William Smithson (abt. 1745 - 1809)

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Scott) Smithson — married 11 Nov 1766 in Joppa, Harford, Province of Maryland

Died 17 Jan 1809 at about age 64 in Bel Air, Harford, Maryland, United States

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Biography

Hon. William Smithson was a Civil Servant in the American Revolution.

He was born in the year 1745^{[1] [2]}

He married Elizabeth Scott on 11 Nov 1766^[3] daughter of Aquila Scott^[2]

He was a large land holder and one of the first of the Lord's Justices in Harford County, MD. On the adoption of the new judiciary system he became one of the three judges of the Circuit Court for Harford County, and occupied a seat in the old courthouse in Bel Air, his colleagues being Henry Ridgely and Benedict Edward Hall^[1].

He built his residence in 1774^[4], now called the 'Farnandis Homestead' on a large tract of land near Bel Air, now designated as the "Homestead"^[5][2] farm and occupied it for thirty five years.^[1] The Homestead has been used and further developed for use by the Bel Air Methodist at Homestead^[2]. Besides the "Homestead," he owned land between Bel Air and the Catholic Church at Hickory, which he had bought of Thomas Pycraft Presbury.

He was a man of wealth and ardent friend of liberty advocating the cause in the Revolution. He is among the signers of the |Bush declaration adopted on 22 March, 1775.^[1]

He died on his 'homestead' on January 17, 1809 leaving a will, admitted to probate January 25, 1809^[1] witnessed by John Guyton, Joseph Robinson and John Reardon. He left no children according to Mary (Dorsey) Fernandis in WW Preston^[1]. Having no children of his own, he left "The Homestead" to his brother's children and residents, William and Elizabeth^[2]. The testator's wife Elizabeth and son in-law, Henry Dorsey, were named as executors. After making provision for his widow, he devised his land to his niece Elizabeth, wife of Col. Harry Dorsey, and to her brother William Dorsey, both of whom were the children of the testator's brother Daniel, and both of whom had been reared in the home of their uncle William. Elizabeth's share of the land was entailed by the will to her daughter Mary, who became the wife of William Farnandis, and the mother of Hon. Henry D. Farnandis, recently deceased. Mrs. Mary Farnandis' death antedated that of her distinguished son Henry only about twelve years, and both of them are well remembered for their hospitality, courtesy and unswerving fidelity to their friends. This latter quality seems to have been a characteristic of the family, and was pre-eminent in Mr. Henry D. Farnandis, whose memory will ever be cherished by the bar of his County, of which he was its brightest ornament.^[1]

He was buried in the old graveyard of the Smithson and Fernandis families just outside the southeasterly limits of Belair, and along the division line between the Fulford and Homestead farms now the site of the Bel Air Methodist church^[2] but while apparently barely visible by Preston bef 1901 has now been lost^[2]. "After diligent search the headstone over the grave of William Smithson was found, nearly sunk in the ground and quite hidden by the weeds and grass. Inscription: In Memory of William Smithson, Who Departed This Life January 17, 1809, Aged 64 Years"^[1].

His land was developed into an apartment in the 1970's known as "Homestead Village".

Elizabeth Dorsey allegedly had but one daughter.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} Walter Wilkes Preston, "History of Harford County, Maryland From 1608 (the Year of Smith's Expedition) to the Close of the War of 1812", 1901
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Unsourced https://belairumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/BAUMC-Homestead-House-Assessment-Report-3-21-18-1.pdf
3. ↑ "Wm. Smithson & Eliz. Scott marr'd Nov'r 11th 1766", St. John's Parish Register at familysearch.org St Johns Parish, Harford, Maryland page 229 image 443, "Maryland, Church Records, 1668-1995," database with images, FamilySearch St. John's Parish Registry - citing Birth, Maryland, British Colonial America, multiple denominations and churches, Maryland; FHL microfilm image 328 of 1164
4. ↑ Harford Historical Trust, https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/Harford/HA-1833.pdf
5. ↑ Jan 14, 2007, "HARFORD HISTORY", Baltimore Sun

• http://www.bushdeclaration.org/images/Bush%20Declaration.pdf, The Hereditary Order of the Signers of the Bush Declaration] This also gives a short BIOGRAPHY on each man.
• Unsourced Genealogy Trails http://genealogytrails.com/mary/harford/bios2.html