52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 15 - Taxes

The 52 Ancestors prompt for this week is "Taxes". It's that time of year here in the U.S. -- tax season. There are many ways you could approach this theme: An ancestor you discovered using tax records, an ancestor who was a tax collector, or maybe an ancestor who kept running from the tax collector! You could explore an ancestor who has been taxing to research.

I haven't made any huge discoveries through tax records, but they can help with locating ancestors in between census records. I ran across an interesting newspaper article on taxes due in Queen Anne's County, Maryland in 1811. The article mentioned several surnames that run in my family and the plot of land called Hawkins' Pharsalia.  I've posted a few times about Hawkins' Pharsalia as parts of it were owned and inherited by my Councill family.

The information below is from the newspaper article published on the 12th of Februrary, 1811 in the Republican Star of Easton, MD. I've transcribed the article and pulled out the references to Hawkins' Pharsalia and a few others with surnames that run in my family.

                                                            A LIST OF LANDS

LYING and being in Queen-Ann's county, belonging to sundry persons, subject to the payment of County Taxes, whereon no Personal Property is found liable to the payment thereof: viz.

The person or persons holding or claiming any part of the above mentioned Lands, are hereby notified, that unless the above Taxes are paid (with the proportion of costs arising thereon, for advertising, & c.) within thirty days after the insertion hereof in the public newspapers--the same, or a part thereof, (as the case may be) will be sold under the direction of the Commissioners o the Tax of said county, for the purpose of satisfying said claims, under the Act of Assembly. 
Per order, WILLIAM H. BLAKE, CLK. of the Commissioners of Tax for Q.A. County. January 12th, (22) 1811 

After Edward Carey Councill's death, a Queen Anne's County Land Commission was formed in 1810 to determine how his land would be distributed.  The land was surveyed and found to contain 114 acres worth $7.50 an acre in 1810. The Land Commission denied Edward Councill's heirs' request to split up the land in 1811. At that point, Henry Councell bought it with the approval of Edward's sons and then sold it back to John Councill (son of Edward) in 1813. It's not surprising that taxes were overdue in early 1811 since the estate was still being settled.

After John Councill's death, his estate was divided between his widow Ann and sons Francis, William, John, James, and Thomas. When Ann died, a land commission sold the land in 1838 and the proceeds were divided between the brothers.

The article on tax records provided some nice extra documentation on the land owners in Queen Anne's County, in 1811, at least for the ones that still owed taxes! The full article is available on GenealogyBank.com.

#52Ancestors is a series of weekly family history prompts developed by Amy Johnson Crow.

Matrilineal Monday - Councill family of Maryland

When I started researching my Councill family, I could only trace back to my 2x great-grandparents Francis Councill and Mary Ann Meredith from Queen Anne's County, MD. Using a combination of church, land, and probate records, I've been able to go back four more generations to Henry Councill and Elizabeth Banroche. There are still several mysteries and conjectures on here, but this is what I have in my family tree software so far. I have quite a few dates, marriages, and children that aren't entered yet, so I'll update the tree in a future post.

Outline Descendant Report for Henry Councill:

 

1 Henry Councill b: England, d: 1760 in Maryland
  + Elizabeth Banroche b: France
...2 John Councill d: 1795 
      + Sarah Carey
......3 Edward Carey Councill
        + Bridget Nowland
.........4 John Councill Jr. d: Aft. 1827
           + Ann Baynard or Browning m: 1808, d: Bef. 1834
............5 Francis Councill b: 1817 in Maryland, d: 1888
              + Mary Ann Meredith b: Abt. 1825 in Maryland,
                m: 08 Jul 1840 in Queen Annes, Maryland
...............6 John Wesley Councill b: 09 Feb 1859 in Centreville, Maryland, d: 05 Dec 1916 
                  in Baltimore, Maryland
                 + Ariana Sparks b: 18 Apr 1864 in Centreville, Maryland,
                   d: 16 Dec 1929 in Baltimore, Maryland
..................7 John Herbert Councill b: 1888, d: 1966 + Ollie W. Reed
..................7 Mary Blanche Councill b: 1889, d: 1889
..................7 Barbara Anna Councill b: 1890, d: 28 Dec 1964 in Salisbury, MD
                    + George Borcherding
..................7 Mabel Councill b: 1892 + Peter Lee
..................7 Myrtle Councill b: 1893, d: 1971
                    + Thomas William King m: 1912
..................7 Samuel Leonard Councill b: 1894, d: 1927 + Anne
..................7 Winifred Councill b: 1895, d: 1954 + Forest Goodrick
..................7 Hersey Hall Councill Sr. b: 06 Dec 1896 in Centreville, Maryland,
                    d: 06 Mar 1986 in Silver Spring, Montgomery, Maryland, USA
                    + Estelle Gibson
                    + Annetta Williams McPherson
..................7 Hilda Councill b: 02 Aug 1898, d: May 1983 in Baltimore, Maryland
                    + Fred Noble
                    + Tony Melka
..................7 Julius King Councill b: 1899, d: 1918
..................7 Royce Rufus Councill b: 17 Jul 1902 in Queen Anne's County, MD,
                    d: Nov 1970 in New Castle, DE
                    + Edna Catherine Willis b: 12 Jan 1905 in Queen Anne's County, MD,
                      m: 13 Jun 1925 in Queen Anne's County, MD,
                      d: 28 May 1973 in New Castle, DE
..................7 Oscar Fearson Councill b: 1904 in Queen Anne's County, MD,
                    d: 25 Aug 1986 in Orange City, Florida
                    + Grace Green b: 1905
..................7 Ruby Ordel Councill b: 1907,
                    d: 10 Mar 1990 in Holiday, Pasco, Florida, USA
                    + Justis Ehlers
                    + Edward Parlett
...............6 Robert Councill b: Abt. 1853
                 + Martha Sparks
..................7 May Councill
..................7 Margaret Councill
..................7 Lillian Councill
...............6 Mary Councill b: Abt. 1860 + Unknown
...............6 Anna Councill
                 + McDodd
..................7 Ida McDodd
..................7 Lizzie McDodd
..................7 Henry McDodd
...............6 Marietta A. Councill b: Abt. 1842
                 + James Booker m: 18 Dec 1862 in Queen Anne's County, MD
                 + Charles J. Weaver m: 28 Dec 1878 in Queen Anne's County, MD
...............6 Richard Councill b: Abt. 1850
...............6 Frank Councill b: 1859
............5 Thomas Henry Councell b: Abt. 1829 in Maryland,
              d: 16 May 1883 in Easton, Maryland
              +    Martha Rebecca Cooper b: 18 May 1841 in Talbot County, Maryland,
                    m: 10 Jan 1867, d: 1881 in Talbot County, Maryland
............5 William Councill b: Bef. 1813
............5 James N. Councill b: 1816
............5 John Councill b: 1821
.........4 Francis Beaston Councill
.........4 Elijah Councill
...2 Joseph Councill
     + Rebecca
......3 John Councill
......3 Mary Councill
......3 Ann Councill
...2 Catharine Councill
...2 Martha Councill
...2 Mary Councill
...2 Anastasia Councill

Henry Councill is said to be from England and Elizabeth Banroche from France. Elizabeth's surname is a bit suspect since I've never found anyone else with that name. One of my Councill cousins suggested that it may actually be referencing a place: Ban de la Roche in Alsace, France. I think that may be a good guess!

On page 281 of the book Catholics of Colonial Delmarva by Thomas Joseph Peterman, it says "She (Anastasia Councill) was the daughter of Henry Councill of Tully's Neck... The other children of Henry Councill (who had come to Maryland in 1729) and his wife Elizabeth Banroche (who was of French parentage)..." It goes on to name the children and their wives. The source the book gives for the paragraph is Carley, "Baptismal Register of Joseph Mosley, S.J.." 41.

I've seen several trees on Ancestry that have Dennis Councill as the father of Henry Councill. There are references to a Dennis Councill listed in the debts for the estate of Jacobus Seth in Talbot County, MD in 1698 and 1702. In the 1702 entry, Dennis is called a runaway, so I've wondered if he could've been an indentured servant. I need more information to prove whether or not he was the father of Henry, so I haven't added Dennis to my tree yet. I noticed that the reference in the above paragraph states that Henry came to Maryland in 1729, so that doesn't match up with the dates for Dennis.

Another mystery is the surname of the mother of Francis Councill. Most of my evidence points to her being Ann Baynard, but there are some sources that say Ann Browning. Despite the mysteries, I've learned a lot about my Councills since my first post about them in 2011.

Surname Saturday - Sparks from Queen Anne's, MD

This version of my Sparks family tree connects my Sparks family to the original Sparks immigrants in Queen Anne's County, MD.  There are still a lot of gaps to fill in, but I've learned a lot since my original Sparks post in 2011.

My great-grandmother Ariana Sparks was born in Queen Anne's County, MD and later moved to Baltimore, MD with her husband John Councill. Her parents were Samuel Sparks and Susan Godwin. Samuel Sparks is named in land records along with his father Daniel, uncle John, and his siblings and spouses.

The will of James Sparks names sons Daniel, John, and Henson. This is one of the shakier links since I don't have proof that these are the same Daniel and John Sparks named in the land records with Samuel Sparks. The time period and location in Queen Anne's County seem to fit.

The other shaky link is the one from James to William Sparks, Jr. The Sparks Quarterly Issue 124 has an explanation of why James Sparks is the probable son of William Sparks, Jr. According to the Sparks Quarterly, William Sparks  had four sons: William Jr., George, John, and Joseph. Wills and estate settlements of John, George, and Joseph name their children, but none of them are believed to be the James that married Elizabeth Burkhurst.

Sources for the first four levels in the tree are the Sparks Quarterly and the Sparks Family Tree.

Amanuensis Monday - Will of John Meredith, Queen Anne's County, MD

The will of John Meredith leaves his estate to his four children, John Meredith, William Meredith, Thomas Meredith, Sarah Cofton, and a grandson James Meredith. The will was signed on July 14, 1764 and probated in Queen Anne's County, MD.

One of the witnesses to the will was Henry Councell and the will mentions a tract of land called Tom's Fancy Enlarged that was named in land records for my Councill family. This copy of the will comes from MD wills, Vol. 31-32, available on Ancestry.com.

In the name of God Amen. I John Meredith, from Queen Anne County and the province of Maryland...

Item: I give and bequeath to my beloved son, William Meredith, eighty acres of land where he now dwells being part of a parcel of land called Tristram's? Ridge to be taken of said tract square ? to him and his heirs forever.

Item : I give and bequeath unto my beloved son John Meredith my now dwelling plantation being the remainder of any ? track of land called Tristram's Ridge with hundred acres of land thereto adjoining being part of a land called Tom's Fancy Enlarged to him and his heirs forever.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my beloved son Thomas Meredith one Negro named I? and one Negro named Co? to him and his heirs forever.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my beloved daughter, Sarah Cofton, one Negro, named ? and her child named ? to her and her heirs forever. Item I give and bequeath to my beloved grandson James Meredith, son of my son William Meredith one Negro girl named Rose? to him and his heirs forever.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my beloved son John Meredith all my wearing apparel and my sword and pistols.

Item: My will and desire is that should my son John Meredith die without issue? that then and in that case his part of my above named land should be divided up as follows Viz The dwelling ? called Tristram's Ridge to my son William Meredith being the remainder of the tract of land to him before bequeathed to him and his heirs forever, and the above mentioned ? acres of land being part of Tom's Fancy Enlarged to my son Thomas Meredith, him and his heirs forever.

Item: My will and desire is that after my just debts be paid and my funeral charges defrayed that the remainder of my estate to be equally divided between my above named four children Viz. William John Thomas and Sarah, and I do hereby constitute and appoint my beloved son John Meredith my sole executor of this my last will and testament hereby ? all other will and .. 14th day of July in 1764.

John Meredith

My 2x great-grandfather Francis Councill married Mary Ann Meredith, daughter of John Meredith and Elizabeth Hall. Mary's father John was born around 1800, so he is not the one named in this will. I suspect that the John Meredith that wrote the will is connected to my family, but I need to link up another generation or two to make the connection.

Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch.

Amanuensis Monday - Will of James Sparks

The will of James Sparks, signed March 21, 1775 leaves his estate to his wife July Sparks, sons Nathan, Daniel, John, Henson, and step-daughter Sarah Meredith. The will was probated in Queen Anne's County, MD.

From land records in Queen Anne's County, MD I knew that Daniel Sparks was the father of my 2x great-grandfather Samuel Sparks. The land records also name a brother of Daniel as John Sparks. It looks probable that James' sons Daniel and John are the same as the ones named in the land records. This would make James my 4x great -grandfather. I became aware of this will due to some shaky leaves on my Ancestry.com tree, so thanks to those that added it to their trees!

Maryland Wills, vol 40-41, 1774-1777, Image 156

Item, I leave unto my loving wife, July Sparks the use of my house and fifty acres of land on His Lordship's Manor that is under lease, during her natural life or widowhood, or the lease holds good.

Item, I give and bequeath to my loving son John Sparks one featherbed with a buckram tick and what furniture belonging to it.

Item, I give and bequeath to my loving son Daniel one featherbed with a plain linen tick and all its furniture there belonging.

Item, I give and bequeath to my son, Henson Sparks, one middle sized pewter dish and six pewter plates.

Item, I give unto my wife Juley Sparks one iron pot holding about six gallons. I also give to my loving wife Juley Sparks six yoes and lambs.

Item, I give and bequeath to Sarah Marydith daughter of Juley Sparks an equal part of the rest of my personal estate that is to be divided amongst all the rest of my children.

And lastly, I leave my loving wife, Juley Sparks and my loving son Nathan Sparks my whole and sole executors of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have fixed my hand and seal this 21st day of March Anno Domini, 1775.

The entire will is transcribed in the Sparks Quarterly, along with an explanation of why James is most likely he son of William Sparks Jr. and Margaret Hamilton.

Source for will: Ancestry.com. Maryland, Wills and Probate Records, 1604-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch.

Census Sunday - Willis Family

In a previous post I traced my Willis family from the 1850 to 1900 census records.This post traces my great-grandfather Eugene Willis in the census records from 1910 to 1940.

Willis family in 1910 census, Centreville, Queen Anne's County, MD

In 1910, Eugene Willis and the family were living with his brother Henry in Centreville, Queen Anne's County, Maryland. Eugene and Henry were born in Delaware and were farmers. Eugene's wife Pearl and their children were all born in Maryland. They have three children in this census: my grandmother Edna, age 5, Oleda, age 3, and Pauline, age 1. The census states that Eugene and Pearl had been married for six years.

Willis family in 1920 census, 7th District, Queen Anne's County, MD

In 1920, the family is living on its own in the 7th District of Queen Anne's County, MD. In addition to Edna, Oleda, and Pauline, they have Edward, age 9, Edith, age 7, and William, age 5. Eugene's occupation is Farmer.

Willis family in 1930 census, Lansdale, Montgomery County, PA

Some big changes took place in the family between 1920 and 1930. Eugene is living in Lansdale Borough, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania with his daughters Oleda and Pauline. Eugene is a farm laborer and his daughters are working as machine operators in a pants factory. My grandmother Edna married Royce Councill in 1925, so that explains why she's not living with her father. The census record states that Eugene is still married, but I know that Pearl and Eugene were divorced at some point. That may explain why Pearl isn't in this census.

Willis family in 1940 census, Boothwyn, Delaware County, PA

By 1940, Eugene is living with his son Edward Willis in Boothwyn, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. His birthplace is given incorrectly as Maryland. His daughter Edna is living nearby with her husband Royce Councill and their four daughters. Eugene's ex-wife Pearl is also living nearby with her second husband Raymond Henry. Eugene and Pearl's son Howard Willis is living with Pearl and was born in 1922 in Maryland, so I would guess they separated sometime after that. I'll trace Pearl through the census in a future post.

Source for census images: Ancestry.com. 1910-1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line] Census Sunday is a daily blogging prompt suggested by Colleen Pasquale of Leaves and Branches.

Wedding Wednesday - John Meredith and Elizabeth Hall

Marriage license books from the Circuit Court of Queen Anne's County, MD are available online through the Maryland State Archives. The licenses are in scanned books and cover most years from 1817-1906.

The following license is for John Meredith and Elizabeth Hall. The date on the record is Feb. 5, 1823 and the officiant was Rev. Reed. A fee of $4.00 was paid. According to the information on the Maryland State Archives site, the date recorded by the clerk was the date of the marriage.

The entry is number 191 on page 64 of the book. The entries on this page are for 1824, so it appears the clerk may have made a mistake in recording the date.

According to a comment I received on a post about Francis and Mary Councill, John Meredith and Elizabeth Hall were the parents of Francis' wife Mary Meredith. They would be my 3x great-grandparents.

The commenter also mentioned that Mary's grandfather was Richard Hall and Mary had a brother named John Thomas Meredith. Mary and her brother were raised by Richard Hall after John Meredith died in 1830 and Elizabeth died in 1833. Thanks to H. Meredith for the information!

Mystery Monday - Meredith or Godwin?

I've posted about this census record before, but I'm taking another look at it in light of some new information.

1850 US Census, 3rd District, Queen Anne's County, MD

In the 1850 census for Queen Anne's County, MD, there are several people with different surnames living in the same household. Samuel and Susan Sparks are my 2x great-grandparents and they have a newborn named Martha Ann. Every tree I've ever seen for the family has Samuel and Ann Godwin as the parents of Susan Godwin, and Susan Godwin as the wife of Samuel Sparks.

There are a couple of marriage records to support this. From the marriage records for Queen Anne's County available on the Maryland State Archives site, Samuel Godwin married Ann Davis on March 23, 1824 and Samuel Sparks married Susan Godwin on July 16, 1849. There is a Rebecca Davis living with the family who is 6 years younger than Ann Godwin, so that indicates there could be a relation to the Davis family. There are also two Meridith children living in the household.

The new to me information is from the death certificate for my great-grandmother Arianna Sparks. I knew that Arianna was the daughter of Samuel and Susan Sparks and had thought that Susan's maiden name was Godwin. The death certificate says that Arianna's parents are Samuel Sparks and Susan Meredith! It's interesting that one of the Meridith children living in the Godwin household is also named Arianna, so it does seem like there is a relationship between the families.

 I can think of several possibilities for the difference in last names for Susan:

• The death certificate could be wrong. The informant was Arianna's daughter Ruby and perhaps she got the name confused with her other grandmother, Mary Ann Meredith, wife of Francis Councill.
• The death certificate could be correct and Susan's maiden name really was Meredith. That raises the question of why the Sparks and Merediths were living with the Godwins? I couldn't find any Queen Anne's marriage records for a Susan Meredith
• Susan could've remarried to a Meredith after Samuel Sparks died. This can be ruled out since Samuel died in 1899 and Susan's estate was filed in 1902 under the name Susan A. Sparks.
• Susan Meredith could've married a Godwin before her marriage to Samuel Sparks. I couldn't find any evidence to support this in the Queen Anne's marriage records.

For now, I'm leaning towards a mistake on the death certificate, although it's possible there was a marriage for Susan in another county. Investigating the Meredith children might shed some light on the relationship to the Meredith family, so I'll follow up on that in a future post.

Census Sunday - Francis and Mary A. Councill in Queen Anne's County, Maryland

Tracing my 2x great-grandparents Francis and Mary Ann Meredith Councill through the census has been a bit confusing. The names and ages of the children changed from census to census, but it looks like they may have used nicknames or middle names. All of the census records listed below were for District 3 of Queen Anne's County, MD.

1850 US Census, District 3, Queen Anne's County, MD

The 1850 census record has the family listed as Counall. The following individuals are listed in the household. I've added an estimated year of birth based on their ages.

Francis 35, 1815

Mary Ann 23, 1827

Mary 8, 1842

Frances 5, 1845

Sarah M 3, 1847

Richard James 2/12 months, 1850

This is the only census record where a Sarah is listed, although a Maria of about the same age is listed in 1860 and 1870. There is no mention of a Sarah or Maria in Francis Councill's will of 1886.

1860 US Census, District 3, Queen Anne's County, MD

This appears to be the same family in the 1860 census, although some of the names and birth years change. Both the 1850 and 1860 censuses were taken in July, so that doesn't explain the discrepancy in ages. The following individuals are listed:

Francis Council 40, 1820

Mary 32, 1828

Marietta 17, 1843

Frances 16, 1844

Maria 12, 1848 (maybe Sarah M. from 1850?)

Richard 10, 1850

Robert 8, 1852

John 6, 1854

Frank 1, 1859

 

1870 US Census, District 3, Queen Anne's County, MD

In 1870, the household has the following members:

Francis Council 55, 1815

Mary 45, 1825

Maria A. 19, 1851

Ric'd 20, 1850

Robert 17, 1853

John 13, 1857

Mary A. 10, 1860

Marietta, Frances, and Frank aren't listed here. Marietta got married in 1862 and I suspect that Frances was also married by 1870. Frank would've been too young to be married, so may have died young. Another child, Mary A. is added to the household.

1880 US Census, District 3, Queen Anne's County, MD

In the 1880 census, Francis and Mary are living with their grandsons, Fran. and W. Jas Booker. Their daughter Marietta married James Booker on December 18, 1862, so they are most likely her children. Marietta married Charles J. Weaver on December 28, 1878, so I don't know why the children are with their grandparents.

Francis Council 62, 1818

Mary 54, 1826

Fran. Booker, 12 1868

W. Jas Booker, 9 1871

The will of Francis was filed in December 1887 and the estate of Mary was probated in 1889. Their children Marietta Weaver, Frances Bramble, Richard, Robert, John, and Annie Dodd were left land and money in the will of Francis and the estate of Mary. Annie doesn't appear in any of the census records, so she may have been the Mary A. or Maria A listed in the 1870 census.

Sources:

• Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line], Image 35. Year: 1850; Census Place: District 3, Queen Anne's, Maryland; Roll: M432_296; Page: 198A; Image: 158
• Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line], Image 2.Year: 1860; Census Place: District 3, Queen Annes, Maryland; Roll: M653_479; Page: 34; Image: 34; Family History Library Film: 803479
• Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line], Image 124. Year: 1870; Census Place: District 3, Queen Annes, Maryland; Roll: M593_593; Page: 433B; Image: 312; Family History Library Film: 552092.
• Ancestry.com. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line], Image 3. Year: 1880; Census Place: Centerville, Queen Anne's, Maryland; Roll: 514; Family History Film: 1254514; Page: 402B; Enumeration District: 061; Image: 0425. Note: Census image says District 3.
• QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Marriage Licenses) 1817-1906 CE277, Maryland State Archives

Wedding Wednesday - Francis Councill and Mary Ann Meredith

The Maryland State Archives has digital copies of marriage licenses granted by the Queen Anne's County Circuit Court from 1817-1906. Click on the Link next to each set of years to open a PDF file with scans of the books. The records provide the names of the bride, groom, and officiant and the date of the marriage. There are gaps in the years available.

Francis Councill and Mary Ann Meredith, Maryland State Archives msa_ce277-1, Page 225

This entry is for the marriage of  my 2x great-grandparents, Francis Councill and Mary Ann Meredith. They were married in Queen Anne's County on July 8, 1840 by Rev. W. Larkins. The record also indicates that they paid $4.50 for the marriage license.

Transcriptions for the years 1817-1858 and 1865-1908 are available on Sandy's File Cabinet.

Military Monday - WWI Monument Dedication in Centreville, Maryland, October 1918

The Maryland State Archives has digitized copies of many pages of old Maryland newspapers available on its site. The dates are hit and miss since many pages no longer exist, but it's a great resource if you have Maryland ancestors.

The page shown below was published in The Centreville Observer on October 5, 1918. Centreville is in Queen Anne's County, Maryland and was the home to many of my ancestors.

The newspaper must have been in pretty bad shape as the scan isn't too good, but I was able to make out some references to my Councill family. Most of the articles on the front page were about World War One.

One article detailed a dedication ceremony for a monument and flag honoring the soldiers of Queen Anne's County. The ceremony included an address by Senator Harper of Centreville where he mentioned the soldiers that had lost their lives during the war, including my great-uncle Julius Councill.

He very feelingly spoke of the three boys who had already made the supreme sacrifice-- Jeff Davis, Jr. of Centreville, and J. Edgar Potts and Julius K. Council, of Baltimore, but natives of Queen Anne's county.

Another section of the articled talked about a procession of War Mothers where they wore arm bands with a star representing each of their children that were serving in the war. This must have been a very moving part of the ceremony. My great-grandmother Ariana Councill was one of two mothers that had three children in the military and had only learned of the loss of her son Julius a few weeks before the ceremony.

In the War Mothers' procession were nearly a hundred mothers of Soldiers and Sailors, two in the number, Mrs. Councill and Mrs. Joseph Fesnaper?, who have three from their families in the service, led the procession, wearing arm bands with three stars. There were any number who wore two stars and one star, and in most every instance it meant all that a mother had to give.

Liberty Loan Ad from The Centreville Observer, Oct. 5, 1918

The ceremony concluded with a mention of the upcoming Liberty Loan event intended to raise more money for the war efforts. According to the article, $100,650 was already subscribed during the afternoon of the dedication ceremony. Only a few pages were available in the digital collection for The Centreville Observer for October 1918, so I was fortunate that they included the information on the dedication ceremony and the connections to my Councill family.

Amanuensis Monday - Councill Land Transactions in Queen Anne's County, MD

I knew that my great-grandparents Arianna Sparks and John Wesley Councill lived in Centreville, Maryland when they were first married and later moved to Baltimore. I was surprised to learn that John sold land to Arianna before moving to Baltimore.

According to a Queen Anne's County land record, John sold Arianna a tract of land in Queen Anne's County, MD called Security or Neglect for the sum of $1 "in consideration of natural love and affection and ... considerations to me moving?". I'm a bit puzzled as to why John sold the land to Arianna. The last word in the quote isn't too clear, but if it's "moving" I wonder if John moved to Baltimore before the rest of the family.

John is listed in the 1900 census in Queen Anne's County, MD with Arianna and their children, but the family was living in Baltimore by the 1910 census. One exception was their son Julius King Councill, born in 1899. He was living with his aunt and uncle Alexander and Carrie Godwin in Queen Anne's County in 1910 and his uncle Robert Councill lived nearby. Robert is also mentioned in the land record, along with his wife Martha Ann (Sparks) Councill. Robert was John's brother and Martha was Arianna's sister. There are several land transactions between John, Robert, Martha, and Arianna and it's a bit difficult to figure out the reasons behind them.

The land record transcribed below is from the Queen Anne's County Court WHC Book 9, pages 122-123 available on the MDLandRec.net site.

WHC Book 9, bottom of page 122

Queen Anne's County, to wit: Be it remembered that on the Twenty fourth day of January, in the year One Thousand eight-hundred and ninety nine, the following Deed was brought to be recorded, to wit:
   This Deed, made the 24th day of January in the year Eighteen hundred and ninety nine, by John W. Councill of Queen Anne's County, Maryland. Witnesseth, that for and in consideration of natural love and affection and of various ? and valuable considerations to me moving?, and of the sum of one dollar, I, the said John W. Councill do hereby grant and convey unto Arianna Councill, in fee simple, all that farm or tract of land, called or known as Security or Neglect or by whatever name or names the same be called or known, situate in the 3rd Election District of Queen Anne's County, Maryland on the left of public road leading from Centreville to Queenstown, adjoining the lands of Martha Ann Councill, and the lands of the heirs of Wm McKenney and containing by metes and bounds, courses and distances, in a deed to said John W. Councill from Robt. H. Councill & wife, dated September 7th 1889, and recorded in Liber WD No 3 folios 344 &c., a Land Record Book for Queen Anne's County, one hundred and forty three acres ? and ten perches of land, more or less, except fifteen acres of land formerly in the tract but conveyed by the said John W. Councill to Martha Ann Councill by Deed dated 20th December in the year 1894, and recorded in Liber W.H.C. No 2 folios 242 &c., one of the aforesaid Land Records. This grant is made subject to the mortgage from John W. Councill to C.S. Jump , dated 24th September 1898, and recorded in Liber W.H.C. No 8 folios 291 &c., one of the aforesaid Land Records. Witness my hand and seal the date and year first above written.

WHC Book 9, page 123

The transaction mentioned from Book WD 3, pages 344 and 345 was a division of land between Mary A. Councill, Robert Councill and John W. Councill. It refers to Book WD 1, page 143 and this record states that the land was inherited from Francis Councill. He was the father of Mary, Robert, and John. I'm searching now for a record of Arianna selling the land to see if that sheds some light on when she moved and why the land was sold to her.

Updating to add that I found the record of Arianna and John selling the land in Book SS, Pages 131-134. They sold the land to J. Harry and Julia A. Lattimore in 1908. While Arianna was listed in the index as the grantor, both Arianna and John are listed on the deed. So, it's still a mystery as to why John sold the land to Arianna for $1!

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts.

Mappy Monday - Sparks Land Records in Queen Anne's County, Maryland

I've been amazed at how much family tree information is available in the Maryland land records. Also amazing is that digital images of the records are available on MDLandRec.net. Registration is required, but the site is free and there is no advertising.

The image below is from Book JP 3, page 545, recorded in 1858 in Queen Anne's County, MD. It records the sale of a tract of land owned by my 2x great-grandfather Samuel A. Sparks and his brother Daniel B. Sparks to William F. Parrott.

Queen Anne's County Court records, Book JP 3, page 545, 1858

According to the record, the land was inherited by their father Daniel Sparks from his brother John Sparks and was deeded to John Sparks by William Ringgold on May 5, 1823. The tract of land was called "Heath's Gift" and was located in Spaniard's Neck in Queen Anne's County, MD. It consisted of 7 7/8 acres and bordered the Methodist Meeting House and another tract of land called "Plain Dealing". This record doesn't mention Daniel and Samuel's other siblings, but says that they were tenants in common with their brothers and were each entitled to 1/6 of the property. The deed is signed by Samuel, his wife Susan A. (Godwin) Sparks, Daniel, and his wife Julia A. Sparks.

The Inventory of Historical Properties on the Maryland Historical Trust site has a document describing the house on "Plain Dealing" located in Spaniard Neck. This is one of the properties adjoining the Sparks land, so it should give an idea of the approximate location. The map below is from page 10 of the Inventory of Historical Properties document on Plain Dealing.

Location of "Plain Dealing" in Queen Anne's County, MD

The next record is from Book JW 7, page 518, recorded in 1878. This record names the siblings of Samuel and involves a tract of land "commonly known as "The Sparks Lot". In this transaction, James H. Sparks and his wife Martha M. Sparks are selling "The Sparks Lot" in Spaniard's Neck to Charles Gilliam for $150. "The Sparks Lot" adjoins the land of Charles Gilliam, Eliphat Higgins and faces the public road leading from the Methodist Episcopal Church through the woods to the land of Col. John R. Emory. The land contains about 8 7/8 acres and is the same land which descended from Daniel Sparks, father, to Robert M. Sparks, Martha Sparks, wife of George W. Meredith, Daniel B. Sparks, Samuel A. Sparks, and James H. Sparks, his children. The named children had earlier conveyed their interest in the land unto James H. Sparks, with the exception of Daniel B. Sparks. In this transaction, James says that he will procure a conveyance from Daniel B. Sparks and his wife.

Queen Anne's County Court records, Book JW 7, page 518, 1878

While the second record says that this is the same land the children inherited from their father Daniel, I'm not sure if this is a different tract of land from the first record. The sizes and names are different, plus the brothers Samuel and Daniel sold land in the first record in 1858. Maybe they were adjoining properties and part of the same inheritance.

I didn't know the names of Samuel's siblings or father before seeing this record. Thanks very much to George Sparks for sending me the information about the records! George also sent me a copy of Samuel's death certificate, but unfortunately, it didn't list his parent's names. We still don't know who his mother was. Was there a sixth sibling? The earlier record mentions that each was entitled to 1/6 of the land, but the later record only names 5 siblings. From the names listed in these two records, I came up with the following tree.

To Do:

• See if I can locate the other land records mentioned. 
• The children of Daniel gave conveyance of their interest in the land to their brother James. 
• Is there a record of Daniel giving conveyance to James?
• The land was deeded to John Sparks by William Ringgold on May 5, 1823.
• Search for inheritance records for the father Daniel and his brother John.

Mappy Monday is a GeneaBloggers prompt where you can post map images and how they relate to your research or discuss other aspects of land ownership and your ancestor.

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Ann Godwin

This is a transcription of the will of Ann Godwin of Queen Anne's County, MD. Ann's only son George Hackett Godwin is named in the will along with two of his cousins, Gunning Bedford Hackett and Ann Catharine Holt. George's estate papers named several more cousins including one that is possibly my 3x great-grandfather Samuel Godwin. The will was filed in May 1829.

The images for the will are from FamilySearch.org's probate records for Queen Anne's County, MD in the book of Wills from 1815-1856, Volume 1, image 221.

   In the name of God. Amen. I, Ann Godwin of Queen Ann's County in the state of Maryland being sick and weak in body but of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs and thereof...

... be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall please God to call me hence, do therefore make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say.___

   First and principally I commit my soul unto the hands of Almighty God, and my body to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executor hereinafter named and after my just debts and funeral charges are paid I devise and bequeath as follows:

   Item I give and devise unto my only son George Hackett Godwin my plantation whereon I now dwell known by the name of William's Lot containing about 299 and 3/4 acres of land more or less to him the said George Hackett Godwin or his issue legally begotten of his body.
   But in case the said George Hackett Godwin should die leaving no lawful issue of his body or if leaving issue and the said issue should die leaving no issue of their bodies then it is my will and desire that the aforesaid land and premises shall descend to and become the property of my nephew Gunning Bedford Hackett and my niece Ann Catharine Holt to be equally divided between the said Gunning Bedford Hackett and the said Ann Catharine Holt share and share alike.

   Item I give and bequeath to my son George Hackett Godwin one bed and furniture and also all the plate and one silver watch which said plate and watch I have heretofore delivered to my son George H. Godwin as his own rightful property together with all the residue of my personal estate which may remain over and above paying my just debts to him the said George H. Godwin.
   Item I desire that my nephew Gunning Bedford Hackett should become the Guardian of my son under the usual regulations of the Orphans Court.
   And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my Nephew Gunning Bedford Hackett to be sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament revoking and annulling all former wills by me heretofore made ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last Will and Testament. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this thirty first day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred & twenty nine.

Signed Ann Godwin

The following were witnesses: Walter J. Clayton, Jesse Godwin, Parraw? Taylor

It's interesting that Ann's son George Hackett Godwin's estate was distributed among ten cousins in 1837 since Ann's will specified that it be split between Gunning Bedford Hackett and Ann Catherine Holt. I'll have to investigate more as this may have just been his personal property. There was no land mentioned in the estate distribution.

From marriage records posted on RootsWeb, George Godwin married Ann Hackett, daughter of John and Sarah of Queen Anne's County in 1786.

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts.

Mappy Monday - Following the Trail of Hawkins Pharsalia - Part II

In my last post on Hawkins Pharsalia, I sorted out some of the John Councells in my tree, but wasn't sure how Henry Councell fit into the mix. In the land records I was looking at, Henry Councell bought the part of Hawkins Pharsalia that had been left to Edward Carey Councell by John Councell "the Elder". The sale was documented in 1811 and was approved by several other Councell relatives.

In 1813, Henry Councell and his wife Sarah sold the land to John Councell, Jr., son of Edward Carey Councell. The following excerpt from Queen Anne's County Court Book JB 2, page 214 documents that Henry was the son of John Councell "the Elder" and grandfather of John Councell, Jr. The deed was recorded on December 4, 1813 and this record is available on the MDLandRec.net site.

Book JB 2, page 214, Queen Anne's County Court, Maryland

...that part of the tract of Land called and known by the name of Hawkins Pharsalia which the late John Councell (Father of the said Henry Councell and grandfather of the said John Councell Jnr. did by his Last Will and Testament devise to his son Edward Cary Councell Father of the said John Councell Jnr.) which said part of said Tract not being sufficient to bear a Division between the several heirs of the said Edward Cary Councell as adjudged by Commissioners appointed by the court of Queen Anns County for that purpose and the said John Councell Jnr. being the eldest heir made his election to take said Land at the valuation set upon it by said Commissioners and did by a Deed of sale bearing Date the fourth Day of January in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and eleven convey the same to the said Henry Councell being devised therein by John Councell Snr? William Councell Elijah Councell and Thomas Councell for the purpose of supplying? a Deficiency in the Will of the late John Councell ? together with all and singular the Buildings improvements wood ways waters...

The Land Commission denied Edward Councell's heirs' request to split up the land in 1811. At that point, Henry Councell bought it with the approval of Edward's sons and then sold it back to John Councell (son of Edward) in 1813. I'm not sure what the "deficiency" was in the will of "the late John Councell", but I'm guessing it was that he didn't specify how the land should be divided in the case of the death of his son Edward. Several family trees on Ancestry.com have Edward's year of death as 1797 which was the year after Edward's father John died.

This land record provided a little more clarification as to why the land switched back and forth between Henry and his grandson John. Next up is to investigate Edward Carey Councell. Are there any estate papers for him? My Councill tree as it stands now is shown below. John Councell Jr. was my 3x great-grandfather and his son Francis was my 2x great-grandfather. At some point my family started using the Councill spelling, so I have used that in the tree.

Mappy Monday is a GeneaBloggers prompt where you can post map images and how they relate to your research or discuss other aspects of land ownership and your ancestor. 

Amanuensis Monday - Account of George H. Godwin's Estate

Last week I posted about land records in Queen Anne's County, Maryland that named Samuel Godwin, Eliza Vincent, and Catherine Casey as grantors of a deed to "Partnership Addition"  to Samuel Meredith. Samuel Godwin was my 3x great-grandfather, but I'm still trying to figure out if this is my Samuel.

The following account  is from the Maryland, Register of Wills books for Queen Anne's county available on FamilySearch.org. The Accounts book for 1832 - 1842 details Samuel Godwin's final account of the estate of George Hackett Godwin in 1837 on image 488. Distributions were paid to ten cousins of George, including Samuel.

Queen Anns County. Samuel Godwin Administrator of all singular Goods, Chattels and funeral Estate of Geo. H. Godwin late of Q. A. County, decd. To balance due as of 2nd final account this day settled... 115.49  Deduct the costs of this distribution... 1.50
The amount is totaled at 113.99.

The foregoing balance distributed according to law will give to each representative as follows:
To Wm H. Hackett, cousin of the decd, 1/3 of 1/3 thereof.........................................12.66
To John Holt, cousin of the decd, 1/3 of 1/3 thereof..................................................12.66
To Charles W. Holt, cousin of the decd, 1/3 of 1/3 thereof........................................12.66
To Catharine Holt, cousin of the decd, 1/3 of 1/3 thereof..........................................12.66
To Saml Godwin, cousin of the decd, 1/4 of 1/3 thereof..............................................9.49
To Serena Godwin (now Williams), cousin of the decd, 1/4 of 1/3 thereof.................9.49
To Lodowick Godwin, cousin of the decd, 1/4 of 1/3 thereof.......................................9.49
To Wm Benney for his wife Eliza, formerly Eliza Godwin, 
         cousin of the decd, 1/4 of 1/3 thereof..................................................................9.49
To Gunning Bedford Hackett, cousin of the decd, 1/3 of 1/3 thereof........................12.66
To James E. Barrell for his wife Henrietta, cousin of the decd, 1/3 of 1/3 thereof...12.66

The distributions are totaled to $113.98. The money was divided into a third each between the Holt, Hackett, and Godwin cousins. Then each group of cousins divided their share up between them.

Ann Godwin's will of 1829 named George as her only son, so my guess is that George didn't have any siblings that survived him. A few more guesses... I think it's probable that Ann's maiden name was Hackett since that was her son's middle name. Ann may have had a sister or sister-in-law that married a Holt and a brother-in-law was probably the father of Samuel, Lodowick, Eliza, and Serena Godwin. Ann's brother was probably the father of William, Gunning, and Henrietta Hackett. Keep in mind that these are just guesses at this point.

I still don't know if this is my Samuel, but at least I have quite a few new names to work with!

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts.

Mappy Monday - Godwins in Queen Anne's County, MD Land Records

I've been going through the index records on the Maryland Land Records site looking for any signs of my 3x great-grandparents, Samuel and Ann Davis Godwin. Other than the information in the 1850 census, I don't know much about them. They lived in Queen Anne's County, MD in that census and were property owners. Samuel's occupation is given as sailor. Their daughter Susan married Samuel Sparks and in later census records, her parents' place of birth is given as Maryland.

I've found a couple of land records for a Samuel Godwin that are from the right time period. In Book TM 6, pages 552-555, Samuel Godwin, Emmil & Eliza Vincent, and William & Catherine Casey grant a deed to Samuel B. Meredith in 1833. One of the parcels of land mentioned is called "Partnership Addition" and was surveyed by Joseph B. Sparks for Susan Godwin. It includes "Ellen's Enlargement", formerly called "Chance" and "Elliot's Addition". "Elliott's Branch" and "Godwin's Square are also mentioned. The land is 111 3/4 acres and borders "Mary Ann's Lot" and "Exchange". The said Samuel Godwin, Eliza Vincent, and Catherine Casey inherited the land from their relative Susan Godwin.

Book TM 6, Page 554, Queen Anne's County, Maryland

My first guess is that Samuel Godwin, Eliza Vincent, and Catherine Casey might be siblings. The record names Susan Godwin as their deceased relative, but doesn't say what the relationship is.

The will of Thomas Godwin written in 1822 also mentions Samuel Meredith and says he is living on land called Sowes Arcadia and White Marsh Addition. There is no mention of Samuel Godwin in the will though. Thomas mentions his son Edward, daughters Aquila Cooper Godwin, and Anna Findley Godwin. The will also mentions his brother John and sister Catharine Newman. Thomas' will is available in the FamilySearch.org probate records for Queen Anne's County, MD in Wills 1815-1852, Images 112-113.

The second land record for Samuel Godwin is from Book JT 1, pages 288-290.  In this record from 1834, Samuel Godwin, Eliza Vincent, William Biscoe and his wife Mary, and Mary Skinner of Queen Anne's County are selling a tract of land called Pleasant Spring to John H. Covington for $458 and 33 cents. The land came to the sellers by way of inheritance from Susan Cadd, formerly Susan Biscoe and contained 122 1/2 acres.

Book JT 1, Page 288, Queen Anne's County, Maryland

So, this Samuel Godwin inherited land from Susan Godwin and Susan Cadd, formerly Susan Biscoe. I took a closer look at the names on page 289 just to make sure "Cadd" wasn't really "Godwin", but it doesn't appear to be.

I've found a few other records for Samuel Godwin, but they don't have any family information that would help pinpoint which Samuel they're for. I've seen middle initials "A" and "K" used, but most of the records have no middle initial. Probate records showed that Samuel K. Godwin died in 1834, so he can be ruled out.

To Do:

• Investigate the other names in the records
• Investigate the tracts of land mentioned in the records
• Continue searching in the land and probate records
• Find out if there are any records for Maryland sailors in 1850

Mappy Monday is a GeneaBloggers prompt where you can post map images and how they relate to your research or discuss other aspects of land ownership and your ancestor. 

Amanuensis Monday - Councill Family Trees in Land Records

I posted a few weeks ago about following my Councill family through transactions in the Maryland land records. Here is another entry that helps to solidify the relationships between the Councills. The tricky thing was sorting out all of the John Councills. This entry is from the Queen Anne's County Court Book STW 9, page 414 from the Maryland Land Records site.

This indenture made this fifth day of January in the year 1811 between Henry Council, William Council, Elijah Council and John Council/Son of Edward Carey Council/ son and heir of John Council late of Queen Anne's County in the state of Maryland of the one part and John Council another of the children and heir of the said deceased of the same county and state of the other part. Whereas the land John Council the elder in his lifetime was seized in fee of and in a tract of land called Emory's Chance Corrected lying and being in Queen Anne's County and... Tom's Fancy Enlarged lying in the same county... and Hindsley's Plain Enlarged all which said lands by his last will and testament bearing date the 22nd day of December in the year 1795, he devised unto the above named John Council for his natural life only, and whereas it was the known instruction of the said John Council to ? his said lands to his said son in fee simple?, and the said Henry Council, William Council, Elijah Council and John Council (son of Edward Carey Council/Son and heir of John Council deceased) being sensible thereof, is willing to convey and release their rights in the same land unto their said brother and Uncle John Council.

Page 415 continues the transaction and shows the signatures of Henry, William, and Elijah Councill and the mark of John Councill. John "the Elder" Councill was the son of Henry Councill. John the Elder's grandson John, son of Edward Carey Councill is my 3x great-grandfather. I will post John the Elder's will in a future post. It leaves parts of Hawkins Pharsalia to his sons Edward Carey, Samuel, and James and clearly leaves the tracts of land named above to his son John. Thanks to Cindy of the Eastern Shore Facebook group for pointing me to this entry!

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts.

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Mary C. Baynard

This is the last will and testament of Mary C. Baynard of Queen Anne's County, Maryland. While the will clearly states a date of 1873, the rest of the estate papers are from 1857. I haven't figured out what the difference in dates means yet. The will and estate papers are available on FamilySearch.org.

From the estate papers, Mary was the daughter of James Baynard, so it appears that she did not marry. She leaves her estate to her nephew, Stephen Jump and her sister Elizabeth Bradley.

   In the name of God amen, I Mary C. Baynard of Queen Anns County in the state of Maryland being in good health of body, and sound disposing mind memory and understanding, considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof, and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs and thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall please God to call me hence, do therefore make and publish this my last will and testament in the manner and form following that is to say--
   Item First: Principally I commit my soul in the hands of Almighty God and my body to the earth to be buried at the discretion of my Executor hereinafter named and after my debts and formal charges are paid, I devise and bequeath as follows:
   Item: Second, I give and bequeath unto my sister Elizabeth Bradley, wife of Stephen J. Bradley, note of hand of Charles E. Bradley with interest due thereon.
   Item Third: I give and bequeath unto my nephew Stephen P. Jump, the balance of my estate both real and personal that may be in my possession at the time of my death provided he pays my debts and burial expenses.
   And lastly: I do hereby constitute and appoint my nephew Stephen P. Jump Executor of this my last will and testament, revoking and annulling all former wills by me heretofore made, ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and testament.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this Twenty fifth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight-hundred and seventy three.
Signed sealed published and delivered by Mary C. Baynard the above named, testatrix for her last will and testament in the presence of us who at her request, in her presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto.

Witnesses were Thos W. Hopper and Solomon Pinder.

From the account of her estate, she had quite a bit of real estate, including 292 acres of Hawkins Pharsalia. She also had 300 acres of the Crawford Farm, 286 acres of the Old Farm called Relief, and a wood lot in Caroline County containing 50 acres. The total value of her real estate was $8359.75. Both Hawkins Pharsalia and Relief appear in records for my Councill family, but I don't know if there is a connection between Mary and the Councills yet.

This page of her estate papers names her deceased father, James S. Baynard.

To Do:

• Investigate the dates. Why are the estate papers dated 1857 while the will states 1873?
• See if I can find estate papers for her father James Baynard.