Tabitha (Wright) Blanford (bef. 1647 - abt. 1700)

Born before 1647 in Calvert County, Province of Maryland [uncertain]

Wife of William Mills — married about 1665 in Calvert County, Province of Maryland

Wife of Thomas Blanford — married 13 Jun 1678 (to Apr 1698) in Calvert County, Maryland (became Prince George's in 1696)

Descendants

Died about 1700 after about age 53 in Prince George's County, Province of Maryland [uncertain]

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Biography

Birth, Parentage, Early Life

Tabitha (Wright) Blanford was a Maryland colonist.

Little is known of Tabitha Wright's parentage or early life. Two very different accounts are given of her birth.

One set of family genealogies (relating to her 2nd husband: Thomas Blanford) state she was born in 1638 in Maryland but this is unlikely as there were very few European settlers in that new colony at that early date and a 1638 birth would have Tabitha giving birth to her last child at nearly 50 years old, quite elderly for a woman in that time and place.

The second set of genealogies, who mention her first husband: William Mills, date Tabitha's birth in 1647, in Calvert County, Maryland. This is more plausible and it has been adopted here.

There were two Wright brothers: Arthur and Ishmael, of London, England, who emigrated together to Maryland in the late 1630s or early 1640s. Initially they settled on the Patuxent River in Calvert County; around 1655, Arthur moved south-east to Dorchester County across the Chesapeake Bay. Ishmael remained in Calvert County, dying there about 1660. He and his wife, Ann, are the most-likely candidates for Tabitha's parents but as yet unproven. They are known to have had a daughter, Sarah, born about 1633, probably in England.^[1]

The Wrights were yeomen, independent landowners, and "planters," no doubt of tobacco as that was Maryland's cash crop in the 17th Century, especially around the Patuxent River. There are a number of Maryland land documents from the 1640-50s that cite Ishmael Wright and his wife "Ann" or "Annie" - no maiden name given, as was the custom then - buying or selling "headrights:" the land given to new immigrants into the colony or to those who paid their passage from England. They were associated with the Lecompte family, French Huguenots that emigrated to Maryland ca. 1650, perhaps having paid their passage or that of their servants...^[2]

1665 Marriage to William Mills

In 1665, when she was 18 (if born 1647, the most likely date), Tabitha Wright married William Mills, who was born 1628 according to court testimony when he was 30. William is sometimes confused with William Milles, b. 1638 in Cratfield, Suffolk, England, but there is no documentation to prove this. William immigrated to Maryland in 1651 as an indentured servant.

William and Tabitha settled on the west bank of the Patuxent River at a place that became known as Milltown Landing. They were planters there and possibly owned a grist-mill or saw-mill.

Tabitha was pregnant with her daughter, also named Tabitha, when her husband died in April 1676; she is the "unborn childe" mentioned in his March 13, 1676, Will that was proven April 26, 1676.^[3]

1676 Husband's Death and Estate

At William Mill's death in April 1676, his estate was inventoried by a neighbor and fellow planter, Thomas Blanford. It was appraised at 29,559 Pounds (doubtlessly counted in tobacco, which was widely used as currency in Virginia & Maryland; 150 pounds of cured tobacco equaled about 20 shillings or 1 British pound)^[4] with 11,313 owed to debts, leaving a net worth of 18,246 pounds of tobacco. Tabitha received 6,082, her "widow's third," and William's orphans, including Tabitha, the "unborn childe," received 12,164 pounds of tobacco. This was a sizeable estate for that time and place and shows that the Mills family were prominent planters in the county.

1678 Second Marriage to Thomas Blanford

We will never know whether it was the 29 year-old widow's beauty or her wealth that most appealed to Thomas Blanford, b. Nov. 18, 1648, Blanford, Dorset, England; he had emigrated to Maryland in 1674. What we do know is that they married in Calvert County on June 13, 1678.

The marriage produced a flurry of activity. Two days later, on 15 June 1678, Tabitha, now Blanford, aet 30, former wife of William Mills, dec'd, was a deponent in a court case along with others:

• Roger Brooke, of Calvert Co, aet 40.
• Ambrose Biggs of Calvert Co, deponent, aet 53.
• Andrew Tenehill of Calvert Co, merchant, aet 36, deponent.
• Ninian Beale of Calvert Co, aet 48, deponent. 15 June 1678. ^[5]

Three days after that, on June 18, 1678 ^[6] an order of ejectment refers to William Mills, now deceased, who had a house at Brooke Court Manor, and that "his relict Tobitah Blanford" had a "lodger at Mills house 8 years past," namely Andrew Tenchill (Tenehill?) , Merchant.

1695 Thomas Blanford's Will and Death

Thomas Blanford wrote his will on his birthday in 1695; it was proven April 28, 1698. He died shortly before the latter date. His widow, Tabitha, was named as Executrix and unique beneficiary during her lifetime. His five living children: Thomas, Jean, Elizabeth, Grace, and Martha were named as residual beneficiaries after Tabitha's death. Thomas Blanford's estate, after debts were paid, was similar to what William Mills' had been - it was valued at just £118.19.2 British pounds (= 17, 850 pounds of tobacco). The estate overseers included William Mills (Jr.) and Edward Willett (husband of Tabitha Mills).^[7]

1700 Death

Tabitha W. M. Blanford survived her second husband by about 30 months, dying around December 1700. Her estate was inventoried on January 20, 1701, in Prince George's County, Maryland.^[8] Her goods and chattels amounted to 93 Pounds Sterling (about 13,950 pounds of tobacco @ 150 lbs per 1 lb. Sterling). Her son, Thomas Blanford, administered her estate.^[9]

Various payments were made by and to her estate. Tabitha Blandford (widow) 23.69 A PG £91.12.2 £31.4.3 Jul 9 1702:

Tabitha Blanforde 20.175 I PG £93.0.2 Jan 20 1700/01

Appraisers: George Naylor, William Watson.^[10]

Received from: Nathaniell Magruder, Mr. Peregrine Browne.

Payments to: Capt. John Hyde, Mr. Paggan & Co. paid to Mr. Crabb, Mr. :Robert Wade, Alexander Magruder, Mr. Ignatius Craycroft, James Wapple, William Watson & George Naylor, John Robinson, Mr. John Smithson, Mr. Joshua Cecill, David Lowry, Thomas Davice, Mr. Robert Owen, Edward Willett :part of the portion of Tabitha Mills.

Administrator: Thomas Blandford.^[8][10]

The following was written in a biography of her daughter Tabitha's husband - Edward Willett, Jr.:

"After Tabitha Mills Blanford died in 1700, one item in the disbursements 1,000 pounds of tobacco was made to Edward Willett, part of the portion of Tabitha Mills, and in full of the same; as Tabitha Mills' husband was paid her portion of her mother's estate on March 10, 1703/4 (Bond 1:19); Tabitha making her mark "T"."^[11]

Children

Both husbands died when their younger children were small. William Mills died in 1676 when his oldest child was 11 and his youngest was unborn. Thomas Blanford died in 1698; by that time the youngest Mills child was 22, but his own children ranged from 19 to 12. When Tabitha Wright Mills Blanford died in 1700, her living children were aged 17 to 21. Martha, her youngest daughter and youngest living child, went to live with the John Pottenger family.

Tabitha if born in 1647, was aged 18 when her first child was born in 1665, and 39 when her last child was born in 1686.

Children with William Mills

With William Mills, Tabitha (Wright) Mills had at least 7 children (some sources say 11 children but several may have died as infants):^[12]

1. Verlinda Mills b: 1665 in Calvert County, Maryland
2. William Mills b: 1666 in Calvert County, Maryland
3. John Mills b: 1668 in Calvert County, Maryland
4. Sarah Mills b: 1669 in Calvert County, Maryland
5. Mary Mills b: 1671 in Calvert County, Maryland
6. James Mills b: 1674 in Calvert County, Maryland
7. Tabitha Mills b: after April 26 1676, in Calvert County, Maryland

Children with Thomas Blanford

Thomas and Tabitha Blanford had 7 children together:^[13]

1. Mary Jane (aka Jean) Blanford b: 1679 in Calvert Co., Maryland
2. Elizabeth Blanford b: 1680 in Calvert, Maryland
3. Thomas Blanford b: 1681 in Calvert, Maryland
4. Grace Blanford b: 1682 in Calvert, Maryland
5. Martha Blanford b: 1683 in Calvert, Maryland
6. Richard Blanford b: 1684 in Calvert, Maryland; d. before 1698
7. Mayfield Blanford b: 1686 in Calvert, Maryland; d. before 1698

Sources

1. ↑ Fleiner Study.
2. ↑ Maryland Historical Magazine 1917 - The LeCompte Family
3. ↑ The Smith's of Maryland, Kentucky & Illinois Research by Harold D. Smith]; cited on How Did They get to Crawford County?
4. ↑ Tobacco in Colonial Virginia
5. ↑ Archives of Maryland v. 67, p.422 and Archives of Maryland v. 68, p.57, Calvert County. Cited by Mike Marshall. Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties. William Mills. Last modified 12 April 2017. Accessed April 19 2017. jhd
6. ↑ Arch. 67, 422-24, Prov. Ct. Jdmts, Ejectment
7. ↑ New Gedcom 2012
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Mike Marshall. Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties. William Mills. Last modified 12 April 2017. Accessed April 19 2017. jhd
9. ↑ Will Liber 6, f 77/8, Prince George County, MD: 18 Nov 1697- 28 Apr 169 8 cited on: Family & Others Tree 2006
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Research of Donna Cooper, cited by Mike Marshall. William Mills in Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties. http://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I023402&tree=Tree1. Last modified 12 April 2017. Accessed April 19 2017. jhd
11. ↑ How Did They Get to Crawford County? Cites: The Smith's of Maryland, Kentucky & Illinois Research by Harold D. Smith]
12. ↑ McCullars, Crabtree, Conrad Family Tree Branches This genealogy has several date errors (corrected below) but gives a good overall snapshot of Tabitha Mill's family).
13. ↑ Liz Michael Pierces, Bizzells, and Halls of NC Family Tree lists 6; other sources add Grace.

• Raulston & Russell Genealogy by Barbara Gonce Clepper, 1986

Acknowledgments

• This person was created through the import of LaBach Family TreeApril28_2011.ged on 05 May 2011.
• Thank you to Ila East for creating Unknown-214852 on 22 Oct 13.
• Thank you to Ila East for merging WikiTree profile Unknown-214852 into profile Wright-9589 on 22 Oct 13.
• Thank you to Chet Snow for researching this person, writing the biographical sketch and adding sources on May 2, 2015.