The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-01-30
TALES THE ToMBsToNEs TELL.
Interesting "reminiscences of an Ola
Maryland Family.

On the south side of the Severn river, where
II enlarges into the beautiful sheet OF water
known to excursionists as Round bay, about
s;x miles above Annapolis, is situated an an
Gent MARYLAND homestead known for, many
wears as s:Bel Voirn To the thousands VINO
visit the Naval Academy, Severn river ana
Round bay it may be ofinterest to know tnat
upon this old plantation, in an open heid, un-
protected by fence or ditch or hedge, the
writer found an old tombstone, from which nc
copied the following inscription:
Sin memory of Mrs. Ann Arnold key, who
departed this life January 9th, 1871, IN the
84th year of her age. She was the daughter
of John Ross, who came to this country IN
1870. and was officially connected with the
land office. He took up tracts of land IN sew.
eral counties in the state, Ross Range,
Frederick county; Carpenters Point, TAI
bot county; Bel Voir,' Anne Arundel county,
and other tracts. Her sister, Elizabeth Ross;
married DR.. Upton Scott, wealthy eitzen OF
Annapolis" ~
Ann Arnold Ross married Francis Key, son
of Philip Key, one of two brothers who tirst
settled in ST. Mary's county. At the burning
of her father home at Carpenter Point, her
sight was destroyed by fire and smoke whilst
rescuing 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 Barton Key. Upon the
death of their father the will which had been
made could not be found, and consequently
the property under the old primogeniture laws,
existing at that date, descended to the eldest
son, John Ross Key, who with generosity not
usual in our day waived his legal rights and
shared the property with his brother. John
Ross Key was an active patriot in the Amerl-
can revolution, raising company by his per-
sonal 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 Barton 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
proved eventually, he should have been
isrebel' to have been on the winning side.
He paid the penalty of his error by suffering
the confscation of his property. The patriot
ism 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 unfortunate and to him expensive
brother Gen. Key married Anne Phoebe
Charlton, and had by her one son, Francis
Scott Key, author of ''The Star-Spangled
Banner" and one daughter, Anne, who mar
ried Roger Brooke fancy, afterward chief
Justice of the Supreme Court
Francis Scott Key married Mary Taylor
Lloyd, and had by her large family of sons
and daughters, some of them now living in
various sections of the country with their
children, making a numerous and more than
usually interesting family of descendants.
Personal courage and chivalry seem to have
descended from the heroic Mrs. Ann Arnold
Key to her son, grandson Francis Scott Key,
and even to the sixth generation, the only two
male descendants known to the writer having
upon their persons sears of serious wounds
received in the late war.
The ravages of wasting time, the raging
tempests of many years, the heetlng seasons
will most certainly serve to destroy 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 recious of human senses, should live
in the annals of our history and be held by us
as an heritage forever.
The tenth census, ''like wounded snake,
drags its wearied length along Thirteen
large volumes have been published, and others
are going through the press, while a number
of other reports remain unpublished, includ-
ing those by J. R. Dodge, the statistician of
81, fruit nd mr..