The
reader may chose from the foregoing a number of ways of deriving the name
acording to the topographical method. We prefer to think of a person dwelling
on an island called St. Inch, such as Shakespeare's St Colmbs-inch,
from which the scribes of the time could easily have dropped the period, or
a dweller in a river valley.
A more precise description
of the ancestral locale of the family in England is found in Topography, Genealogial
Sc. Library of Congess:
"Stinchcomb,
(St. Cyril), a parish in the union of Berkley, W. division of the County of
Gloucester, two miles (W. by N.) from Dursley containing 393 inhabitants.
The parish embraces a portion of Cotswold Hills, and consists of 1,393 acres
of which 55 are common or waste land. The living is perpetual curacy; net
income L. 65, patron the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, impropriators P.
B. Purnell, Esq., and others whose tithes have been commuted for L. 240. A
school is endowed and further supported by the parish."
Nathaniel Stinchcomb,
son of Nicholas of Hawkesbury, came to Maryland in 1663, that is, it is assumed
that he did, for it was in that year that the Patent Record (Liber AA folio
269 #5 607) states, "Nathaniel Stinchcomb demands land for his own transportation
and for Jacob Hollister 100 acres. Warrant to Surveyor General to lay for
Nathaniel Stinchcomb 100 acres 28 March next."
The following year
he reappeared and the record (Liber #7 p 510) states, "Nathaniel Stinchcomb
desires his warrant 100 a. dated 28 September 1663 may be renewed. Warrant
dated 1 Feb. 1664 returned 1 Aug. next." It seems a little strange that
there is no record that he ever patented the land thus warranted, although,
according to an inventory taken in 1675, he was in possession of 1526 acres
at the time of his death.
There was surveyed
for one Thomas Thurston, shoemaker, a parcel of land called The Tanyard, consisting
of 120 acres on
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Fuller's Creek. It
appears that Nathaniel acquired this property and the business. This property
became his dwelling, and in addition to being a planter, he carried on a tanning
and shoemaking business. He brought over indentured servants who were the
actual tanners and showmakers. His trade must have been fairly widespread,
for one of the inventories taken after his death shows John Brown of New England
owing him 2634 lbs. of tobacco.
Nathaniel made his
last will and testament on 11 June, 1670, leaving 5000 lbs. of tobacco to
be shipped home to Bristol for his brother John, and 10,000 lbs. of tobacco
to be shipped to Bristol for the children of his brother Nicholas and his
sister, Rebecca Hancocke, and his servant, John Merriken, to be freed. All
reminder of lands, goods, and chattels, except some minor bequests to servants,
were bequeathed to his wife, Tomasine, who was also appointed Executrix.
Although Nathaniel
probably thought that he was on his deathbed at the time, he apparently survived
that illness, for over a year later, 20 October 1671, there is recorded the
conveyance of 36 acres of land from Robert Wilson to Nathaniel Stinchcomb.
The plot, called Stinchcomb's Addition, was surveyed by George Yate on 30
October, 1671. By drawing a plan of The Tanyard and of Stinchcomb's Addition,
it is found that the latter plot fits exactly alongside the former.
Tomasine Stinchcomb
made her last will on 18 August, 1673, leaving all lands, goods, and chattels,
except some minor bequests to Blanch Burkley, Susannah Neale, amd the servants,
to her sons Nathaniel and John when they came to age 21. Thomas Turner was
named Executor and given charge of the two sons. It would appear that Nathaniel
passed away shortly before Tomasine and both wills were proved the same day,
24 November, 1673, before Robert Burle.
The first inventory
of the estate, taken on 3 December, 1673, found a total volume of goods and
chattels of 84690 lbs. of tobacco, but did not mention any land holdings.
Thomas Turner died
intestate before he had made any accounting of the Stinchcomb estate. Henry
Lewis, his principal creditor, obtained letters of administration for the
estate of Thomas Turner, incidentally becoming administrator of the Stinchcomb
estate and that of Paul Dorrell and his sister.
An inventory taken
on 10 May, 1675, after the death of Thomas Turner, found a total volume of
84001 lbs. of tobacco, and listed five pieces of land totaling about 1526
acres, and including a conveyance from Richard Ball for Ballestone - 420 acres.
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A third inventory
taken on 27 December, 1675, by virtue of a commission from Philip Calvert
found a total value of 62047 lbs. of tobacco, and listed three pieces of land,
including 420 acres from Ball (Ballestone) and 250 acres from Ball (Privilege.)
On 5 Jan., 1675,
Henry Lewis, William Hopkins, and John Ricks gave bond in the amount of 169,380
lbs. of tobacco for the proper administration of the Stinchcomb estate. This
occasion is after the inventory of 27 December, 1675, because at that time
the year ended on the 25th of March.
Henry Lewis rendered
an account of the estate on 5 Jan., 1677, in which he charged himself with
62047 lbs. of tobacco, and craved allowance for disbursements of 45667 lbs.,
leaving a balance due the Stinchcomb children of 16380 lbs. of tobacco.
According to a petition
submitted by William Hopkins, bonder for the Stinchcomb estate, and grandfather
and guardian of Henry Lewis' children, Henry Lewis made his will 16 March,
1678, and died soon after. Shortly after his death, his wife, Elizabeth, married
John Bird who exhibited an inventory of the Lewis estate amounting to 102128
lbs. of tobacco. Bird rendered an account on 25 April, 1681, showing a balance
remaining of only 13768 lbs., which was not enough to satisfy the amount due
the Stinchcomb children. Hopkins petitioned that Bird had overcharged by the
amount of 29956 and that there was enough to settle all claims.
On 21 June, 1682,
Philip Calvert ordered the Sheriff of Anne Arundel County to hold John Bird
for safekeeping until he either furnished security for or paid 14000 lbs.
of tobacco to the Stinchcomb children, and a proper share of the Lewis estate
to the children of Henry Lewis who were inder the guardianship of their grandfather,
William Hopkins. This action was taken because it was reported that John Bird
was about to leave the province taking property which rightfully belonged
to the Stinchcomb and Lewis estates. No further record of this matter has
been found, and it is hoped that the children received their just dues.
John Baldwin of South
River, Anne Arundel Co., made his will on 12 June, 1682, in which he bequeathed
to Nathaniel Stinchcomb one cow calf when becomes of age. Five years later,
his widow, Elizabeth Baldwin, made her will, 29 October, 1687, in which the
followingitems appear:
"I give to Nathaniel
Stinscome one cow and my small feather bed and such furniture as may belong
to it be paid within one year after my decease."
"I give to Jno.
Stinstom one cow or heifer of three years old when he comes of age - - - -
- to be delivered to his brother Nathaniel within one year after my decease."
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From the wording
of these two wills, particularly the latter one, and from some earlier bits
of information it is estimated that Nathaniel was born in 1666 and John in
1668.
At this point, a
bit of mystery develops. No further mention of John Stinchcomb has been found
in the records, but after a lapse of fifteen years there are two Nathaniels.
On 22 August, 1702, The Tanyard was resurveyed for Nathaniel Stinchcomb on
the north side of Patapsco Falls. There are numerous references to Nathaniel
and Hannah in Baltimore County until his death in 1710.
Also in August, 1702,
Nathaniel Stinchcomb married Elizabeth Chappell. This marriage is recorded
in both St. Margaret's Church in Broad Neck and in All Hallows Church, South
River.
It is noted that
Privilege was laid out for Richard Ball. This parcel consisted of 250 acres
adjoining Balleston, property of William Ball, situated in Baltimore Co.,
and the surveyor noted that it was in the possession of Nath. Stinchcomb.
Also in the inventories of the estate of Nathaniel and Tomasine noted both
Privilege and Balleston as belonging to the estate. It seems quite probable
that Nathaniel, son of Nathaniel and Tomasine, went to Baltimore County, and
took up the family property in that area. Some support was given to this assumption
by the fact that he called the parcel of land originally surveyed by him in
1698 and resurveyed in 1702 The Tanyard, probably naming it for the plantation
on which he was born in Broad Neck. In addition tp Privilege, Ballestone,
and The Tanyard, he also acquired Nathaniel's Park, 600 acres, 10 July, 1704,
and Reserve, 200 acres, 29 Sept., 1704. In the meantime, 20 Nov., 1703, he
conveyed Privilege to Thos. Long. This left him in the possession of 1593
acres. The Reserve adjoined Stout, the property of Christopher Randall, who
is believed to have been Nathaniel's brother-in-law.
This Nathaniel died
in 1710, and the widow, Hannah, married Edward Teale who then administered
the estate. There does not seem to be any direct record of any children of
Nathaniel and Hannah except that in the will of Edward Teale, made 5 May,
1720, mention is made of his son-in-law Jno. Stinchcomb. The term "son-in-law"
undoubtly meant step-son. However, there were at least two sons, for in 1719,
a tract called Batchelor's Hope was surveyed for John Stinchcomb and another
tract ca;;ed Pistole was patented to Nathaniel Stinchcomb. In the same year,
John Stinchcomb joined Christopher Randall in petitioning for a road at the
main falls of the Patapsco.
The Register of St.
Paul's P. E. Church, Baltimore, Md., Vol 1, lists the births of none children
to John and Katherine Stinchcomb between 1733 and 1749, and the births of
five children to Nathaniel and Patience Stinchcomb between 1734 and 1743.
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Nathaniel apparently
died prior to 1749, and Patience married Jacob Rawles or Rowles, for the Baltimore
County Testamentary Papers, Liber 33, contains several entries concerning
Jacob Rowles and Patience, his wife, administrator of the estate of Nathaniel
Stinchcomb, rendering accounts of the estate.
Having come to the
conclusion that Nathaniel, son of Nathaniel and Tomasine, lived in Baltimore
County in 1702, and had a wife named Hannah, the mystery arises as to who
was the Nathaniel Stinchcomb who married Elizabeth Chappell in Anne Arundel
County in the same year. This marriage is well authenticated, being noted
on page 97, St. Margaret's Register, that Nathaniel Stinchcomb married Elizabeth
Chappell 16 August, 1702, and on pages 58 amd 251 All Hallows Parish that
Nathaniel Stinchcomb and Elizabeth Chappell were married by banns Sept. 4,
1702. Apparently they were not satisfied with being married in one church,
they had to be married in two.
The St. Margaret's
Register shows that this couple had a daughter, Elizabeth, born on 13 December,
1704; that three weeks later the mother died, and that the infant daughter
died in August, 1705.
While there is no
record of a second marriage, the St. Margaret's Register contains the record
of the births of six children, beginning in 1710 and ending in 1725, born
to Nathaniel and Anne Stinchcomb. This is believed to be the same Nathaniel
who married Elizabeth in 1702, and the second wife is believed to be Anne
Merriken. This Nathaniel made his will 15 March, 1728, leaving his estate
to wife Anne. (Wills, Liber 19, folio 799)
In the Land Deeds,
volume I. T. #5, 1672-1752, beginning on page 44, there appears a petition
preferred by Joshua Merriken in which there is a note as follows: "2
day May 1720 gave depositers as follows: The Desposition of Nathaniel Stinchcomb
aged 44 years --.". This is believed to be the same Nathaniel who married
Elizabeth in 1702, and who had six children by Anne beginnign in 1710. The
deposition then gaves his birth as being in 1676, when Nathaniel and Tomasine
had been dead three years, and the second Nathaniel was about ten years old.
The question still remains, who was he?
Two theories are
considered possible. First, that the age given in teh deposition of 1720 was
in error by several years, (the early records are replete with clerical errors)
and that he was actually John Stinchcomb, the younger son of Nathaniel and
Tomasine, who for some reason called himself Nathaniel after his older brother
went to Baltimore County.
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Second, that the
John Stinchcomb who was still living in England when Nathaniel made his will
in 1670 later had a son who was named Nathaniel and who came to Maryland at
about the time he came of age.
There are attached
two charts. Ons showing only four generations, the line from Nathaniel and
Tomasine to Nathaniel and Hannah to Nathaniel and John and their children.
The other, beginning
with Nathaniel and Elizabeth in 1702 and carrying our line down to the present
generation.
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Nathaniel Stinchcomb
1636-1673
Tomasine Mastey
- 1673
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Nathaniel 1666-1710
Hannah Randell
(2) Edw. Teale
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John 1668- |
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Nathaniel
m. Patience
(2) Jacob Rowles
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John
m. Katherine McLane
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Nathaniel Nov 7, 1734
Patience Sept. 22, 1736
John Jan.25, 1738/9
Sarah Sept. 5, 1741
Mary Sept.5, 1743
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Rebekah Mar. 4, 1733/4
Norman Sept. 26, 1735
Sarah Sept. 26, 1735
John July 6, 1739
Hannah Jan. 10, 1740
Nathaniel Mar. 22, 1742
Anna Sept. 2, 1745
William Nov. 11, 1746
Aquila May 7, 1749
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