A Brief Account of the Biddle Family of Maryland

PUBLICATIONS OF THE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA. MARCH, 1930. Vol. XI. No. 1. A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE BIDDLE FAMILY OF MARYLAND. CONTRIBUTED BY MRS. SEYMOUR DAVIS. John Biddle, founder of the Maryland family of his sur¬ name, settled in Cecil County as early as 1687,* near the headwaters of the Elk and Bohemia Rivers, those tributaries of the Chesapeake which give to that county much of its fer¬ tility and beauty. At the time he was twenty-six years t of age, and may have been married. His connection with Edward Biddle of Baltimore County, in the land of the Calverts, or with William Biddle of “Mount Hope,” Burlington County, New Jersey, the Quaker ancestor of the New Jersey and Philadelphia Biddles, has not been determined. Some investigators have considered him a younger brother of the latter. The Christian names of his children give a degree of credence to this supposition, and he came to America about the time of William Biddle’s emigration. His religious affiliations were, however, not with the Society of Friends, but with the Church of England. He and his wife were mem¬ bers of the historic parish of St. Stephen’s, North Sassafras, * He was a witness to the will of Robert Crooke of Cecil County, 27 June, 1B87.. 'Baldwin’s Calendar of Maryland Wills, vol. dil, p. 128. t A deposition of 1721 gives his age as sixty years. Name sometimes written Beedie.- -Uregar’s Indexes to Chancery Proceeding8, etc., on. file in tine Mary¬ land Hdratorieal Society, P. C., f. 38& — — (i) 2 A Brief Account of the Biddle Family of Maryland. where his children and grandchildren were baptized, married and buried by the Reverend Richard Sewell, or the Reverend Hugh Jones, for a period of more than sixty-six years. The Quit Rent Rolls, that unique system of the Lords Pro¬ prietary of Maryland which covered all the counties of the Province, show John Biddle to have been possessed, about 1707, of two hundred acres on the south side of the Elk River and north side of Larramore Creek, called Colleton,* and another tract of one hundred and thirty acres on the Bohemia River, known as .Jones Adventure.t To these he made sundry substantial additions by purchase, notably one of 23 March, 1707,J from Margaret Rowles, which plantation, George’s Delight, he conveyed to his eldest son, John Biddle, 4 April, 1719.§ Here, under the mild rule of the Lords Baltimore, John Biddle followed the pursuits of the gentleman planter: the rearing of his family, the cultivation of his lands and super¬ vision of his slaves, and, having passed the Psalmist span of life by an additional two years, made preparations to leave his worldly affairs according to his good liking. His will,|| executed 2 October, 1733, probated 17 May, 1734, devised to his son William all lands and plantation in the event of his having male issue. Failing this, a division of such lands and plantation was to be made between John, eldest son of his son John Biddle, and William, son of his son Thomas Biddle. To son Richard Biddle, not then of age, certain personalty was bequeathed, while specified jewelry was given to daugh¬ ter Sarah, to Mary, wife of son John Biddle, and to Elizabeth, wife of son Thomas Biddle. Slaves were given to daughter Sarah and to sons John, Thomas and William, -who were made executors. According to the records of the parish church of St. Stephen’s, John Biddle was buried 16 May, 1734, and his wife Mary died 20 September, 1733. Her surname has not been ascertained, though it is possible she vras a daughter of Richard Jones of Bohemia River. * Rent Rolls of Cecil County In possession of the Maryland Historical Soci¬ ety, f. 100. These Rolls are approximately of 1707f Surveyed for Richard Jones, 3 May, 1669 Ibid., 101. t Land Records of Cecil County, at Ell k ton, Liber 2, f. 112. § Liber A, ff 220-1, Land Records of Cecil County' 1 Of record in Register of Wills Office, Elkton, Maryland. — A Brief Account of the Biddle Family of Maryland. 3 Children of John and Mary Biddle, all but the third of record at St. Stephen’s: 2. i. ii. 3. iii. iv. v. JOHN,2 married 2 Feb., 1715, Mary Mounee. JEAN, born 20 April, 1698; not named in father's will. THOMAS,* married Jan. 1717, Elizabeth Boulding. SAMUEL, born 6 March, 1699; buried 1718. SABAH, born 11 April, 1702; married 3 April, 1716, John --- --- Pennington. vi. BENJAMIN, born 13 Nov., 1707 ; not named in father ’s will. ; (3) Jane 4. vii. WILLIAM, m. (1) Martha ; (2) Sarah Barnaby. 5. viii. RICHARD, married 6 Aug., 1741, Augustina Bavington. (2) John2 Biddle (John1), born in St. Stephen’s parish, Cecil County, 5 July, 1696; died there in February, 1764. He was married, 2 February, 1715, by the Reverend Richard Sewell, to Mary, daughter of Christopher Mounee, who, born 6 September, 1698, pre-deceased him. The will of John Biddle, executed 2 November, 1760 ; pro¬ bated 21 February, 1764, named the heirs of son John Biddle, deceased ; sons Stephen and Augustine, to whom he bequeathed plantation called Coxe Forrest ; sons Thomas, Peregrine, Samuel and William; also grandson Henry Biddle Hender¬ son. Son Augustine was made executor.f Children of John and Mary (Mounee) Biddle, born in Cecil County 4 i. CHRISTOPHER,® died 20 January, 1738/9. JOHN, born 4 April, 1717; died before 2 Nov., 1760; married 1737, Rachel, daughter of John Pennington. Issue: 1. Hyland Biddle, born 26 June, 1738; married and had issue. 2. Henry Biddle, born 11 Dec., 1742; married 19 Jan., 1768, Mary Buhkard and had issue. One of his name was a Revolutionary soldier. 3. Sarah Biddle, born 22 Jan., 1745. 4. Stephen Biddle, born 26 Dec., 1749. 5. Mary Biddle, born 12 Dec., 1751.$ iii. SAMUEL, born 25 Dec., 1721; died after 14 Dec., 1784; married Sarah ; was a prominent citizen of Frederiektown, ii. --- Cecil County. AUGUSTINE, born 4 June, 1729 ; died 9 Sept., 1735. STEPHEN, born 1 March, 1733; married and had issue from whom descended GEORGE BIDDLE of Elkton, Maryland. vi. THOMAS, born 9 Feb., 1735. vii. AUGUSTINE, bom 30 Jan., 1737; married Ruth ; settled in New Castle County, Appoquinimink Hundred, Delaware, where, on 16 Dec., 1772, he purchased a plantation on Duck Creek, which he subsequently conveyed to Dr. Thomas Cad* walader, his wife Ruth, joining in deed.§ iv. v. --- * This child may be incorrectly given In the order of the children, t 'Cecil County Probate Records, Liber BD, ff. 306-7. t Photostat copy of Records of St. Stephen’s, In possession of The Genea¬ logical Society of Pennsylvania, § New Castle County, Delaware, Deeds Records, Liber C2, ff. 218-19. 4 A Brief Account of the Biddle Family of Maryland. viii. PEREGRINE, born 20 Nov., 1742. ix. WILLIAM, named in his father’s will. x. SARAH, married Henry Hendrickson. Issue, Henry* Biddle Hendrickson, named in will of his grandfather, 2 Nov., 1760. (3) Thomas2 Biddle (John1), was horn in St. Stephen’s parish, though his birth-date seems not to be of record on the church register, and is sometimes incorrectly given as 5 July, 1696, which is that given by the parish register for the birth of his brother, John Biddle. He died on his plantation, 8 February, 1773. His wife, Elizabeth Boulding, whom he married 1 January, 1717, survived him. On 25 January, 1723, he obtained from Ephraim Augustine Herman, a lease-hold on one hundred acres of Bohemia Manor, during the natural lives of the said Thomas Biddle, his wife Elizabeth and son William.* His will of 6 June, 1767, t made provision for wife Eliza¬ beth, granddaughter Mary Barnaby, daughter Eachel, and sons Noble and William. The will of the widow, Elizabeth Biddle, executed 18 August, 1782, gave bequests to daughters Mary, Sarah, Rachel; to sons Thomas and Noble; to Mary, wife of son Noble, and granddaughters Mary and Amelia. Children of Thomas and Elizabeth (Boulding) Biddle, bora in Cecil County : i. --. His will, WILLIAM,3 born 3 May, 1718; married Mary probated 26 July, 1776, gave to wife Mary a life-interest in his estate, with remainder to Andrew, son of brother, Noble Biddle.* --- ii. EACHEL, died after 18 Aug., 1782. iii. NOBLE, executor of mother’s will; married Mary Issue: Andrew * Biddle 2. Spencer Biddle ancestor of Noble L. Biddle of Chicago. iv. THOMAS, named in mother’s will. v. SARAH, named in mother’s will. Vi. MARY, living 18 Aug., 1782; married James Ford of South Carolina and had issue.|| . . (4) William2 Biddle (John1), born in St. Stephen’s par¬ ish, 27 December, 1709; died there after 7 February, 1753; married (1) Martha who died 3 October, 1733; who died October, 1750; (3) 16 August, (2) Sarah 1751, Jane, daughter of John Barnaby. * Cecil County Land Records, Liber 4, ff. 78-T9. t Cecil County Probate Records, Liber BB, f. 360. % Ibid Liber CC, f. 181. § Cecil County Land Records, Liber 14, ff. 177- 8. A Brief Account of the Biddle Family of Maryland. 5 Under date of August, 1751, William Biddle, Sen. con¬ veyed to his sons Thomas Biddle and John Biddle his dwel¬ ling plantation called Colleton, and to son Andrew certain slaves.* CoUeton was a portion of the land devised to him by the will of his father, in 1733. Children of William Biddle, the mother of the three oldest being uncertain. That of the fourth was Sarah, while that of the fifth was Jane Barnaby. Issue : 1. Francma * Biddle, born 5 Oct., 1754. 2. Elizabeth Biddle, born 22 Dec., 1755. 3. John Biddle, born 6 March, 1758. 4. Augustine Biddle, born 17 May, 176'l.f ii. THOMAS. iii. JOHN. iv. ANDREW, born 6 Jan., 1748; Revolutionary soldier; removed with family about 1800 to that part of Bedford, now Blair, County, Pennsylvania. v. SARAH, born 7 Feb., 1753. i. WILLIAMS married Sarah Pearce. (5) Richard2 Biddle (John1), born in St. Stephen’s par¬ ish, 23 August, 1715; died there in April, 1773.1 On 6 August, 1741,§ he married Augustina, daughter of John and Mary Bavington of Bohemia River, and granddaughter of another John and Mary Bavington, whose lands, in or about 1707, lay on the south side of Bohemia River. || She was born 16 November, 1720, t and died in February, 1774. By a lease of 23 May, 1750, from Benjamin Pearce and Margaret his wife, Richard Biddle became possessed of a por¬ tion of the plantation known as The Three Bohemia Sisters, originally part of Bohemia Manor, which under its first lord, Augustine Herman, had been almost feudal in tenure and territory. On 23 March, 1763, this lease became a purchase from Henry Ward Pearce ** and Annastasia his wife. This was Richard Biddle’s home plantation, and was, by his will of 22 March, 1773, devised to his eldest son Dominink, subject to the life interest of his mother, Augustina Biddle. Should the said son fail of issue, the land so devised was to descend * Cecil Oou-nty Land Records, Liber vii, f. 305. t St. Stephen's Parish Register. t Cecil County Probate Records, Liber BB, No. 2, f. 363, et seq. § St. Stephen’s Parish Register. || Cecil County Bent Rolls f. 102 fl’ Cecil County Land Records aft Elkton, Liber 7, f. 211. **' Ibid., Liber FK, f. 192. 6 A Brief Account of the Biddle Family of Maryland . to Richard Biddle, 'another son of the testator. His Long Creek plantation, which had been purchased of his brother, Thomas Biddle, was given to son Benjamin, he being already resident thereon. Slaves were left to son Richard and daugh¬ ter Sarah Price, and the movable estate was to be divided between sons John, Jesse, William and Richard. His wife Augustina and son Dominink were executors of his will, which was probated 19 April, 1773. Children of Richard and Augustina (Bavington *) Biddle, born in St. Stephen ’s parish : i. DOMININK,s born 3 May, 1742; died without issue about Jan., 3.774. BENJAMIN, married Katherine Happuck Barton ; f was living at Long Creek, Cecil County, 23 March, 1773. iii. WILLIAM, died unmarried in July, 1775; the legatees under his will of 13 June, 1775, were: sister Sarah, wife of James Price; their daughter, Ann Price; brothers John and Richard ii. Biddle.* JOHN, probably deceased before 19 April, 1787. JESSE, died intestate in Baltimore County; estate administered upon, by Richard Biddle, 22 Sept., 1786. vi. SARAH, married James Price, and was living in Pencader Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware, 19 April, 1787.§ 6'. vii. RICHARD, married 10 December, 1786, Ann Clark. iv. v. (6) Richard 3 Biddle {Richard,2 John1), was born in St. Stephen’s parish, 20 June, 1758. During the Revolution he served the American cause almost continuously from 1776 until the close of 1783. His first enlistment, of 28 July, 1776, seems to have been in the Regiment of Plying Camp, after which his name appears on various pay rolls and enlistments ; most frequently, however, from 1 August, 1780, to 15 Novem¬ ber, 1783, as a member of the Seventh Company, First Mary¬ land Regiment, Continental Line, under Captain Samuel McPherson.|] At the close of the war he resided for a time in Baltimore, •John Bavington of Bohemia River, father of Augustina (Bavington) Biddle, was baptized at St. Stephen's, Cecil County, 1 Aug.. 1697, and had married about 1719. His children were: 1 Augustine Bavington, born 16 Nov., 1720 ; 2. Mary Bavington, bora 17 Sept., 1,72.2, ; a, Rachel Bavington. born 28 March, 1724 ; 4. John Bavington, born 10 May, 1,7217 ; 5. William Bavington, born 11 Sept., 1729; 6. Elizabeth Bavington, bom 8 April, 1731. His father, John Bavington. also of Cecil County, was born In 1661, accord¬ ing to his deposition of 1716. t Records of St. Paul’s, Baltimore. t Cecil County Probate Records, Liber B, t. 417. § New Castle County, Delaware, Deeds, Liber G2, ff. 97-8-9. |j Muster Rolls and other records of service of Maryland troops in the Revolution. Maryland Archives, vol. xviii, .pp. 41, 444 , 495, 525. A Brief Account of the Biddle Family of Maryland. 7 and while there, by deed of 19 April, 1787, in consideration of £1450, conveyed to Thomas Boulding of Pencader Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware, part of a tract called The Three Bohemia Sisters, all formerly lying in Cecil County, but since the establishment of the line between Maryland and the State of Delaware, partly in the latter State.1* The land so conveyed comprised one hundred and eighty-nine acres, which Richard Biddle, father of the grantor, had by will be¬ queathed to his eldest son Dominink Biddle as a one-third part of his dwelling plantation. Dominink Biddle, the son, died without issue about January, 1774, so states the deed, and his mother, Augustina, wife of the testator, also dying shortly afterward, in the same year, the remainder in fee became vested in Richard Biddle, party to the conveyance. Prom the fact that Sarah Price, “widow”, and daughter of Richard Biddle, executed a quit-claim deed to the property, it would appear that the brother John Biddle was probably deceased. A deed of record shows that Biddle Street, in Baltimore, was originally part of Richard Biddle’s estate. Subsequently, Richard Biddle removed to Bourbon County, Kentucky, where he was an active and prominent pioneer, and where he died, 25 April, 1826. His wife, Ann Clarke, whom he married in Harford County, Maryland, 10 December, 1786, was born 22 October. 1768, and died 7 September, 1835. She was a daughter of Robert Clarke by his wife Keziah Barton of Prince George’s County, Maryland, and a descendant in the sixth generation (Robert6, Robert4, Robert3, John2, Robert1) from Hon. Robert Clarke, who, born in England in 1611, arrived in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, circa 1637, and died in St. Mary’s County, in July, 1664. He was surveyor-general of Maryland in 1649 ; mem¬ ber of the Privy Council in 1649, 1654, and 1662; steward of Calverton, a manor of nearly ten thousand acres, with power to hold baronial court, and was Judge of the Provincial Court in 1658.f Children of Richard and Ann (Clarke) Biddle: LYDIA,4 born 28 Jan., 1788. ROBERT, born 3 March, 1792; died 1793. iii. KEZIAH, bom 18 May, 1794. i. ii. * New Castle County, Delaware, Deeds, Liber G2, ff. 97-8-9. t George Lynn-LactUan Davis, The Day-Star of American Freedom (1855), pp. 195-08. 8 A Brief Account of the Biddle Family of Maryland. --- WILLIAM, "born 23 Nov., 1796; died 10 June, 1797. v. JOHN CLARKE, born 15 May, 1797; died 11 Dee., 1814. vi. ELIZABETH CLARKE, born 26 May, 1799; married iv. Lea; died 8 July, 1833. vii. AUGUSTINE, bom 28 Feb., 1801. 7. viii. RICHARD, married 3 Oct., 1827, Catherine Elizabeth Jones. ix. NANCY CLARKE, bom 15 Nov., 1805. x. BILENDER, bom 29 July, 1807 ; died 3 March, 1808. xi. WILLIAM BURKE, bom 23 Sept., 1809; died Aug. 7, 1834. (7) Richard4 Biddle {Richard, 3 Richard ,2 John1), was horn in Bourbon County, Kentucky, 12 August, 1803; died in Putnam County, Indiana, 6 February, 1888, whither he had removed in 1831. He married at Shelbyville, Kentucky, 3 October, 1827, Catherine Elizabeth, daughter of Abraham Jones of Jones Advmture, Maryland, who with his family emigrated to Indiana. She was born in Maryland, 9 November, 1811, and died in Putnam County, 14 July, 1881. Children of Richard and Catherine Elizabeth (Jones) Biddle, the two eldest born in Kentucky the remainder in Indiana : JAMES TAYLOR,® born 7 September, 1828. WILLIAM BURKE, born Dec. 30, 1830; died 28 April, 1914; A.M. 1855 from Asbury, now Depauw University; Captain, 87th. Indiana Volunteers in Civil War; Judge of Circuit Court, La Porte County, Indiana, 1897. iii. ANN MARIA, born Nov. 24, 1835; died June 18, 1860; married George Washington Cutter, Mexican War Captain and poet. iv. ABRAHAM JONES, bom Jan. 26, 1838. v. REGINALD HEBER, bom May 23, 1840. vi. TILGHMAN ASHER HOWARD, born April 19, 1843. vii. GEORGE ALLEN, bom October 15, 1845; died March 13, 1909; served in the Civil War; M.D., Rush Medical College, Chicago, 1869; later of Bellevue Hospital, New York. He married 10 October, 1875, Alice, daughter of William Long, M.D., of Louisville, Kentucky, and his wife Harriet Gregory. Her brother Robert W. Long, M.D., Jefferson College Phila¬ delphia, was the founder and donor of The Robert W. Long Hospital and Indiana University School of Medicine to the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Issue, CLARA VIRGINIA,® married at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Indianapolis, Seymour Davis architect of Philadelphia, who died 3 September, 1923. viii. RICHARD HARWOOD, born December 16, 1847 ; died April 14, 1849. ix. JOHN WALTERS, born April 26, 1851. x. EDWIN RAY, born February 2, 1853; died March 26, 1885. xi. ROXANA, born May 28, 1855; died October 6, 1862. xii. THOMAS COKE, bom September 14, 1857; died February 14, 1918 ; was graduated M.D., at Rush Medical College, Chicago, 1881; Captain and Surgeon in Spanish War- i. ii.