah Harrison were: Philip, born in England. Sarah, born in England, married in 1672, John, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Mears; both died in 1675. Elizabeth, born in England, married first William Coale, second Edward Talbot; she died in 1726. Martha,born in Maryland after 1651;married after 1672,Richard Arnell or Arnold,who died in 1684. Samuel, born 1655; married May 15th, 1688, Mary, daughter of Francis Hutchins of Calvert County. The children of Richard Arnold and Martha Thomas were: Samuel, died young. Elizabeth, born 1682; married first Jacob Giles, second Thomas Hawkins. Sarah, married Samuel Waters, Sr. (of "Jericoe"). The following extract from the Land Records of Ann Arundel County will be of interest: "Into court came Samuel Waters of Ann Arundel Co., in Right of his Wife, Sarah, one of the Coheiresses of Rich'd Arnold, late of Ann Arundel Co decd, claimed a Title to 50 acres of Land being a moyety of 100 acres wh the s'd Richard Arnold purchased of Thomas Pratt who was the Grantee of John Cumber the Original Purchaser of 600 acres called Cumberstone." Apparently Samuel Waters appeared in court in 1705-6. ********************************************************************************************* ********************************************************************************************