The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-08-27
The Egis &Intelligencer
1Ieanings from Ye Olden Time.
COLONIsTs OF WINTERS RUN.
For The lEgis and Intelligencer.
No .

NO.
Among the Wilson papers are the original re-
ports of two commissioners appointed to decide
Park" AS they reveal some facts of local inter-
est will give the substance of this contract.
Scott, ST., were appointed by the court of Bati-
more county, commissioners ITO take testimony
Srdge e at Bes S Inc Of he
bounds of Gresham's College" tract of 50Oacres,
originally patented to John Gresham in the latter
William and Daniel McComas." Testimony was
taken lin presence of William and Daniel McCo-
mas. Aquila Paca, Jr., John Paca and William
Grafton, who were interested in that and ada
cent tracts" This report was written by the
aforesaid Daniel Scott and shows him to have
been a cear-headed and well educated man. He
was probably an ancestor of Ohio Scott, one of
the original signatures of himself and Col White.
Thomas Bond, "one of the people called Quakers,
30 years old" was the only witness examined but
his testimony covers four pages of foolscap. He
affirmed that in 1904 he was informed "that the
tract where he then lived and still lives was then
within the bounds of Gibsons Park" BY run
ming certain lines he convinced Mr.. Paca, the
owner of the latter tract, that such was not the
case. In the following year 1905, Thomas Bale
lBeale u who married a sister of Robert Gibson,
then owner of the Park, pointed out to the afliir-
mant an oak; which he said robert Gibson told
him was the beginning of that tract, but after
wards declared he was not present when his faith
er took up the land.
scene was re-enacted on this identical spot;
though, for the most part by different men. The
mond Dorsey and George Bradford. The task
assigned them was to fix the bounds of "Clag-
gett's Forest lying next to ..Gibsons Park
Maurice Baker, G2; Daniel McComas, 80; John
Paca. So and Col. Thomas White, whose age is
not given.
Several facts of some interest are incidentally
revealed by these two commissions: "Gibsons
last decade or two of the 18th century-to Miles
Gibson, father of Robert, the owner in 1704.
Aquila Paca, Sr;, purchased the tract soon after
for Dn.,n hf1
brother, William Bond, carrying the chain. a
dispute about the boundaries afterwards arose
between Paca and Thomas Preston, who owned
an adjoining tract, and of whom Paca spoke in
no complimentary terms. Thereupon the matter
James Harris, Roger Matthews, John Webster
and Moses Groom, whose decision was final but
in whose favor, does not very clearly appear.
"Claggett's Forest" another adjacent tract, was
owned by Samuel Chew about 1875, and was prob
ably first patented to Daniel Lawrence. Another
tract contiguous to the Park-whch still belong
ed in 1874 to ,Aquila Paca, Jr.-was patented to
"one Doyns." Col White was, in 1876, surveyor
S S s0qgt EoeS a in d that w Gasf
Col. White was very prominent man in his
day, and even such small scraps of information
From clause in the second commission, "Col.
Thomas White, late of Baltimore county, being
sworn, &c" 1t would appear that he had then
l76i-removed from the county. He must have
returned afterwards, however, as it is said, on
good authority, that he lived and died near
Spesutla church. His descendants number over
five hundred in various States, mainly Maryland,
New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Col.
White first married daughter of John Hall, of
Cranberry. daughter by this marriage married
son OF Aquila Hall of the Dairy" one of the
Committee of this county; and from this last
marriage Is descended numerous branch of the
Halls in Hartford, among them Mr.. Thomas White
in the third or fourth degree. Col. Whites Sec |
ond wife was daughter of Abraham Hewngs
of Burlington, New Jersey. The only children |
by this marriage were Bishop William White so |
widely known, and daughter the wife of Robert |
Morris, who. during the revolution, so nobly
supplied the struggling patriots with the sinews |
of war-to his own financial ruin
William Wilson, who came from Herring Bay, |
had, as already stated, two sons, William and
Henry. The latter, born l72l married in his 25th
year, Priscilla, daughter of Samuel Cover and |
senior. Henry Wilson figured coaspicSousIy i in
the proceedings Of the Revolutionary committee, |
and was popularity known as 1.-THE fighting Quak
er,"-for although he shed no blood himself, he |
was the cause of good deal being shed by Others
He had son and four daughters. Priscilla mar
Harris, and after his death, Gerard Hopkins; |
Elizabeth married Gideon Dare and Cassan dra |
the youngest child, married John Stump, of
STAFFORD VI the youngest son, William there is |
no record except the date of his birth, 1853. |
Henry, the oldest child, was born in 1747, and
named Samuel Harris, his brother-in-law. Henry |
like his father was an ardent patriot and men, |
elected in l776 together with Jacob Bond, John |
Love and DR.. John Archer, to represent the |
county in the convention which framed the bill |
weeks after that event he and DR.. Archer were
chosen as the the two county electors to elect a |
senate for the new State government. Henry |
wilson, the younger, became prosperous mer- |
chant in Baltimore but in 1872 "a year disastrous
to the mercantile class, lost everything; and |
among these papers is touching letter which, |
on his sudden descent from atfiuence to poverty |
he wrote to William Wilson, DIR. Wilson's father, |
who was one of his principal Notwithstanding |
with, your distressed knsman."
1t is interesting at this late day to catch even a |
slight glimpse, If we can get more of that no.
BILE band of patriots, who each in his sphere, |
however humble, as member of the Revolutions |
airy Committee bravely advocated and carried to |
triumphant issue in Harford-where opposition |
was, in the beginning, by no means contem ptible |
in strength-the immortal principles of liberty. |
or the two dozen names mentioned in these two |
commissions. 1t is not a little singular that, al |
though one-half of them must have been dead |
when the great struggle began, and several of the
remainder may have been as many as seven were |
members of the committee Their names are |
Aquia Paca, Jr.. George Bradford Daniel Scott, |
James Harris, Thomas Bond the second one |
named), John Paca, Jr., and William McComas. |
Another committeeman was Greenberry Dorsey, |
who Transcribed the above-cited certificate Of |
survey of "Stoakly Manor" and who was HIM |
self most probably surveyor.
The other son, William Wilson, and three Pacas |
COPIES of whose wills are among these papers, |
Will be treated of in my next communication.
G. w. ARCHEB.
EnmOrtOn August 10h, SO.
LETTER FROM UANG GREEN