The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-06-21
CECIL NAM ES.
SKETCHES OF PROMINENT FAMI-
LIES.
The Thomas Family, of Cecil-The Late
Tho mas s. Thomas, ESQ.

Thomas Snowtlen Thomas was born at
Fairland,' Anne Arundel county, Mary
land, on the 10Th of February, 1896. He
was the son of John Chew and Mary Snow
den Thomas. John Chew Thomas was
distinguished member of the Society Of
Friends. Under conviction OF duty, he on
the 18th OF February, 1872, executed deeds
OF Inanumission, by which he liberated over
one hundred slaves. In 1900 he was 4 menu
Der of Congress, and took an active part i'll
the election, 10y the House Of Representa-
tives CATER thirty-six ballotS). of Thomas
Jefferson TO the President of the United
States. He was Federalist Two of his
sons, Richard Henry and John Chew
Thomas became distinguished physicians
in Baltimore City. and have descendants
there.
The Thomas family is Of great antiquity
in Wales, and. claim descent from the an
Client kings of Britain. Philip Thomas, the
progenitor of the family in America, emf
grated from Bristol, England. with his wife
and three children in 1861, and settled i'll
Anne Arundel county. He was Il very
prominent man, and was a leading MEM
Der of the Provincial Council.
Thomas :. Thomass grandfather, Samuel
Thomas, owned Perry Point on the Sus-
quehanna river, in Cecil county, and the
ferry rights there and on the opposite side
at Havre de Grace. Mary S.owden, mother
of Thomas :. Thomas, was a lineal descend
ant of Major Richard Snowden, who came
to Maryland in the seventeenth century.
He was owner of ' Robin Hoods Forest,
on or near South river, i'll Anne Arundel
county, Maryland. The original grant was
for 1870 acres, to which his grandson,
Richard, added 10, 600 acres more. He, with
others, started the Patuxent Iron Works,
which were among the first, if not the first,
iron works established in Maryland.
Thomas ). Thomas the subject of this
SKETCH enjoyed all the advantages in early
life that wealth and the retinemcnts of Chris
tian culture could bestow. His education
was completed ut Dickinson College, Car
Isle, Pennsylvania. He early engaged in
mercantile business in the city of Baltimore.
Shortly after the close of the war of 1872 he
removed to North East, Cecil county, Mary
land, and engaged in farming and merchan-
dising From 1880 to 1880 he was active in
promoting the building of the Philadelphia,
Wilmington Il Baltimore Railroad, and
successfully executed A number of large
contracts on said Road. He was a leading
man in his county: WAS a member of the
Legislature and of the Governors Council.
He was 4 member of the Masonic Fratern-
ity; educated Friend, and married into
family of the Protestant Episcopal Church,
he, in 1922 became exercised on the sub
ject of personal religion, and connected him
self with the NJ. +. Church, and continued
an active and useful member of that com
munion until his death. In all church, edu-
cational, temperance and benevolent enter
prises, he was abundant in labors and lib
eral in contributions. He was a friend to
the poor, and often gave them employment
at his pecuniary loss. His memory is fra
grant in the recollection of many yet living.
On the 2lst of December, 1919, he was
married by the Rev. William Duke to Ann,
eldest daughter of VIM. Elliot and Frances
Russell Sewal. Her grandfather, Thomas
Russell, of Birmingham, England, was
of London. These were among the first and
largest iron works in America. 4 part Of
this extensive property is now owned by
George T.. Whitaker. Thomas Russell mar
ried Ann, eldest daughter OF Sam'l Thomas,
of 50 Perry Point and resided at Green
Hill" an estate that has remained in the
family and is now owned and occupied by
the Rev. r. Snowden Thomas, his great
grandson. Thomas 5. Thomas died the
3lSt of May 1851, leaving Il widow still liv-
ing, now in the Slst year of her age, three
daughters and five sons. His youngest
child, Mary RUSSELL died January 18th,
1919. His eldest daughter, Ann lady OF
culture and christian refinement, died UNI
married, August Sth 1873. His eldest son,
the Rev. John Chew Thomas, was an able
and successful minister of the Philadelphia
Conference of the NJ f. Church He died
January, 18th, 1860, leaving widow,
Annie Heath, the daughter of Griffith and
Ann Thomas Williams, of Newtown, Bucks
county, Pa. Their children We're Ann,
Thomas Snowlen, Griffith Williams, and
married the Rev. William Laws Boswell
She died on the l7th Of April, 1879. Their
children are James lverson, Thomas Snow
den, William Laws and Russell Thomas
Boswell. Mr. Boswell has been Il professor
in Delaware College at Newark, Delaware;
of Genesee Wesleyan College, Lima, New
York, and of Dickinson College, Carlisle,
Pennsylvania. He was a member of the
Philadelphia Conference of the NJ. +.
Church, and at present is general Insurance
Agent in Philadelphia, Pa. Russell the
second son of Thos. S. Thomas, was a farmer,
and married Elizabeth Ann Mitchell,
daughter of Col. George Mitchell of Elkton,
Md. He died April 22nd, 1876, leaving =
widow and one child, Mary Alicia. The
third son, Evan William, married Martha
Gray, eldest daughter of DIR. Samuel and
Henrietta Graft Thomas Their children
are Evan William, Annie Heath, and Mar
tina. The fourth son, the Rev. Thomas
Snowden Thomas, is member of the
Philadelphia Conference of the NJ. f.
Church. He married Anna Mary, eldest
daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Miller of
Philadelphia. Their children are Joseph
Miller, Mary Russell, Ann Elizabeth,
Emma Virginia. Fannie Louisa, Henrietta
Maria and Martha Snowden. For number
of years Mr.. Thomas acc-ptahly filled prom
inent positions in the Philadelphia and
Providence Annual Conferences. He was
Chief Clerk of the Maryland House of
Delegates in 1s60-1 and Hospital Chaplain
in the L. S. Army in 1867. Owing to ell
feeblctl health, he retired in 1878 from the
active work of the ministry, and re-
sides on his beautiful property before re-
ferred to, Green Hill, near North East, Cecil
county, Md. The youngest son, the Rev.
.;a:nes Sewall Thomas, is member of the
He married Emma Drake of Stoughton,
Massachusetts. Their children are Evan
Walden, Annie Heath, Helen Louisa, ThoS
Snowden, Carrie Russell, Grace WILDER,
and James Sewall. Eliza, the youngest
daughter of Thomas s. Thomas, resides
unmarried in Philadelphia.
The writer's acquaintance with Thomas
:. Thomas, (and his most estimabe chris
tian flmily) commenced about forty years