|
Year:
|
1770
|
|
Meanwhile:
|
March 5, 1770 - The Boston
Massacre occurs when a mob of men and boys began taunting and throwing
snowballs, oysters shells, and other objects at a
sentry standing guard at the city's customs house. When other British
soldiers came to the sentry's support, a free-for-all ensued and shots were
fired into the crowd. Four died on the spot and a fifth died after four days.
Six others were wounded. The soldiers were arrested, but later acquitted with
the help of John Adams who served as their attorney.
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|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1770 Queen Anne's Co.
|
|
|
William Wiggins (Wiggens), Elisabeth Wiggens, Ann Wiggens,
Ebeneye (Ebony?) Wiggens
|
|
|
21 May 1770/14 Jun 1770. Will of William Wiggins/Wiggens.
"...I give and bequeath to my Daughter Ann a Mulatto boy called George
to her & her Heirs or Assigns. Item. I give and bequeath out of my
personal Estate, to my loving Wife's three children William, Sarah & Mary
the sum of fifteen pounds Pennsylvania
currency after my just debts are paid & my Wife's thirds deducted and the
residue or remainder of my said personal estate to be equally divided between
my two children Ebeneye (Ebony?) and Ann. And lastly I
appoint my loving Wife sole executrix of this my last will and
Testament"
|
|
Source:
|
Queen
Anne's Co. Wills Liber WHN:2, pp.327
|
|
Clues/Cross
Reference:
|
24 Nov 1770/ 6 Dec 1770. Administration account of William
Wiggens. £15.12.3. Appraisers: John
Brown, Hezekiah Botts. Administratrix: Elisabeth Wiggens
|
|
Source: Abstracts
of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court of Maryland Volumes 101-109
1769-1772, V. L. Skinner, Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1771 Dorchester Co.
|
|
|
Daniel Dwigins
|
|
|
10 Jun 1771/13 Jun 1771. List of debts due to the estate of
Dr. Reimour Land ...John Dwigins
|
|
Source:
|
Abstracts of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court, V.
L. Skinner, Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1771 Talbot Co.
|
|
|
Mary Ann Hixon
|
|
|
10 Dec 1771/31 Dec 1771. Administration account of William
Harrison Brooke. Wit: Mary Ann Hixon, Elizabeth Fry
|
|
Source:
|
Maryland
Calendar of Wills 1767-1772 Vol. 14 , Family Line Publications
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1772
|
|
Meanwhile:
|
The
Royal British schooner Gaspee had arrived in March 1772, to enforce the
revenue laws in an area where almost the entire population was engaged in
smuggling. On June 9, the ship ran aground off Rhode
Island in Narragansett Bay
while giving chase to a suspect. Colonists from Providence rowed out to the schooner and
attacked it, set the British crew ashore, then burned the ship. In September,
a 500-pound reward was offered by the English Crown for the capture of those
colonists, who would then be sent to England for trial. The
announcement that they would be sent to England further upset many
American colonists.
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1772 Queen Anne's Co.
|
|
|
John Dwigens, Ann Dwigens, William Dwigens
|
|
|
25 Feb 1772/27 Feb 1772. Will of William Webb, Q. A. Co.
|
|
|
Nephews: William Webb son of James Webb, James Webb son of
Edgar Webb, William Dwigens son of John Dwigens. Sister Ann
Dwigens wife of John Dwigens. Mother Mary Webb. Brother James Webb.
Sisters: Rachel wife of Jeremiah Coleson. Mary wife of William Yoe, Henry
wife of Nathaniel Pratt. Tract: “Lloyd”. Ex: brother-in-law John
Dwigens. Wit: Joshua Clark, Solomon Yewell
|
|
Source:
|
Maryland
Calendar of Wills Vol. 14, 1767-1772, Family Line Publications
|
|
Clues/Cross
Reference:
|
8 May 1772/12 Dec 1772. Administrative account of William
Webb. £102.4.5. Next of kin: Mary Webb, James Webb Executor: John
Dwiggins
|
|
6 Aug 1772. Administrative account of Edgar Webb.
£32.6.11. Appraisers: Giles Hicks,
Solomon Ranton. Creditors: Joshua Clark, Henry Gasson. Next of Kin: Mary
Webb, Nancy Dwiggens. Administratrix: Ann Webb
|
|
|
Source: Abstracts
of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court of Maryland 1772-1774, V. L.
Skinner, Jr.
|
|
|
26 Aug 1773. Administrative account of William Webb. £30.7.8.
Sureties: Joshua Clark, Andrew Sylvester. Legatees: James Webb (son of Edgar
Webb). Executor: John Dwiggen
|
|
|
7 Jan 1775. Administrative account of William Webb. £30.7.8.
Caroline Co. Executor: Mr. John Dwiggins, Jr.
|
|
|
Source: Abstracts
of the Balance Books of the Prerogative Court of Maryland 1770-1777, V.
L. Skinner, Jr.
|
|
|
25 Nov 1774. Distribution of estate of Thomas Meed, of Queen
Anne’s Co.. Sureties: James Webb, John Dwiggens
|
|
|
Source: Abstracts of the Balance Books of
the Prerogative Court of Maryland 1770-1777, V.L. Skinner, Jr
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1772 Talbot Co.
|
|
|
John Higgins
|
|
|
14 Apr 1772/10 Nov 1772. Administration account of John
Prichard/Pritchard. Mentions John Higgins
|
|
Source:
|
Abstracts of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court of
Maryland 1772-1774, V. L. Skinner, Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1772 Cecil Co.
|
|
|
Thomas Huggins
|
|
|
4 Dec 1772/3 May 1773. Administration account of Mary Cluck.
Creditors: Thomas Huggins, ...
|
|
Source:
|
Abstracts of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court of
Maryland 1772-1774, V. L. Skinner, Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1773
|
|
Meanwhile:
|
Caroline County created from Dorchester
and Queen Anne's counties.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Calcutta becomes the
capital of British India.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
East India Company was on the verge of bankruptcy. On the London Exchange its
shares had dropped from 280 to 160 over the previous year. The company also
had a surplus of nearly 17 million pounds of tea in its warehouses in England. The
East India Company beseeched Parliament to help it find some way to get rid
of the surplus tea so that the company could get back on its feet. On 27
April the House of Commons passed a bill that became known as the Tea Act.
This Act waived all duties on teas exported to the colonies. That would make
it feasible (and inexpensive) to get rid of the surplus. It also permitted
the company to sell its tea directly to chosen agents, or rather consignees,
in the colonies. Prior to that time certain goods, including tea, was required to be sold at public auction. With the
passage of the Tea Act, the East India Company could undersell even the
colonial smugglers. In the American colonies, the import tax of 3d per lb was
retained. In September, the company prepared to send nearly a half of a
million pounds of the tea to consignees it had carefully chosen in the
colonial cities of Boston, New
York, Philadelphia and Charleston. Those
chosen consignees included two sons and a nephew of Governor Hutchinson of Massachusetts.
Throughout the colonies, ships full of tea were turned back, or had their
contents destroyed. In Boston,
three ships carrying tea were in the harbor protected by British schooners.
On December 16, about 8000 Bostonians gathered to hear Sam Adams tell them
that Governor Hutchinson had repeated his command not to allow the ships out
of the harbor until the tea taxes are paid. That night, the Boston Tea Party
occurred.
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1773 Queen Anne's Co.
|
|
|
Charles Higgins, Margaret Higgins, Sarah Higgins
|
|
|
17 Aug 1773/16 Mar 1774. Administration account of Charles
Higgins. £117.5.1. Appraisers: James O’Bryan, Bail Warfield. Creditors:
Arthur Emory Jr., Robert J. Earle & Co. Next of Kin: Elisabeth Runney,
Sarah Ford. Administratrix: Margaret Higgins
|
|
Source:
|
Abstracts of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court of
Maryland 1772 - 1774, V.L. Skinner, Jr.
|
|
Clues/Cross
Reference:
|
Sarah Higgins married William Ford, St Joseph's Mission, Cordova, Talbot Co. 24
Feb 1772 (License). Test. Daniel Dolvin, Thomas Fitzsimmons
|
|
Source: Supplement to Maryland
Eastern Shore Vital Records Books 1-3,
F. Edward Wright
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1773 Talbot Co.
|
|
|
John Higgins, Thomas Higgens, William Higgins Jr.
|
|
|
6 July 1773. Administration account of Daniel Killum. List of
Debts Owed: ..., John Higgins, ...Thomas Higgens, ...William Higgins Jr.
|
|
Source:
|
Abstracts of the Inventories and Accounts of the Prerogative Court,
V.L. Skinner, Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1773 Talbot Co.
|
|
|
John Higgins, Sr
|
|
|
10 Mar 1773/23 Mar 1773. Will of John Higgins, Sr. To wife
Bridgate all personal estate during widowhood... To son-in-law Henry West,
negro woman Sall. ... To dau-in-law Elizabeth West, negro child M__, ... To godson
James Higgins, cow and calf. Kin: James Saywell Higgins, Sarah Hughson.
Testators: Zadok Botfield, William Jones.
|
|
Source:
|
Index of Maryland
Colonial Wills 1634 - 1777, James M. Magruder
|
|
|
Maryland
Calendar of Wills 1772-1774, Family Line Publications
|
|
Clues/Cross
Reference:
|
29 May 1773/3 Aug 1773. Inventory of estate of John Higgins.
£247.11.3. Appraisers: John Stevens,
Thomas Jenkins. Creditors: William Stevens, William Maynadier. Next of Kin:
James Saywell Higgins, Sarah Hughson. Executrix: Bridget Higgins.
|
|
3 Aug 1774/5 Aug 1774. Inventory of estate of John Higgins-
£5.19.9. Appraisers: John Stevens, Thomas Jenkins. Executrix:
Bridget Higgins.
|
|
|
Source: Abstracts
of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court of Maryland 1772-1774, V.L.
Skinner, Jr.
|
|
|
5 Aug 1774. Inventory of estate of John Higgins. List of
debts. £14.3.3. Executrix: Bridget Higgins.
|
|
|
5 Aug 1774. Inventory of estate of John Higgins. List of
debts. £27.0.3. Executrix: Bridget Higgins.
|
|
|
Source: Abstracts
of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court of Maryland 1774-1777, V.L.
Skinner, Jr.
|
|
|
9 Aug 1774. Distribution of estate of John Higgins. £244.0.11.
Sureties: Zadok Bottfield, Solomon Jones. Distribution to: Bridget Higgins
(widow), Henry West, Elisabeth West. Exec: Mrs. Bridget Higgins.
|
|
|
Source: Maryland
Records of Deaths: 1718-1777, Annie Walker Burns
|
|
|
Abstracts of the Balance Books of the
Prerogative Court of Maryland 1770-1777, V.L. Skinner, Jr.
|
|
|
Abstracts of the Inventories of the
Prerogative Court of Maryland 1774-1777, V.L. Skinner, Jr.
|
|
|
John Higgins, deceased, mentioned in 1788 deposition of Henry
West
|
|
|
Source: Talbot County Land
Commissions 1785-1793. More Maryland
Deponents 1716 - 1799, Henry C. Peden, Jr.
|
|
|
Bridget Higgins died by 18 Dec 1777. Kin: Eliz. West (wife of
Henry West). Creditor: James Saywell Higgins (Talbot Co.?)
|
|
|
Source: Bernice Leonard
|
|
|
Henry West born 1736 was the son of Lothian West and Elizabeth
Hutlock West
|
|
|
Source:
Colonial Families of the Eastern Shore of Maryland Volume 5, Henry C. Peden, Jr.
and F. Edward Wright
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1773 Queen Anne's Co.
|
|
|
Mr. Higgins
|
|
|
Buried 11 Sep 1773, Betty Punny, child, at Mr. Higgins'
plantation.
|
|
Source:
|
Supplement to Maryland Eastern Shore Vital Records Books 1-3, F.
Edward Wright
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1774
|
|
Meanwhile:
|
September
5 to October 26, the First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia .
|
|
|
|
|
|
An
Annapolis
resident, Anthony Stewart owned a ship known as the Peggy Stewart, named for
his daughter. Loaded with 2,000 pounds of tea the ship arrived at Annapolis harbor.
Anthony Stewart decided that he would pay the tax on the tea, and have it
quietly moved ashore, but soon the word of his intentions got out. Citizens
became angry, and gathered at the harbor. As tempers grew hotter, the group
of angry citizens went to Stewart's house and confronted him. They reminded
him that he should be loyal to the non-importation agreement, although he had
refused to sign it. The angry crowd gave him a choice; burn the ship "or
be hanged right here at your front door." Stewart agreed to burn the tea
and offer a public apology, but pleaded to let him unload the rest of his
valuable cargo. Although some people agreed, the mob continued to shout
louder. Fearing for the safety of his family, he agreed to burn his ship. On
October 19, 1774, Stewart ran his ship aground and applied the torch himself.
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1774 Queen Anne's Co.
|
|
|
Elizabeth Higgins
|
|
|
b. before 1774
Queenstown, Queen Anne's, MD. Married Joseph Freeman about 1795
|
|
Source:
|
Suzan Freeman query posting at GenForum
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1774 Talbot Co.
|
|
|
John Higgins
|
|
|
Thomas Jenkins rented to Isaac Craddick for £10 yearly,
plantation where John Higgins now lives.
|
|
Source:
|
Talbot County Land
Records Book Thirteen, R. Bernice Leonard
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1774 Cecil Co.
|
|
|
Thomas Huggins
|
|
|
2 Apr 1774. Administration account of Thomas Crouch.
Creditors: Thomas Huggins, ...
|
|
|
Aug 1774/22 Dec 1774. Administration account of Joseph
Thompson. Creditors: Thomas Huggins, …
|
|
|
21 Sep 1774/20 Feb 1775. Administration account of James
Philips. Creditors: Thomas Huggins, …
|
|
Source:
|
Abstracts of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court of
Maryland 1772-1774, V. L. Skinner, Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1774 Worcester Co.
|
|
|
William Hugens
|
|
|
10 Oct 1774/18 Nov 1774. Will of William Benson.... to son
William Wright Benson... to grandson Lihue Benson... to son-in-law Benjamin
Willis... to grandson William Hugens...
|
|
Source:
|
Maryland Calendar
of Wills 1774-1777 Vol 16, Family Line Publications
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1775
|
|
Meanwhile:
|
Daniel
Boone and a group of thirty woodsmen clear a 300 mile trail, including
marking it with signposts, from eastern Tennessee
through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky.
Within fifteen years over one hundred thousand people would use the
"Wilderness Road" and move into western Tennessee
and Kentucky.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mar
22 1775 - In Parliament, Edmund
Burke argues for a repeal of all the Regulatory Acts against America.
|
|
|
|
|
|
April
18, 1775 - General Gage orders 700 British soldiers to Concord to destroy the colonists' weapons
depot. The weapons had long since been removed from Concord, as Gage was
already aware, but he ordered the attack anyway. That night, Paul Revere and
William Dawes are sent from Boston
to warn colonists. Revere reaches Lexington about midnight and warns Sam
Adams and John Hancock who are hiding out there. At the same time, Israel
Bissell is sent to rouse the nearby colonies, riding to central
Massachusetts, then through Connecticut, to New York, and Philadelphia. At
dawn on April 19 about 70 armed Massachusetts militiamen stand face to face
on Lexington Green with the British advance guard. A volley of British rifle
fire followed by a charge with bayonets leaves eight Americans dead and ten
wounded. The British regroup and head for the depot in Concord, destroying
the colonists' weapons and supplies. At the North Bridge in Concord,
militiamen attack a British platoon, with 14 casualties. British forces then
begin a long retreat from Lexington back to Boston and are harassed and shot
at all along the way by farmers and rebels and suffer over 250 casualties.
News of the events at Lexington and Concord spreads like
wildfire throughout the Colonies.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Battle of Bunker Hill
|
|
|
|
|
|
George
Washington takes command of the 17,000-man Continental Army on July 3 at Cambridge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
Eastern Shore was nicknamed the Breadbasket
of the Revolution for the amount of food produced for the Continental Army.
|
|
|
|
|
Year:
|
1775 Talbot Co.
|
|
|
James Sayel Higgins
|
|
|