Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1950-07-27
By George B. MacGregor

In this third and concluding
part of series of three articles
l wish to ask few questions about
Samuel Beall, son of Ninian Beall,
Jr., and wife, Elizabeth Margru-
der. Samuel was a grandson of
t Col. Ninian Beall (1625-1717),
and received the Beall grist mill
on "Collington" plantation in his
grandfather's will.
In this will Ninian Beall named
only two of his sons-George and
Charles Beall; two of his sons-in-
law, Andrew Hambleton, and
Joseph Belt; and two grandchil-
dren, Samuel Beall (1706-1780)
and his sister, Mary Beall (1704-
p, who shared the seat Bacon
Hail." at the confluence of the
Western Branch and the Patuxent
River in Prince Georges County
Samuel also received the iron
works in connection with the mill
near Iceland Station, three miles
north of Upper Marlboro, Samuel
was to become executor of the
estate on attaining age, and sons
George and Charles and son-in-
law Joseph Belt acted as trustees
during the minority.
Ownership of the "Collington"
tract was long in dispute between
Ninian Beall and John Kean.
Ninian was of the Macmillan Clan
and John Kean of the Gum Clan;
both were red-hot members. Grand
son Samuel was probably reluctant
to poke his head into such a hor-
nets nest. What he did with the
water mill is a mystery; as a
business man he probably walked
off and left it. The mill after 1900
fell into the hands of Daniel
Clarke, who operated it during the
Civil War for the benefit of the
Confederate Army. The mill and
iron works have disintegrated or
sunken into the quick sand of
Brooke Branch, but parts of the
mill race can still be seen. Our
opinion is that Ninian Beall died
on the nearby hill that stands SO
feet higher than the creek bottom
where a third home, now owned
by Benjamin Bird McCeney, of
Washington, stands in reconstruc-
ted state, having been built in
1858. The first and third mansions
were of wood, the second, built by
John Bowie, Jr. was of brick;
some of the brick in the fireplace
had records of family births
deaths and funerals. The place is
now called "Thorpland."
Our feeling is that Samuel Beall
who made a will in Montgomery
County in in 1880 is the Samuel
who benefited under Ninian Beall's
TIT will; his wife was Jane, prob
ably an Edmondston, who wrote
her will about the time he did, but
lived till 1885. / should like to
locate the graves of these kins.
men, ii any old timer remembers
There IVES a Samuel Beall who
was eek of Capt Samuel Beall's
1748 Company of Horsemen in
Prince Georges County who may
have ben the same Samuel.
1t will probably be of interest
to Marylanders that ITS Colonial
families were represented by the
military companies of Capts
Beall and Magruder in Prince
Georges. The former outfit was
we'll mounted and equipped with
gay uniforms and swords, while
Capt. Magruder's company was Of
three ranks-front, center anC
rear. The Prince Georges "blue
bloods" made quite a display or
parade behind their brass bands
and perhaps caused quite a few
female hearts to pa,pitate.
In concluding, / come briefly tc
visitors first impression Of
Rockville and Montgomery Coun,
ty. After having been born in 6
town of 5000 people Rome, Ga.)
and lived in Atlanta, Savannah
Washington, New York, Winnipeg