The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-02-27
Established 1880.
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES OF AN OLD
MARYLAND FAMILY.

On the south side of the Severn river,
where it enlarges into the beautiful sheet
of water known to excursionists as
Round bay, about six miles above An
napolis, is situated an ancient Maryland
homestead known for many years as
Bel Voir. To the thousands who visit
the Naval Academy, Severn river and
Round bay, it may be of interest to
know that upon this old plantation, in
an open field, unprotected by fence or
ditch or hedge, the writer found an old
tombstone, from which he copied the
following inscription:
'In memory of Mrs. Ann Arnold Key,
who departed this life January 5th,
1871, in the 84th year of her age. She
was the daughter of John Ross, who
came to this country in 1880, and was
officially connected with the land Office.
He look up tracts or land In several
counties in the State. 'Ross' Range
Frederick county; Carpenters Point
Talbot county; Bel Voir, Anne Arun-
del county, and other tracts Her sis
ter, Elizabeth Ross, married DR.. Upton
Scott, wealthy citizen of Annapolis.
Ann Arnold Ross. married Francis
Key, son of Philip Key, one of two
brothers who first settled in St. Mary's
county. At the burning of her fathers
home at Carpenters Point, her sight was
destroyed by fire and smoke while res
cuing two servants from the flames. She
then crossed the bay and resided with
her daughter, Elizabeth Ross Key, at
Bel Voir, where the old tombstone
marks her resting place. This daughter
married Col. Henry Manadier. Mrs.
Key had also two sons, John Ross and
Philip Burton Key. John Ross Key
was an active patriot in the American
revolution, raising company by his
personal efforts, which he commanded
as captain. Whether he advanced to
the grade of general, which title was
accorded him for many years, the writer
has not been able to ascertain.
Philip Burton Key, who seems to
have been born under an unlucky star,
being the younger son, when it was the
proper thing in law to be the elder son,
was equally unfortunate in his political
faith, being Tory, when, as it prov
ed eventually, he should have been a
rebel to have been on the winning side.
He paid the penalty of his error by suf-
fering the confscation of his property.
The patriotism of Gen. John Ross Key
during the war was only equaled by his
magnanimity after the war, when he
again shared his property with his un-
fortunate and to him expensive brother.
Gen. Key married Anne Phoebe Charl-
ton, and had by her one son, Francis
Scott Key, author of 'The Star Spangled
Banner, and one daughter, Anne, who
married Roger Brooke fancy, afterward
chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Francis Scott Key married Mary Tay-
lor Lloyd, and had by her large fam
lily of sons of daughters, some of them
now living in various sections of the
county with their children, making
numerous and more than usually inter-
esting family of descendants.
The ravages of wasting time, the rag
ing tempests of many years, the Aeeting
seasons will most certainly serve to de-
stroy the old tombstone which marks
the grave of Mrs. Key, buried at Bel
Voir Beautiful to see in the olden
time, its hills and valleys having some
flowers and fertile fields. Severn river
and Round bay were unknown to her
sense of sight. The act of heroism
which cost her the most precious of hu-
man senses, should live in the annals of
our history and be held by us as an
heritage forever.